Storage controller

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The memory controller (also Memory Controller ) is a chip , the computers in the data flow between the processor and memory controls.

The memory controller is housed either directly in the processor ( Integrated Memory Controller - IMC) or on the mainboard, there mostly in the northbridge . The manufacturer Intel has been placing the memory controller directly in the CPU since the Intel Core i series, as has been the case with AMD since the introduction of the K8 architecture . In the IBM Power (since the fifth generation) and the Cell processor series , the memory controller is also located within the processor.

The advantage of accommodating the memory controller in the processor lies in the shorter access routes. In this way, the chip can be addressed directly, compared to being placed on the mainboard - without going through the northbridge . However, a memory controller only supports certain types of memory, so its choice and design determine the memory type of the system. If the memory controller is integrated in the processor, the supported memory type depends on the processor; If, on the other hand, it is integrated on the mainboard, the memory used is independent of the processor, only the mainboard and its chipset determine the memory type.

task

The memory controller contains functions to read and write dynamic memory (DRAM). Since DRAM loses the stored data without constant updating, the memory controller takes care of the updating.

In the case of multi-channel operation ( dual channel or triple channel), the data is distributed over several different memory buses. Here the controller takes over the transparent control and consolidation of all channels.