The naming convention recommended by JEDEC is as follows:
Memory chips are referred to by their native speed: 200 MHz DDR SDRAM memory chips are called DDR200 chips, and 266 MHz DDR SDRAM memory chips are called DDR266. DDR DIMM modules are referred to by their peak bandwidth, which is the maximum amount of data that can be delivered per second: A 200 MHz DDR DIMM is called a PC1600 DIMM, and a 266 MHz DDR DIMM is called a PC2100 DIMM.
To illustrate this on a 266 MHz DDR DIMM module: Each module is 64 bits wide, or 8 Bytes wide (each byte = 8 bits). To get the transfer rate, multiply the width of the DIMM module (8 Bytes) by the rated speed of the memory module (in MHz): (8 Bytes) x (266 MHz/second) = 2,128 MB/second or about 2.1 Gigabytes/second. Therefore, the memory module is often referred to as PC2100. Similarly, a PC2700 DIMM module utilizes memory chips rated at 333 MHz.
JEDEC is already finalizing the DDR II spec, which will double the data transfer once more, using the quad-pumped technology that is common in AGP4x bus and the Pentium 4 bus. Speeds of 600-800mhz for DDR are not far away.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
How fast is SDRAM?
How fast is SDRAM?
Before SDRAM, we would typically describe the speed of memory in terms of nanoseconds. A 70 nanosecond part would be a "7," a 60 nanosecond part a "6," etc. The lower the number, the faster the memory.
With SDRAM, however, this is somewhat inaccurate. The reason is that the speed of SDRAM is dependent upon the speed of the front side bus (FSB) in the motherboard. Because of this, you will often see SDRAM rated as 66MHz, 100MHz, 133MHz, etc.
100MHz SDRAM typically has a speed rating of 10 nanoseconds (the reciprocal of 100,000,000 cycles/second) when running on a motherboard with a 100MHz front side bus. However most 100MHz SDRAM parts are actually designed to run as fast as 125MHz (we'll explain why later) and are often referred to as "8" (8 nanosecond parts). 133MHz parts are referred to as "7.5" (7.5 nanosecond parts).
Get on the Bus
The front side bus (FSB), sometimes just called the bus, is the main circuitry highway in the PC that enables all data to get from one place to another. Simply put, the faster the bus runs, the faster that data can move.
Note that the speed of the FSB is not the same as processor speed. If you have a 500MHz processor with a 100MHz front side bus, the information flowing within the processor will run at 500MHz; however, whenever the data goes outside the processor, it will flow at 100MHz. The limiting factor in the overall speed of your system is the bus speed.
The Bus Bottleneck
In the late 80s and very early 90s, 386 and 486 processors typically ran at 100MHz and less with a 33MHz or 66MHz bus. For several years after that, processor speeds increased but bus speeds really did not. This held back performance. It wasn't until 1998 when the Intel Pentium II processor and the BX chipset debuted that we saw a 100MHz bus.
Before SDRAM, we would typically describe the speed of memory in terms of nanoseconds. A 70 nanosecond part would be a "7," a 60 nanosecond part a "6," etc. The lower the number, the faster the memory.
With SDRAM, however, this is somewhat inaccurate. The reason is that the speed of SDRAM is dependent upon the speed of the front side bus (FSB) in the motherboard. Because of this, you will often see SDRAM rated as 66MHz, 100MHz, 133MHz, etc.
100MHz SDRAM typically has a speed rating of 10 nanoseconds (the reciprocal of 100,000,000 cycles/second) when running on a motherboard with a 100MHz front side bus. However most 100MHz SDRAM parts are actually designed to run as fast as 125MHz (we'll explain why later) and are often referred to as "8" (8 nanosecond parts). 133MHz parts are referred to as "7.5" (7.5 nanosecond parts).
Get on the Bus
The front side bus (FSB), sometimes just called the bus, is the main circuitry highway in the PC that enables all data to get from one place to another. Simply put, the faster the bus runs, the faster that data can move.
Note that the speed of the FSB is not the same as processor speed. If you have a 500MHz processor with a 100MHz front side bus, the information flowing within the processor will run at 500MHz; however, whenever the data goes outside the processor, it will flow at 100MHz. The limiting factor in the overall speed of your system is the bus speed.
The Bus Bottleneck
In the late 80s and very early 90s, 386 and 486 processors typically ran at 100MHz and less with a 33MHz or 66MHz bus. For several years after that, processor speeds increased but bus speeds really did not. This held back performance. It wasn't until 1998 when the Intel Pentium II processor and the BX chipset debuted that we saw a 100MHz bus.
What is RAM and why do I need it?
What is RAM and why do I need it?
Adding memory (RAM) to your system is the cheapest and most effective way to make it run faster. You can think of RAM as an incredibly fast hard drive that stores information temporarily instead of permanently. When you start a program it is loaded from the hard drive into RAM. When a program is running in RAM it can run hundreds to thousands of times faster than it can if run directly from the hard drive. The problem is that the capacity of a standard hard drive is many times the size of a computer's RAM size, meaning it is possible to load so many programs that the RAM can no longer hold them. When that happens, your computer's virtual memory kicks in, and your system tries to read from your hard drive instead..
With the addition of more RAM, you'll be able to keep more programs open at once, speed up program launches, and experience fewer system crashes. Plus, it's a pretty easy upgrade to make, requiring little technical expertise.
So what is DDR RAM then?
DDR is the acronym for Double Data Rate Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM). DDR SDRAM memory technology has evolved from mainstream PC100 and PC133. This memory technology has enabled a new generation of higher performance computer systems, including desktops, workstations, servers, portables, as well as new communications products such as routers and switches. DDR memory technology is also widely used in high-performance graphic adapters.
DDR memory is clocked at the same speed as normal SDRAM (ie 100, 133mhz), The big difference between DDR and SDRAM memory is that DDR can transport double the amount of data it reads by utilizing both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal. SDRAM only carries information on the rising edge of a signal. Basically this allows the DDR module to transfer data twice as fast as SDRAM. For example, instead of a data rate of 133MHz, DDR memory transfers data at 266MHz. Double data rate (DDR) SDRAM gives you twice the bandwidth of standard SDRAM.
What is bandwidth?Actually, it's a pretty simple concept. Bandwidth is the amount of data you can use (reading, writing, etc.) during a given time period. Bandwidth is usually defined as the number of bits per second that your computer can handle.
Remember that your computer performs read and write operations redundantly. When you open a file, your computer doesn't just call it from the hard drive to your screen; it reads to and from the processor, RAM, cache, memory, and hard drive every time you access a document. Even if you're just using a word processing program to write a letter, you're moving a lot of data between the various parts of your computer that store information. Start working on Digital video editing or multiply this by hundreds of users and you can see why bandwidth becomes a much bigger deal for servers.
