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Adding Pizazz to Your RAM
EliteTEK noted that Extreme Tech is running a review of some fancy new
illuminated DDR RAM. This one actually has a 10 char alphanumeric display that normally displays stats on your system, but with their software can display anything you like. It's about time that people can read RSS feeds on their RAM.
Really. This is "Hardware Hacking"?
Why would I want to buy memory that eats up 2 slots of space for a single chip. Seem they would have to tier the LED modules in order to utilize all of the memory slots.
Actually, my friend modded his case to mount his LCD on the side, I can get pics of it, it's really funny looking
I'm still using PC-133 SDRAM I bought in 2001.
Funny thing is, I still have the bill for that, and last week, I was in a computer store, which had DDR-RAM with the exact same capacity, and PRICE!
I challenge anyone claiming that there HASN'T been any price fixing to explain that!
I want a gig for EUR 20 (USD 26.31), dammit!
I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
No, REAL nerds have workstations that came from the FACTORY with blinky lights for everything!
(old HP workstations has memory bank, cpu heartbeat, network, etc indicators on the front bezel. Also, the BeBox had LED cpu graphs up the side. Let's not forget the Cray units with the big red LED boards showing memory status...)
Oh, and an aside- I imagine a Beowulf cluster of these would be necessary to read a webpage.
Please help metamoderate.
Modders -1 Total Asshat
Yes, you must provide power to your memory. Perhaps you are thinking that a purely capacitive load consumes no power? That you charge it up, then get the power back when it discharges? What mechanism were you hoping for that allows the power supply to recover this energy?
No. Sorry. CMOS consumes power when changing state from 1 to 0, and from 0 to 1. If you actually use the memory (as opposed to leaving it powered up but idle, when there is just leakage current), then a typical 512MB DIMM will need 1000-3000 mA of actual current, much of which is used to charge up and discharge the memory cells.
Note that this comes out to a couple of watts, which must be dissipated someplace. If you prevent the heat from leaving the DIMM (by covering it with crap like this mod) then it will raise the temperature.