Chapter 4. RAM

This chapter covers the following A+ exam topics: RAM Basics and Types of RAM Installing and Troubleshooting DRAM You can find a master list of A+ exam topics in the “Introduction.” This chapter covers CompTIA A+ 220-701 objectives 1.2 and 1.6 and CompTIA A+ 220-702 objectives 1.1 and 1.2.

When people talk about the RAM in their computer, they are almost always referring to the “sticks” of memory that are installed into the motherboard. This is known as DRAM, or main memory, and often comes in capacities of 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB. This type of RAM has its own clock speed and must be compatible with the motherboard’s RAM slots. It’s not the only type of RAM, but it’s the one you should be most concerned with for the exam. For all practical purposes the terms stick, DIMM, and memory module mean the same thing; they refer to the RAM installed into a motherboard’s RAM slots.