Computer system designers must be alert to rapid changes of computer technology. To see one example of how radically change can affect design, consider the evolution of DRAM memory and magnetic disk technologies since the year 1990. At that time DRAM density had been improving for 10 years at a rate of about 60% per year, giving rise every third year to a new generation of DRAM chips with four times more capacity than before. Magnetic disk data recording density had been improving for 40 years at nearly 30% per year, doubling every three years. By 1990, Moore’s Law enabled introduction of 4 megabit DRAM chips. Assume that cost per megabyte for either type of storage is proportional to density, and that in 1990, DRAM costs 20 times more per megabyte than disk storage. Using the historic density improvement rates described above, create a table showing projected relative cost of each DRAM generation and magnetic disk from 1990 for six generations. What conclusions can be drawn about the future of disk drives in computer designs and about the magnetic disk industry from this projection?
Computer Science
Computer
By 1990, Moore’s Law enabled introduction of 4 megabit DRAM chips. Assume that cost per megabyte for either type of storage is proportional to density, and that in 1990, DRAM costs 20 times more per megabyte than disk storage. Using the historic density improvement rates described above, create a table showing projected relative cost of each DRAM generation and magnetic disk from 1990 for six generations. What conclusions can be drawn about the future of disk drives in computer designs and about the magnetic disk industry from this projection?
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 4 steps with 2 images
