[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | Video Cards | Video Memory Technologies ]

Extended Data Out (EDO) DRAM

EDO DRAM is the same as standard FPM DRAM except for a slight modification in the access cycle that gives it a small performance boost. With EDO DRAM, one read to memory can begin before the last one has completely finished; this yields a raw speed improvement of between 5 and 20 percent, depending on whom you ask.

Originally used only for main system memory, EDO DRAM is becoming more popular on video cards because it provides slightly improved performance over standard DRAM at the same cost. (At one time EDO was more expensive than FPM but due to supply and demand effects now, EDO is actually the same cost or lower). EDO is still, however, a low-cost and low-performance solution compared to other types of video memory, and is not used on high-end cards. (5-20% faster than "slow" is still "slow" in the video world.)

Next: Video RAM (VRAM)

Home  -  Search  -  Topics  -  Up