A P3 processor with a 133MHz front side bus (FSB) has a bandwidth of about 1.06GB (gigabytes) per second. If this was all that your memory had to support, PC133 SDRAM would probably be just fine. But, in addition to the supporting the processor, the memory also has to support the bandwidth of the Peripheral Connect Interface (PCI) bus as well as the newer high performance graphics cards using an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGPX4) and soon AGPX8 will be demanding a whopping 2133MB/s alone. . Newer CPU’s have increased this requirement even further, the AMD Athlon XP using a 266mhz FSB (DDR) and the P4 Northwood upto a 533mhz FSB (Quad-pumped) its not long before your memory is a huge bottleneck in your system and other components are sitting around waiting for it to catch up. This is why a higher bandwidth memory is required. Enter DDR SDRAM. The 266MHz DDR SDRAM (133MHz doubled) has the bandwidth of 2.1GB/sec and is referred to PC2100. The PC2700 2.7GB/s and PC3200 DDR upto 3.2GB/s. Future DDR standards aiming at upto 8.4GB/s (DDR533 Dual channel) with Quad channel also being worked on.
So how does it work?
As in standard SDRAM, DDR SDRAM is tied to the front-side bus clock in your system. The memory and bus execute instructions at the same time rather than one of them having to wait for the other. As bus speeds have increased, this has improved system performance. DDR modules, like their SDRAM predecessors, are called DIMMs. They use motherboard system designs similar to those used by SDRAM; however, DDR is not backward compatible with SDRAM-designed motherboards. DDR memory supports both ECC (error correction code, typically used in servers) and non-parity (used on desktops/laptops.)
DDR DIMMs currently support memory bus speeds of either 100 or 133MHz, with a faster memory bus speed of 166mhz reviewed by JEDEC and released by many of the leading memory manufacturers early in 2002. Since DDR technology can perform two data operations per clock cycle (versus SDRAM’s single operation per clock cycle), the effective data throughput of a DDR DIMM are doubled over an SDRAM DIMM. For example, a 200MHz DDR DIMM will support a 100MHz memory bus and a 266MHz DDR DIMM will support up to a 133MHz memory bus and 166mhz supporting 333mhz. A 200 MHz (400mhz DDR) has also been released but not yet Jedec approved.
An additional benefit of DDR is that it only uses 2.5 volts per signal, as opposed to the 3.3 volts used in current SDR SDRAM. This may not seem like much, but the less power required to drive the memory, the less drain on your power source. Less power also means longer battery life in laptops!
JEDEC Specifications The specifications for DDR DIMM modules are finalized by JEDEC. JEDEC is the semiconductor engineering standardization body of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) with about 300 active member companies representing every segment of the industry.
The naming convention recommended by JEDEC is as follows: Memory chips are referred to by their native speed: 200 MHz DDR SDRAM memory chips are called DDR200 chips, and 266 MHz DDR SDRAM memory chips are called DDR266. DDR DIMM modules are referred to by their peak bandwidth, which is the maximum amount of data that can be delivered per second: A 200 MHz DDR DIMM is called a PC1600 DIMM, and a 266 MHz DDR DIMM is called a PC2100 DIMM. To illustrate this on a 266 MHz DDR DIMM module: Each module is 64 bits wide, or 8 Bytes wide (each byte = 8 bits). To get the transfer rate, multiply the width of the DIMM module (8 Bytes) by the rated speed of the memory module (in MHz): (8 Bytes) x (266 MHz/second) = 2,128 MB/second or about 2.1 Gigabytes/second. Therefore, the memory module is often referred to as PC2100. Similarly, a PC2700 DIMM module utilizes memory chips rated at 333 MHz.
JEDEC is already finalizing the DDR II spec, which will double the data transfer once more, using the quad-pumped technology that is common in AGP4x bus and the Pentium 4 bus. Speeds of 600-800mhz for DDR are not far away. Why Use DDR Technology? DDR memory technology is an evolutionary improvement of mature PC100 and PC133 SDRAM technology. DDR memory chips are produced by semiconductor manufacturers using existing wafer fabs, processes and testers resulting in lower memory chip costs.
Major technology and chipset companies, including, but not limited to, Intel® Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices, VIA Technologies, Acer Labs (ALi), Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS), nVIDIA, ATI® and ServerWorks have supported DDR memory since its inception. Motherboards and systems supporting DDR memory technology were introduced in Q4, 2000, and have ramped into high volume in 2001. Now in 2002 its become hard to find a SDRAM based board.
DDR DIMMs have the same physical dimensions as SDRAM DIMMs, but have a different footprint that uses 184 pins compared to 168-pin SDRAM DIMMs. Therefore, DDR memory technology is not backward-compatible with SDRAM and requires motherboards and systems especially designed for DDR.
DDR - PC266184 Pin DIMM
Single Notched(or Keyed)
Two operationsper hertz
VS
SDRAM - PC133168 Pin DIMM
Double Notched(or Keyed)
One operationper hertz
DDR Question and Answer
Q. How much faster is DDR when compared with PC133 SDRAM?A. While many factors need to be considered when determining performance, applying a number of speed tests to DDR platforms running a 1.2 GHz CPU can show performance improvements of 30% over PC133 SDRAM.
Q. How much faster is DDR when compared with PC800 RDRAM?A. While again many factors need to be considered when determining performance, in some applications we have seen a 5 -10% improvement in speed. In others the RDRAM has shown to be up to 10% faster. The thing to note is that DDR generally is less than ½ the price of RDRAM
Q. Do I need a special motherboard for DDR?A. Yes, your motherboard must support DDR. Currently all motherboard manufacturers have DDR motherboards. The only question is which one and how fast do you want to run it.
Q. Do I need a special CPU to support DDR?A. Yes to take advantage of the performance benefits of DDR you must use a CPU that can take advantage of an increase in memory bandwidth. The pentium3 and Celeron processors do not show any improvement when used with DDR. The Intel P4 and AMD Duron / XP range have shown a marked increase in performance when matched with DDR RAM.
Q. What is the Cas Latency for DDR memory?A. DDR specifies a CL of 2.5 or 2. At this time 2.5 is the most common value used in most systems. Most quality ram we have found runs at Cas2 and is sold as such.
Q. Can you run PC133 on DDR motherboards?A. No the connector on DDR is 184 rather than the 168 pins on the SDRAM. There are some “transition” boards available that have both SDRAM and DDR RAM sockets. These allow you to use your older SDRAM and upgrade to the faster DDR as your budget allows. You cannot use both at the same time.
Q. How do you know it's time for a memory upgrade? A. There are several signs indicating it may be time to upgrade your memory. If you see your mouse pointer turn into an hourglass for significant periods of time, if you hear your hard drive working, or if your computer seems to work more slowly than you expect, the reason is probably insufficient memory. When the memory is full, your system transfers data to the hard drive. This is called swapping. Since the hard drive is considerably slower than DRAM, your system seems slower altogether.
Q. What about static electricity? A. Before installing your memory, discharge any static electricity by grounding yourself to a metal object, such as the casing on your computer. An anti-static wrist strap is recommended for additional safety.
