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Memory subsystem designing
Assume that you are working on a microcomputer system that requires large memory.
In the given context, how should the memory subsystem generally be designed?
Show answer & explanation
High-performance large memory systems employ high-density, cost-effective Dynamic RAM (DRAM) for main memory combined with fast Static RAM (SRAM) for cache memory.
Step-by-step Derivation:
Step 1: Large memory requires high capacity at reasonable cost, which Dynamic RAM (DRAM) provides due to single-transistor per bit cells.
Step 2: However, DRAM has higher latency than the CPU cycle time.
Step 3: A memory hierarchy combines fast Static RAM (SRAM) for caches with large DRAM for main store to balance speed and capacity.