Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!ganymede!terre!ig29 From: ig29@terre (Robert Gagnon) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware Subject: Re: 32 bit memory??? Keywords: 32 bit memory is there really a difference???? Message-ID: <1991Feb17.050114.9629@DMI.USherb.CA> Date: 17 Feb 91 05:01:14 GMT References: Sender: usenet@DMI.USherb.CA (Pour Courrier usenet) Organization: Universite de Sherbrooke, Quebec Lines: 27 Nntp-Posting-Host: terre In article anderson@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu writes: >Friend says that there really isn't such a thing as "32-bit" memory. > >Everyone always says, "you have to get some 32bit mem. if you're going >to buy an '030 board or else it'll crawl... etc." > >but he says that the only difference is the size (ie: 1x8, 256x4...) >and the refresh speed (ie: 80ns, 100ns...). > Your friend is right. Everyone also is. Have I got you confused now? ;) When somebody refers to 32-bit memory, he is talking about the way the memory is accessed. To access memory 32 bit at a time, you could use 32 1meg x 1bit chips, or 8 256K x 4 bit chips. The chips don't matter, it is the width of the bus to access them that is important. If you have a Zorro II memory card, it can only be accessed 16 bits at a time (because Zorro II is a 16 bit bus). So your card would be referred to as a 16 bit memory card. If you have a 32 bit processor, you really want to have 32 bit memory (that is, memory that is accessed via a 32 bit bus) to let the processor run at full speed. Hope I helped. Robert // \X/ Gagnon