Glossary term
DRAM
Dynamic random-access memory; the volatile main-memory technology and the base from which high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is built.
DRAM is dynamic random-access memory, the volatile main-memory technology used for system RAM and as the foundation of high-bandwidth memory (HBM). It stores each bit in a capacitor that must be refreshed continuously, trading density for the need for constant power. The DRAM market — dominated by SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron — is central to AI because HBM is a specialized, high-margin DRAM product. See Memory Wall 101.