Q. What Memory timings, Cas Latency etc?A. If you look in your BIOS of your PC you will find a range of settings that you can adjust in relation to your memory. These can have a huge effect on not only system stability but also on overall performance. I have read many reviews that don’t take memory timings into account when benchmarking a system. You can make a very quick system very slow if these settings are set up incorrectly. Alternately you can make your system perform a lot better if you learn to tweak these settings. The most common are CAS Latency, RAS to CAS Delay and RAS Precharge. Remember if you set these to aggressively you can make your system unstable. CAS (Column Address Strobe) Latency - The time from the application of the memory module's CAS address to the appearance of data from the RAM Chips on the module. CAS 2 is therefore faster than CAS 2.5 as it only takes 2 clock cycles in lieu of 2.5.Active to Read or Write Delay - - The number of clocks between the activation of a particular row address inside the SDRAM's on the module and the issuance of a read or write command to that row. RAS Precharge - The minimum number of clocks between the completion of one memory access and the beginning of the next. [Bookmark]ECC or (Error Checking and Correction)
Q. What is the difference between ECC and non-ECC (non-parity) memory? A. If you are unsure of which type you have, just count the number of small black chips on one of your existing memory modules. If the number of chips divides by three evenly, then you need ECC. If the number of chips is does NOT divide evenly by three, you have non-ECC or non-parity memory. If you plan to use your system as a server or a similar mission critical type machine, you may want to take advantage of ECC. If you plan to use your system for regular home, office, or gaming applications, you are better off with non-ECC. Current technology DRAM is very stable and memory errors are rare, so unless you have a need for ECC, you are better served with un-buffered DDR SDRAM.
Q. What is meant by Registered memory? A. "Registered" is a means of "Buffering" the memory in SDRAM. This means that the clock signal is boosted across the entire array of memory chips so that the computer sees a clean sharp clock signal instead of a weakening clock signal as it progresses along the length of the memory path. Registered memory must be supported by the system board and cannot be mixed with "Un-buffered" modules. You must have only registered memory to use registered memory. This is a further means of eliminating the possibility of errors when reading the data in memory and is used when the data returned from memory is extremely critical, such as in scientific or financial calculations where the integrity of the data is CRITICAL. It also allows a module to be built using more chips, allowing for larger capacity modules to be made.
Q. What types of DDR memory are available? A. There are currently three types of DDR memory available. 1. PC1600 DDR provides a 1.6GB/second throughput of data.2. PC2100 DDR, provides a 2.1GB/second throughput of data.3. PC2700 DDR, provides a 2.7GB/second throughput of data4 PC3200 DDR , provides a 3.2GB/second throughput of data
Q. How Much Memory Is Enough?A. People will tell you that you can never have enough memory, but that's not necessarily always true. Some operating systems have issues with large amounts of RAM and your applications may not ever use it if you have excessive amounts. Most motherboards have limits on the amount of memory that your system can have or that the board can handle. If you're building a new PC, be sure to check this out with the manufacturer before purchasing a motherboard.
Q. What is Virtual Memory ?A. Virtual memory is simply your hard drive trying to act like a RAM chip. Your operating system creates a temporary storage area on your Hard drive and uses it to store some of the information it is using at a given point in time. Since the hard drive is so much slower than real memory, programs stutter and sometimes crash when the hard drive has to do a job it was never designed for. If you have enough physical memory your virtual memory is rarely needed. There are only two solutions to this problem: close some programs until virtual memory is no longer needed, or add more physical memory. With current memory prices are so low and affordable it, the latter solution is always preferable.
Adding memory (RAM) to your system is the cheapest and most effective way to make it run faster. You can think of RAM as an incredibly fast hard drive that stores information temporarily instead of permanently. When you start a program it is loaded from the hard drive into RAM. When a program is running in RAM it can run hundreds to thousands of times faster than it can if run directly from the hard drive. The problem is that the capacity of a standard hard drive is many times the size of a computer's RAM size, meaning it is possible to load so many programs that the RAM can no longer hold them. When that happens, your computer's virtual memory kicks in, and your system tries to read from your hard drive instead..
With the addition of more RAM, you'll be able to keep more programs open at once, speed up program launches, and experience fewer system crashes. Plus, it's a pretty easy upgrade to make, requiring little technical expertise.
So what is DDR RAM then?
DDR is the acronym for Double Data Rate Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM). DDR SDRAM memory technology has evolved from mainstream PC100 and PC133. This memory technology has enabled a new generation of higher performance computer systems, including desktops, workstations, servers, portables, as well as new communications products such as routers and switches. DDR memory technology is also widely used in high-performance graphic adapters.
DDR memory is clocked at the same speed as normal SDRAM (ie 100, 133mhz), The big difference between DDR and SDRAM memory is that DDR can transport double the amount of data it reads by utilizing both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal. SDRAM only carries information on the rising edge of a signal. Basically this allows the DDR module to transfer data twice as fast as SDRAM. For example, instead of a data rate of 133MHz, DDR memory transfers data at 266MHz. Double data rate (DDR) SDRAM gives you twice the bandwidth of standard SDRAM.
What is bandwidth?Actually, it's a pretty simple concept. Bandwidth is the amount of data you can use (reading, writing, etc.) during a given time period. Bandwidth is usually defined as the number of bits per second that your computer can handle.
Remember that your computer performs read and write operations redundantly. When you open a file, your computer doesn't just call it from the hard drive to your screen; it reads to and from the processor, RAM, cache, memory, and hard drive every time you access a document. Even if you're just using a word processing program to write a letter, you're moving a lot of data between the various parts of your computer that store information. Start working on Digital video editing or multiply this by hundreds of users and you can see why bandwidth becomes a much bigger deal for servers.
A P3 processor with a 133MHz front side bus (FSB) has a bandwidth of about 1.06GB (gigabytes) per second. If this was all that your memory had to support, PC133 SDRAM would probably be just fine. But, in addition to the supporting the processor, the memory also has to support the bandwidth of the Peripheral Connect Interface (PCI) bus as well as the newer high performance graphics cards using an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGPX4) and soon AGPX8 will be demanding a whopping 2133MB/s alone. . Newer CPU’s have increased this requirement even further, the AMD Athlon XP using a 266mhz FSB (DDR) and the P4 Northwood upto a 533mhz FSB (Quad-pumped) its not long before your memory is a huge bottleneck in your system and other components are sitting around waiting for it to catch up. This is why a higher bandwidth memory is required. Enter DDR SDRAM. The 266MHz DDR SDRAM (133MHz doubled) has the bandwidth of 2.1GB/sec and is referred to PC2100. The PC2700 2.7GB/s and PC3200 DDR upto 3.2GB/s. Future DDR standards aiming at upto 8.4GB/s (DDR533 Dual channel) with Quad channel also being worked on.
So how does it work?
As in standard SDRAM, DDR SDRAM is tied to the front-side bus clock in your system. The memory and bus execute instructions at the same time rather than one of them having to wait for the other. As bus speeds have increased, this has improved system performance. DDR modules, like their SDRAM predecessors, are called DIMMs. They use motherboard system designs similar to those used by SDRAM; however, DDR is not backward compatible with SDRAM-designed motherboards. DDR memory supports both ECC (error correction code, typically used in servers) and non-parity (used on desktops/laptops.)
DDR DIMMs currently support memory bus speeds of either 100 or 133MHz, with a faster memory bus speed of 166mhz reviewed by JEDEC and released by many of the leading memory manufacturers early in 2002. Since DDR technology can perform two data operations per clock cycle (versus SDRAM’s single operation per clock cycle), the effective data throughput of a DDR DIMM are doubled over an SDRAM DIMM. For example, a 200MHz DDR DIMM will support a 100MHz memory bus and a 266MHz DDR DIMM will support up to a 133MHz memory bus and 166mhz supporting 333mhz. A 200 MHz (400mhz DDR) has also been released but not yet Jedec approved.
