Just when you thought you had finally gotten the perfect system together, those pesky component manufacturers come out with yet another innovation. Although you’ve avoided temptation in the past, this time you should pay attention. The payoff is a faster system that makes more efficient use of that high powered Pentium processor of yours. What is it this time? It’s EDO memory.

EDO, or extended-data-out memory, is rapidly becoming a standard feature on most high end computer systems. It replaces the outdated fast page-mode (FPM) design we’ve been using in our computers for years. Before Pentium technology, FPM was adequately handling the demands of a 486 processor, but now the increased memory bus speeds are outdistancing memory performance. The result: A slower machine.

But this doesn’t have to be the case. EDO and the even newer burst-EDO memory are designed to keep data available to the processor for an extended period of time. Unlike FPM, which throws away its data after it has been read, EDO can hold the last data request in its buffer while simultaneously reading the next request.

This can increase system performance over FPM considerably by allowing the bus speed to reach 50-66MHz, the average speed of a Pentium memory bus. The average fast page-mode memory can only reach a maximum of around 33 MHz -- too slow to keep pace with your speedy Pentium. EDO memory has another advantage over other proposed memory types. It is designed to work with most PC controllers currently on the market. And better still, several existing motherboard configurations can handle a combination of EDO and your current FPM memory, just not in the same bank.

However, the big question involves yet another kind of memory: Cache, or SRAM. Many manufacturers are considering replacing the standard FPM/cache combination with burst EDO, getting rid of SRAM altogether. This, in part, could be the result of a shortage of this type of memory, but is it a good move?

Your cache is a small amount of memory used for holding data regularly accessed by your processor. It increases overall performance and is a standard feature of nearly all PCs. Without SRAM, EDO memory will perform at a level about equal to the FPM/cache combination. However, most of us already have SRAM standard in our systems. What’s in it for us?

A standard EDO/cache combination will operate around 15% faster than a system with EDO and no cache. This is a very noticeable increase in performance, making this option your best bet to having your Pentium act like a Pentium instead of a breathless 486.

Do take note, however. A different type of SRAM is making its move on the market as well: Pipelined, synchronous SRAM. This cache acts in a similar fashion to burst EDO, allowing a second request from the processor to begin before the previous one is completed. This SRAM has a significant speed advantage over the more typical asynchronous type, reaching up to 100MB per second "bursts" at a time.

So should you give your old computer to the kids and upgrade to a new Pentium with burst EDO memory and pipelined, synchronous SRAM? If you have a 386 based machine, it might be a good idea. But if your computer is relatively new, consider a memory upgrade, and mix some EDO in with your current memory. Windows 95 will thank you.

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