Real question. Doesn’t the computer actually slow down when you have that much memory? Doesn’t the CPU need to seek into a bigger vast vs a smaller memory set?
No that’s not how it works. Handling a larger address space (e.g., 32-bit vs 64-bit) maybe could affect speed between same sized modules on a very old CPU but I’m not sure that’s even the case by any noticeable margin.
The RA in RAM stands for random access; there is no seeking necessary.
Technically at a very low level size probably affects speed, but not to any degree you’d notice. RAM speed is actually positively correlated with size, but that’s more because newer memory modules are both generally both bigger and faster.
That’s a complicated question. Bigger memory can split it between more banks, which can mean more precharge penalties if the memory you need to access is spread out between them.
But big memory systems generally use workstation or server processors, which means more memory channels, which means the system can access multiple regions of memory simultaneously. Mini-PCs and laptops generally only have one memory controller, higher end laptops and desktops usually have two, workstations often have 4, and big servers can have 8+. That’s huge for parallel workflows and virtualization.
Real question. Doesn’t the computer actually slow down when you have that much memory? Doesn’t the CPU need to seek into a bigger vast vs a smaller memory set?
Or is this an old school way of thinking?
No that’s not how it works. Handling a larger address space (e.g., 32-bit vs 64-bit) maybe could affect speed between same sized modules on a very old CPU but I’m not sure that’s even the case by any noticeable margin.
The RA in RAM stands for random access; there is no seeking necessary.
Technically at a very low level size probably affects speed, but not to any degree you’d notice. RAM speed is actually positively correlated with size, but that’s more because newer memory modules are both generally both bigger and faster.
That’s a complicated question. Bigger memory can split it between more banks, which can mean more precharge penalties if the memory you need to access is spread out between them.
But big memory systems generally use workstation or server processors, which means more memory channels, which means the system can access multiple regions of memory simultaneously. Mini-PCs and laptops generally only have one memory controller, higher end laptops and desktops usually have two, workstations often have 4, and big servers can have 8+. That’s huge for parallel workflows and virtualization.