An additional benefit of DDR is that it only uses 2.5 volts per signal, as opposed to the 3.3 volts used in current SDR SDRAM. This may not seem like much, but the less power required to drive the memory, the less drain on your power source. Less power also means longer battery life in laptops!
JEDEC Specifications The specifications for DDR DIMM modules are finalized by JEDEC. JEDEC is the semiconductor engineering standardization body of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) with about 300 active member companies representing every segment of the industry.
The naming convention recommended by JEDEC is as follows: Memory chips are referred to by their native speed: 200 MHz DDR SDRAM memory chips are called DDR200 chips, and 266 MHz DDR SDRAM memory chips are called DDR266. DDR DIMM modules are referred to by their peak bandwidth, which is the maximum amount of data that can be delivered per second: A 200 MHz DDR DIMM is called a PC1600 DIMM, and a 266 MHz DDR DIMM is called a PC2100 DIMM. To illustrate this on a 266 MHz DDR DIMM module: Each module is 64 bits wide, or 8 Bytes wide (each byte = 8 bits). To get the transfer rate, multiply the width of the DIMM module (8 Bytes) by the rated speed of the memory module (in MHz): (8 Bytes) x (266 MHz/second) = 2,128 MB/second or about 2.1 Gigabytes/second. Therefore, the memory module is often referred to as PC2100. Similarly, a PC2700 DIMM module utilizes memory chips rated at 333 MHz.
JEDEC is already finalizing the DDR II spec, which will double the data transfer once more, using the quad-pumped technology that is common in AGP4x bus and the Pentium 4 bus. Speeds of 600-800mhz for DDR are not far away. Why Use DDR Technology? DDR memory technology is an evolutionary improvement of mature PC100 and PC133 SDRAM technology. DDR memory chips are produced by semiconductor manufacturers using existing wafer fabs, processes and testers resulting in lower memory chip costs.
Major technology and chipset companies, including, but not limited to, Intel® Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices, VIA Technologies, Acer Labs (ALi), Silicon Integrated Systems (SIS), nVIDIA, ATI® and ServerWorks have supported DDR memory since its inception. Motherboards and systems supporting DDR memory technology were introduced in Q4, 2000, and have ramped into high volume in 2001. Now in 2002 its become hard to find a SDRAM based board.
DDR DIMMs have the same physical dimensions as SDRAM DIMMs, but have a different footprint that uses 184 pins compared to 168-pin SDRAM DIMMs. Therefore, DDR memory technology is not backward-compatible with SDRAM and requires motherboards and systems especially designed for DDR.
DDR - PC266184 Pin DIMM
Single Notched(or Keyed)
Two operationsper hertz
VS
SDRAM - PC133168 Pin DIMM
Double Notched(or Keyed)
One operationper hertz
DDR Question and Answer
Q. How much faster is DDR when compared with PC133 SDRAM?A. While many factors need to be considered when determining performance, applying a number of speed tests to DDR platforms running a 1.2 GHz CPU can show performance improvements of 30% over PC133 SDRAM.
Q. How much faster is DDR when compared with PC800 RDRAM?A. While again many factors need to be considered when determining performance, in some applications we have seen a 5 -10% improvement in speed. In others the RDRAM has shown to be up to 10% faster. The thing to note is that DDR generally is less than ½ the price of RDRAM
Q. Do I need a special motherboard for DDR?A. Yes, your motherboard must support DDR. Currently all motherboard manufacturers have DDR motherboards. The only question is which one and how fast do you want to run it.
Q. Do I need a special CPU to support DDR?A. Yes to take advantage of the performance benefits of DDR you must use a CPU that can take advantage of an increase in memory bandwidth. The pentium3 and Celeron processors do not show any improvement when used with DDR. The Intel P4 and AMD Duron / XP range have shown a marked increase in performance when matched with DDR RAM.
Q. What is the Cas Latency for DDR memory?A. DDR specifies a CL of 2.5 or 2. At this time 2.5 is the most common value used in most systems. Most quality ram we have found runs at Cas2 and is sold as such.
Q. Can you run PC133 on DDR motherboards?A. No the connector on DDR is 184 rather than the 168 pins on the SDRAM. There are some “transition” boards available that have both SDRAM and DDR RAM sockets. These allow you to use your older SDRAM and upgrade to the faster DDR as your budget allows. You cannot use both at the same time.
Q. How do you know it's time for a memory upgrade? A. There are several signs indicating it may be time to upgrade your memory. If you see your mouse pointer turn into an hourglass for significant periods of time, if you hear your hard drive working, or if your computer seems to work more slowly than you expect, the reason is probably insufficient memory. When the memory is full, your system transfers data to the hard drive. This is called swapping. Since the hard drive is considerably slower than DRAM, your system seems slower altogether.
Q. What about static electricity? A. Before installing your memory, discharge any static electricity by grounding yourself to a metal object, such as the casing on your computer. An anti-static wrist strap is recommended for additional safety.
Q. What Memory timings, Cas Latency etc?A. If you look in your BIOS of your PC you will find a range of settings that you can adjust in relation to your memory. These can have a huge effect on not only system stability but also on overall performance. I have read many reviews that don’t take memory timings into account when benchmarking a system. You can make a very quick system very slow if these settings are set up incorrectly. Alternately you can make your system perform a lot better if you learn to tweak these settings. The most common are CAS Latency, RAS to CAS Delay and RAS Precharge. Remember if you set these to aggressively you can make your system unstable. CAS (Column Address Strobe) Latency - The time from the application of the memory module's CAS address to the appearance of data from the RAM Chips on the module. CAS 2 is therefore faster than CAS 2.5 as it only takes 2 clock cycles in lieu of 2.5.Active to Read or Write Delay - - The number of clocks between the activation of a particular row address inside the SDRAM's on the module and the issuance of a read or write command to that row. RAS Precharge - The minimum number of clocks between the completion of one memory access and the beginning of the next. [Bookmark]ECC or (Error Checking and Correction)
Q. What is the difference between ECC and non-ECC (non-parity) memory? A. If you are unsure of which type you have, just count the number of small black chips on one of your existing memory modules. If the number of chips divides by three evenly, then you need ECC. If the number of chips is does NOT divide evenly by three, you have non-ECC or non-parity memory. If you plan to use your system as a server or a similar mission critical type machine, you may want to take advantage of ECC. If you plan to use your system for regular home, office, or gaming applications, you are better off with non-ECC. Current technology DRAM is very stable and memory errors are rare, so unless you have a need for ECC, you are better served with un-buffered DDR SDRAM.
Q. What is meant by Registered memory? A. "Registered" is a means of "Buffering" the memory in SDRAM. This means that the clock signal is boosted across the entire array of memory chips so that the computer sees a clean sharp clock signal instead of a weakening clock signal as it progresses along the length of the memory path. Registered memory must be supported by the system board and cannot be mixed with "Un-buffered" modules. You must have only registered memory to use registered memory. This is a further means of eliminating the possibility of errors when reading the data in memory and is used when the data returned from memory is extremely critical, such as in scientific or financial calculations where the integrity of the data is CRITICAL. It also allows a module to be built using more chips, allowing for larger capacity modules to be made.
Q. What types of DDR memory are available? A. There are currently three types of DDR memory available. 1. PC1600 DDR provides a 1.6GB/second throughput of data.2. PC2100 DDR, provides a 2.1GB/second throughput of data.3. PC2700 DDR, provides a 2.7GB/second throughput of data4 PC3200 DDR , provides a 3.2GB/second throughput of data
Q. How Much Memory Is Enough?A. People will tell you that you can never have enough memory, but that's not necessarily always true. Some operating systems have issues with large amounts of RAM and your applications may not ever use it if you have excessive amounts. Most motherboards have limits on the amount of memory that your system can have or that the board can handle. If you're building a new PC, be sure to check this out with the manufacturer before purchasing a motherboard.
Q. What is Virtual Memory ?A. Virtual memory is simply your hard drive trying to act like a RAM chip. Your operating system creates a temporary storage area on your Hard drive and uses it to store some of the information it is using at a given point in time. Since the hard drive is so much slower than real memory, programs stutter and sometimes crash when the hard drive has to do a job it was never designed for. If you have enough physical memory your virtual memory is rarely needed. There are only two solutions to this problem: close some programs until virtual memory is no longer needed, or add more physical memory. With current memory prices are so low and affordable it, the latter solution is always preferable.
what does DDR stand for?
First of all, what does DDR stand for?"DDR" stands for "Double Data Rate".So what exactly is being doubled?Don't worry, I wont be a wise guy and say "the data rate"! With DDR, under optimal conditions twice as much data can be obtained from the memory subsystem during the same amount of time.
How does it do this?
In most modern PCs, memory data is provided to the processor in "synchronous" fashion. This means that data arrives rhythmically, to the beat of a drum (a tick of a clock, in fact...). The memory clock is actually an electrical signal that bounces between two voltage levels, and shown in the picture to the right. With standard SDRAM, data is transferred from the memory to the processor when the clock signal bounces from LOW to HIGH. With DDR, data is transferred not only when the clock signal goes from LOW to HIGH, but also when the clock signal goes from HIGH to LOW. Voila! Twice as much data on each tick of the clock!I'm having a hard time visualizing this...The Ram Guy has been scratching his head for a week trying to think of a real world analogy to make "double data rate" easy to understand. A sharp stone and the resulting flat tire brought this one to light...The Ram Guy likes road biking and mountain biking, and gets lots of flat tires because he weighs too much. Fortunately, he has a DDR tire pump that makes repairs easier! Where the old technology tire pumps put air in the tire only when you push the pump's plunger DOWN, the Ram Guy's new DDR pump puts air in the tire BOTH when you push the plunger DOWN, and also when you pull the plunger back UP. Twice as much air in each pumping cycle, meeting the inflation demands of today's high tech tires! Now do you get it?I've heard of PC1600 and PC2100.
What does this mean, and what is the difference?
Well, it's kind of like PC100 and PC133. Since it is double datarate, you might expect that DDR would be PC200 and PC266. In fact, the RAM chips themselves are sold as PC200 and PC266. HOWEVER, us module guys did not want you to think that Rambus (at 800 MHz) is four times as fast as PC200 DDR. So, we went with a number that reflects the MODULE bandwidth. Since DDR DIMMs are eight bytes wide, the designation becomes PC200*8 = PC1600 and PC266*8 = PC2100. So, to repeat, PC1600 uses both edges of a 100MHz clock, and PC2100 uses both edges of a 133MHz clock. And now, you're only a little less confused than me!
And what about CAS Latency?
CAS Latency is pretty much the same as for SDRAM (see my CAS Latency Bulletin for the scoop) but there is one subtle difference. Where common CAS latency for SDRAM is either 2 clock cycles or 3 clock cycles, the common CAS latencies for DDR SDRAM are 2 clock cycles and 2.5 clock cycles. Most DDR RAMs available now are CAS 2.5.Everything else the same as SDRAM, i.e. registered vs. unbuffered, ECC vs. non-ECC, etc.?
How does it do this?
In most modern PCs, memory data is provided to the processor in "synchronous" fashion. This means that data arrives rhythmically, to the beat of a drum (a tick of a clock, in fact...). The memory clock is actually an electrical signal that bounces between two voltage levels, and shown in the picture to the right. With standard SDRAM, data is transferred from the memory to the processor when the clock signal bounces from LOW to HIGH. With DDR, data is transferred not only when the clock signal goes from LOW to HIGH, but also when the clock signal goes from HIGH to LOW. Voila! Twice as much data on each tick of the clock!I'm having a hard time visualizing this...The Ram Guy has been scratching his head for a week trying to think of a real world analogy to make "double data rate" easy to understand. A sharp stone and the resulting flat tire brought this one to light...The Ram Guy likes road biking and mountain biking, and gets lots of flat tires because he weighs too much. Fortunately, he has a DDR tire pump that makes repairs easier! Where the old technology tire pumps put air in the tire only when you push the pump's plunger DOWN, the Ram Guy's new DDR pump puts air in the tire BOTH when you push the plunger DOWN, and also when you pull the plunger back UP. Twice as much air in each pumping cycle, meeting the inflation demands of today's high tech tires! Now do you get it?I've heard of PC1600 and PC2100.
What does this mean, and what is the difference?
Well, it's kind of like PC100 and PC133. Since it is double datarate, you might expect that DDR would be PC200 and PC266. In fact, the RAM chips themselves are sold as PC200 and PC266. HOWEVER, us module guys did not want you to think that Rambus (at 800 MHz) is four times as fast as PC200 DDR. So, we went with a number that reflects the MODULE bandwidth. Since DDR DIMMs are eight bytes wide, the designation becomes PC200*8 = PC1600 and PC266*8 = PC2100. So, to repeat, PC1600 uses both edges of a 100MHz clock, and PC2100 uses both edges of a 133MHz clock. And now, you're only a little less confused than me!
And what about CAS Latency?
CAS Latency is pretty much the same as for SDRAM (see my CAS Latency Bulletin for the scoop) but there is one subtle difference. Where common CAS latency for SDRAM is either 2 clock cycles or 3 clock cycles, the common CAS latencies for DDR SDRAM are 2 clock cycles and 2.5 clock cycles. Most DDR RAMs available now are CAS 2.5.Everything else the same as SDRAM, i.e. registered vs. unbuffered, ECC vs. non-ECC, etc.?
Monday, November 13, 2006
Tìm hiểu các định dạng DVD
Sự khác biệt giữa DVD+RW và DVD-RW là gì? Có thể đọc đĩa DVD-RAM trên ổ DVD-ROM hay không? Định dạng nào là phù hợp nhất cho mỗi mục đích công việc và giải trí?
Trong lĩnh vực DVD, số định dạng phục vụ các mục đích thương mại hiện tăng lên rất nhiều. Những thông tin dưới đây có thể giúp bạn có một cái nhìn cơ bản về hình thức lưu trữ dữ liệu quang học có tên đầy đủ là Digital Versatile Disc hay Digital Video Disc.
1. DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc - Read Only Memory)
Một dạng đĩa có kích thước giống như CD-ROM hay Compact Disc nhưng có thể lưu thông tin với mật độ cao hơn nhiều và do đó đem lại công suất lớn hơn. DVD-ROM hiện được sản xuất với 4 định dạng DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10 và DVD-18. Dạng DVD-5 có công suất lưu trữ 4,7GB (CD-ROM chuẩn chỉ có 650 MB) và lưu dữ liệu một lớp đơn trên một mặt đĩa. Dữ liệu này có thể là ở dạng phần mềm, hình ảnh video (DVD-Video) hay âm thanh (DVD-Audio). Dạng DVD-9 lưu dữ liệu 2 lớp trên một mặt đĩa còn dạng DVD-10 và DVD-18 sử dụng cả 2 mặt đĩa (DVD-10 lưu 1 lớp và DVD-18 lưu 2 lớp). Đĩa DVD-ROM có thể dùng trên các đầu máy DVD hoặc máy tính có trang bị ổ đọc DVD-ROM. Người sử dụng không thể ghi dữ liệu mới đè lên nội dung đã có sẵn.
2. DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc - Recordable)
Đây là dạng đĩa tương tự như DVD-ROM nhưng có thể ghi dữ liệu mới. Ổ Pioneer DVR-A05U hiện nay có thể ghi 4,7 GB trên một mặt đĩa và 9,4 GB hai mặt ở loại đĩa theo định dạng này. Đĩa DVD-R có thể chạy trên đầu DVD gia dụng và máy tính có ổ DVD-ROM. Người sử dụng chỉ có thể ghi thêm dữ liệu được 1 lần. Có hai loại ổ và công cụ media theo định dạng DVD-R. Một là DVD-R for Authoring (phục vụ quyền tác giả), được hỗ trợ bằng loại ổ DVR-S201 và phù hợp với người muốn tạo ra “đĩa chủ” (master) cho một nhà in sao đĩa nào đó. Đây được gọi là Định dạng chủ biên tập (Cutting Master Format - CMF). Nó hỗ trợ cài đặt mã vùng và sử dụng công cụ chống copy. Loại thứ hai là DVD-R for General, phục vụ đại chúng, được hỗ trợ bằng loại đầu DVR-A05U và thích hợp cho việc tạo ra một vài bản sao khác nhau mà không cần phải gửi đĩa tới một dịch vụ in sao hay cài đặt mã vùng. Chuẩn media thích hợp phải được sử dụng với ổ tương ứng, ví dụ đĩa DVD-R for Authoring phải đi với một ổ DVD-R for Authoring tương thích.
3. DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc - Random Access Memory)
Khác với DVD-R, DVD-RAM có thể được ghi đi ghi lại nhiều lần. Định dạng này cho phép lưu trữ 2,6 GB hoặc 4,7 GB đối với đĩa 1 mặt và 5,2 GB hoặc 9,4 GB đối với đĩa 2 mặt. Ổ Panasonic LF-D521U, chẳng hạn, có thể ghi và đọc từ những công cụ media này. Đĩa DVD-RAM chỉ có thể chạy trên ổ DVD-RAM chứ không thể sử dụng bằng đầu DVD gia dụng hay máy tính có ổ DVD-ROM. Đây là loại đĩa cho phép đọc/ghi ngẫu nhiên (Random) chứ không phải theo lần lượt từ đầu đến cuối (sequential). Random Access rất quan trọng, đặc biệt là cho việc biên tập phim. Vì vậy, dùng DVD-RAM có lợi là tiết kiệm hơn nhiều so với dùng DVD-R vì không cần phải thay đĩa mỗi khi muốn thay đổi nội dung phim.
4. DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc - Re-recordable)
Là loại đĩa tương tự như DVD-R nhưng cho phép ghi đi ghi lại khoảng 1.000 lần. Pioneer DVR-A05U, có thể ghi lên đĩa 4,7 GB DVD-RW 1 mặt. Những chiếc đĩa DVD-RW có thể chạy cả trong đầu DVD thông thường và PC có ổ DVD-ROM.
5. DVD+RW (Digital Versatile Disc + Rewritable)
Đây là phiên bản cho phép ghi nhiều lần của DVD+R (xem bên dưới), được tạo ra trước DVD+R. Nó được thiết kế cho phù hợp hơn với cả hai hình thức ghi hình video thời gian thực (real-time) và ghi dữ liệu bất kỳ (random). Đĩa DVD+RW có dung lượng lưu trữ 4,7 GB và dùng trên cả đầu DVD thông thường lẫn PC có ổ DVD-ROM.
6. DVD+R (Digital Versatile Disc + Recordable)
DVD (DVD Alliance) đề xuất và phát triển nhằm hỗ trợ định dạng DVD+RW, phục vụ nhu cầu bảo bật và bảo toàn dữ liệu: sau khi ghi lên DVD+R, thông tin sẽ không thể bị sửa/xoá được nữa. Tóm lại, DVD+R là phiên bản chỉ ghi được một lần của DVD+RW. Đĩa DVD+R có thể ghi dữ liệu với dung lượng 4,7 GB và DVD+R dùng trên cả đầu DVD thông thường lẫn PC có ổ DVD-ROM.
Bốn ổ DVD phổ biến nhất và các định dạng mà chúng hỗ trợ:
Tên ổ
DVD- ROM
DVD-R
DVD- RAM
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
Iomega Super DVD Writer
đọc
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
Panasonic LF-D521U
đọc
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc*
đọc*
Pioneer DVR-A06U
đọc
đọc/ghi
-
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
Sony DRU-510A
đọc
đọc/ghi
-
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
(*. Khả năng tương thích đọc DVD-RW và/hoặc DVD+RW của loại ổ này không được nhà sản xuất nêu cụ thể).
Trong lĩnh vực DVD, số định dạng phục vụ các mục đích thương mại hiện tăng lên rất nhiều. Những thông tin dưới đây có thể giúp bạn có một cái nhìn cơ bản về hình thức lưu trữ dữ liệu quang học có tên đầy đủ là Digital Versatile Disc hay Digital Video Disc.
1. DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc - Read Only Memory)
Một dạng đĩa có kích thước giống như CD-ROM hay Compact Disc nhưng có thể lưu thông tin với mật độ cao hơn nhiều và do đó đem lại công suất lớn hơn. DVD-ROM hiện được sản xuất với 4 định dạng DVD-5, DVD-9, DVD-10 và DVD-18. Dạng DVD-5 có công suất lưu trữ 4,7GB (CD-ROM chuẩn chỉ có 650 MB) và lưu dữ liệu một lớp đơn trên một mặt đĩa. Dữ liệu này có thể là ở dạng phần mềm, hình ảnh video (DVD-Video) hay âm thanh (DVD-Audio). Dạng DVD-9 lưu dữ liệu 2 lớp trên một mặt đĩa còn dạng DVD-10 và DVD-18 sử dụng cả 2 mặt đĩa (DVD-10 lưu 1 lớp và DVD-18 lưu 2 lớp). Đĩa DVD-ROM có thể dùng trên các đầu máy DVD hoặc máy tính có trang bị ổ đọc DVD-ROM. Người sử dụng không thể ghi dữ liệu mới đè lên nội dung đã có sẵn.
2. DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disc - Recordable)
Đây là dạng đĩa tương tự như DVD-ROM nhưng có thể ghi dữ liệu mới. Ổ Pioneer DVR-A05U hiện nay có thể ghi 4,7 GB trên một mặt đĩa và 9,4 GB hai mặt ở loại đĩa theo định dạng này. Đĩa DVD-R có thể chạy trên đầu DVD gia dụng và máy tính có ổ DVD-ROM. Người sử dụng chỉ có thể ghi thêm dữ liệu được 1 lần. Có hai loại ổ và công cụ media theo định dạng DVD-R. Một là DVD-R for Authoring (phục vụ quyền tác giả), được hỗ trợ bằng loại ổ DVR-S201 và phù hợp với người muốn tạo ra “đĩa chủ” (master) cho một nhà in sao đĩa nào đó. Đây được gọi là Định dạng chủ biên tập (Cutting Master Format - CMF). Nó hỗ trợ cài đặt mã vùng và sử dụng công cụ chống copy. Loại thứ hai là DVD-R for General, phục vụ đại chúng, được hỗ trợ bằng loại đầu DVR-A05U và thích hợp cho việc tạo ra một vài bản sao khác nhau mà không cần phải gửi đĩa tới một dịch vụ in sao hay cài đặt mã vùng. Chuẩn media thích hợp phải được sử dụng với ổ tương ứng, ví dụ đĩa DVD-R for Authoring phải đi với một ổ DVD-R for Authoring tương thích.
3. DVD-RAM (Digital Versatile Disc - Random Access Memory)
Khác với DVD-R, DVD-RAM có thể được ghi đi ghi lại nhiều lần. Định dạng này cho phép lưu trữ 2,6 GB hoặc 4,7 GB đối với đĩa 1 mặt và 5,2 GB hoặc 9,4 GB đối với đĩa 2 mặt. Ổ Panasonic LF-D521U, chẳng hạn, có thể ghi và đọc từ những công cụ media này. Đĩa DVD-RAM chỉ có thể chạy trên ổ DVD-RAM chứ không thể sử dụng bằng đầu DVD gia dụng hay máy tính có ổ DVD-ROM. Đây là loại đĩa cho phép đọc/ghi ngẫu nhiên (Random) chứ không phải theo lần lượt từ đầu đến cuối (sequential). Random Access rất quan trọng, đặc biệt là cho việc biên tập phim. Vì vậy, dùng DVD-RAM có lợi là tiết kiệm hơn nhiều so với dùng DVD-R vì không cần phải thay đĩa mỗi khi muốn thay đổi nội dung phim.
4. DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc - Re-recordable)
Là loại đĩa tương tự như DVD-R nhưng cho phép ghi đi ghi lại khoảng 1.000 lần. Pioneer DVR-A05U, có thể ghi lên đĩa 4,7 GB DVD-RW 1 mặt. Những chiếc đĩa DVD-RW có thể chạy cả trong đầu DVD thông thường và PC có ổ DVD-ROM.
5. DVD+RW (Digital Versatile Disc + Rewritable)
Đây là phiên bản cho phép ghi nhiều lần của DVD+R (xem bên dưới), được tạo ra trước DVD+R. Nó được thiết kế cho phù hợp hơn với cả hai hình thức ghi hình video thời gian thực (real-time) và ghi dữ liệu bất kỳ (random). Đĩa DVD+RW có dung lượng lưu trữ 4,7 GB và dùng trên cả đầu DVD thông thường lẫn PC có ổ DVD-ROM.
6. DVD+R (Digital Versatile Disc + Recordable)
DVD (DVD Alliance) đề xuất và phát triển nhằm hỗ trợ định dạng DVD+RW, phục vụ nhu cầu bảo bật và bảo toàn dữ liệu: sau khi ghi lên DVD+R, thông tin sẽ không thể bị sửa/xoá được nữa. Tóm lại, DVD+R là phiên bản chỉ ghi được một lần của DVD+RW. Đĩa DVD+R có thể ghi dữ liệu với dung lượng 4,7 GB và DVD+R dùng trên cả đầu DVD thông thường lẫn PC có ổ DVD-ROM.
Bốn ổ DVD phổ biến nhất và các định dạng mà chúng hỗ trợ:
Tên ổ
DVD- ROM
DVD-R
DVD- RAM
DVD-RW
DVD+R
DVD+RW
Iomega Super DVD Writer
đọc
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
Panasonic LF-D521U
đọc
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc*
đọc*
Pioneer DVR-A06U
đọc
đọc/ghi
-
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
Sony DRU-510A
đọc
đọc/ghi
-
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
đọc/ghi
(*. Khả năng tương thích đọc DVD-RW và/hoặc DVD+RW của loại ổ này không được nhà sản xuất nêu cụ thể).
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Quick sales letters for e-mail or postal mail
As a salesperson, a big part of your job is creating new business opportunities. And as you create those opportunities, you're constantly following up with your customers and prospective customers with letters and e-mail messages. Typically, you'll type or paste the same form letter into a lot of letters and e-mail messages to complete this task. And that can take a lot of time, no matter how fast you type.
- Create and send letters with a few clicks of a button
Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 offer you an easy way to use AutoText entries and a custom toolbar to create and send your letters.
Important To use a custom toolbar with Outlook, you must be using Word as your e-mail editor. To find out how, click Turn Word on or off as your e-mail editor or viewer in the See Also box on the right side of your screen. - Write once, send many
An AutoText entry is stored text or graphics that you want to use again. A custom toolbar is a place where you can store all the tasks you use on a regular basis — including AutoText entries.
In this example, you'll create AutoText entries for some form letters that you send frequently. Then you'll add the AutoText entries to a custom toolbar in Word.
Write the AutoText entries for your sales letters
In Word, type the text that you want to store as an AutoText entry. For this example, you can use the following text for your letters.
Meeting confirmation letterDear [Recipient Name]:
Following up on our phone conversation, I look forward to meeting with you on Thursday, July 10, at your office.
In the meantime, let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Order confirmation letterDear [Recipient Name]:
We have received your order and are in the process of filling it, as described in the enclosed copy of the order. The total cost of the order is $[amount]. Your order number is [order number]. Please allow [amount of time] for delivery.
If you have any questions about your order, or if we can be of further service to you, please call us at [phone number], and a representative will be happy to assist you. When you call, please have your order number available so that we can expedite your request.
Thank you for your patronage. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you.
Sincerely,
Price quote follow-up letterDear [Recipient Name]:
This is just a reminder that the terms and prices on the enclosed quotation are still good for several weeks.
If you've been shopping around, you may be thinking of a system that is slightly different from the one we quoted you.
In that case, give me a call. We'd be happy to quote again on your new specification. We can even provide quotes for various configurations to aid you in making a decision.
Just one other thing to keep in mind: There's rarely just "one solution" to a given business computing challenge. If you're still uncertain, please call us. We can recommend hardware, software, and service alternatives that can meet any requirement — and budget.
Sincerely,
Select the text of your form letter.
On the Insert menu, point to AutoText, and then click New.
In the Create AutoText dialog box, type the name of the sales letter, for example Meeting confirmation, Order confirmation, or Price quote follow-up.
Click OK. - Set up a custom sales toolbar
Now, let's create a custom toolbar where you can store your form letters.
There are three steps to setting up your custom toolbar:
Create the toolbar.
Add a new menu to the toolbar.
Add your AutoText entries to the new menu.
Note After you create a custom toolbar, it is available in all programs that use Normal.dot (or the Normal template). The reason you see the toolbar when you switch between such programs as Word and Outlook, is that they both use Normal.dot. After creating a custom toolbar, you might be prompted to save changes to Normal.dot. If you don't save changes, the toolbar you've added won't be available the next time you open Outlook or Word. - Create your toolbar
On the Tools menu, click Customize.
In the Customize dialog box, on the Toolbars tab, click New.
In the New Toolbar dialog box, in the Toolbar name box, type the name you want. For this example, type Sales Tools.
In the Make toolbar available to box, select Normal.dot, and then click OK.
The New Toolbar dialog box closes, and a new, blank toolbar appears on your screen next to the Customize dialog box, which remains open. In the following example, the Sales Tools toolbar has been dragged above the Customize dialog box.
Sales Tools toolbar
Customize dialog box
Add a new menu to your toolbar
In the Customize dialog box, click the Commands tab.
In the Categories box, click New Menu.
Drag New Menu from the Commands box to the Sales Tools toolbar.
On the Sales Tools toolbar, right-click New Menu.
On the drop-down menu, select the words New Menu in the Name box, and then type Letters.
When you're finished, click the Sales Tools toolbar or press ENTER.
Now your toolbar has a menu on it — but the menu is empty. Not for long!
Add your form letters to the Letters menu
In the Customize dialog box, click the Commands tab.
In the Categories box, click AutoText.
Drag the AutoText entries one at a time from the Commands box to the Letters menu on the Sales Tools toolbar.
How?
Click the Letters menu to see the new menu you just created.
Now you have your Sales Tools toolbar — complete with a snazzy menu containing all your sales letters. - Form letters at your fingertips
Now all you have to do when you want to write a sales letter is click the Letters menu on your Sales Tools toolbar, and then select the letter you want. You can paste it into a Word document to send to your customer through postal mail. Or you can use your new toolbar in Outlook to paste the text directly into an e-mail message.
You can even add e-mail commands to your new toolbar that enable you to send e-mail directly from Word.
Add e-mail commands to your Sales Tools toolbar
In the Customize dialog box, click the Commands tab.
In the Categories box, click File.
From the Commands box, drag New E-mail Message to the Sales Tools toolbar.
From the Commands box, drag Send Now to the Sales Tools toolbar.
Click Close.
Now your Sales Tools toolbar looks like this:
New E-mail Message button
Send Now button
Letters menu
You're ready to send!
From this one toolbar, you can open a new e-mail message, add a sales letter, and send the message. That should save you some time!
On the Sales Tools toolbar, click the New E-mail Message button.
Note that the Sales Tools toolbar is available in the new Outlook message.
In the new message, type an e-mail address in the To field, and then type a subject in the Subject field.
Click in the body of the blank message window to make the Letters menu available on the Sales Tools toolbar.
On the Sales Tools toolbar, on the Letters menu, click Meeting confirmation. The Meeting confirmation AutoText is automatically pasted into the body of the e-mail message.
Make whatever changes to the text that you want. For example, add the customer's name, make sure any dates are correct, or specify product names.
On the Sales Tools toolbar, click Send Now. - Revise your form letters
If you want to revise a sales letter, you can easily make changes and then save the updated letter to use again.
Open a new blank Word document.
On the Sales Tools toolbar, on the Letters menu, click the sales letter that you want to revise.
Make your revisions to the letter.
Select the text of your revised letter.
On the Insert menu, point to AutoText, and then click New.
In the Create AutoText dialog box, type the original name of the sales letter.
Click OK.
Click Yes.
Your revised sales letter is now available from the Letters menu on the Sales Tools toolbar. - Managing your toolbar
You work with your Sales Tools toolbar the same way you work with built-in toolbars. For example, you can move the custom toolbar around the screen, dock (docked: Fixed to the top, bottom, or side of the window. You can dock a task pane, the toolbox, the menu bar, and all toolbars.) it where you want it, or turn it on or off.
Dock the Sales Tools toolbar
When you first created the Sales Tools toolbar, you probably noticed that it was "floating" — in other words, detached from the other menus in Word or Outlook. If you want to dock the toolbar with the other toolbars, just drag it where you want it to go.
Docked and floating toolbar examples
Docked Sales Tools toolbar
Floating Sales Tools toolbar
Turn the Sales Tools toolbar on or off
Every time you open Word or Outlook with the template associated with the Sales Tools toolbar (in this example, Normal.dot), you'll see the Sales Tools toolbar.
To disable the Sales Tools toolbar from either Word or Outlook:
Right-click any toolbar, and then clear the check box next to the Sales Tools toolbar. - Create more toolbars
Now that you've set up a Sales Tools toolbar, you can customize it with your most common Word and Outlook tasks. You can even create multiple toolbars for different tasks. Take a look around and try different things. And remember, you can create custom toolbars for all Office programs.
Create Outlook e-mail templates for sales letters
To convert prospects into sales, you need to communicate with customers — and potential customers — every day. Typically, you'll type or paste the same text or form letter into a lot of e-mail messages. Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 offers you an easy, quick, and accurate way to create and send these letters.
- Setting up an e-mail template
In Outlook, you can create templates that contain text you send over and over again to different recipients. You can compose and save a message as a template, and then use that template whenever you need it. Just add any new or personalized text before you send the message.
Thank-you letters
Every time you meet with a potential customer, you send a follow-up e-mail message thanking them for their time and giving them additional information about your company. Because you send this message to every customer, it's a good candidate for an Outlook template.
Important You cannot create an Outlook template if you are using Microsoft Office Word as your e-mail editor. To make sure you are not using Word as your e-mail editor, follow these steps:
In Outlook, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
Clear the check box next to Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit e-mail messages.
Click Apply, and then click OK. - Create a mail template
In Outlook, on the File menu, point to New, and then click Mail Message.
Note You can also start a new message by clicking the New Mail Message button on the Standard toolbar.
When the new message opens, give it an appropriate subject and compose your content. Leave space for personalized information that you'll add when you send the message to a particular recipient.
On the File menu, click Save As.
In the Save as type list, select Outlook Template, and then click Save
Close the message that you used to create your template. If you are prompted to save the message, click No.
Now that you've created your e-mail template, you can restore Word as your message editor:
On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
Select the check box next to Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit e-mail messages.
Click Apply, and then click OK. - Preparing the message
Now that you've set up the message template, you're ready to send the potential customer a follow-up letter. The template already contains most of the information you need to send, so you’ll just add current data and personalized comments before adding the e-mail address on the To line and sending the message. - Send a message using your template
From the Inbox, click the Tools menu, click Forms, and then click Choose Form.
Click the Look in box, and select User Templates in the File System from the drop-down list.
Select your template, and then click Open.
Personalize the message if you want to, add the recipient's e-mail address to the To line, and click Send.
Create Outlook e-mail templates for sales letters
To convert prospects into sales, you need to communicate with customers — and potential customers — every day. Typically, you'll type or paste the same text or form letter into a lot of e-mail messages. Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 offers you an easy, quick, and accurate way to create and send these letters.
- Setting up an e-mail template
In Outlook, you can create templates that contain text you send over and over again to different recipients. You can compose and save a message as a template, and then use that template whenever you need it. Just add any new or personalized text before you send the message.
Thank-you letters
Every time you meet with a potential customer, you send a follow-up e-mail message thanking them for their time and giving them additional information about your company. Because you send this message to every customer, it's a good candidate for an Outlook template.
Important You cannot create an Outlook template if you are using Microsoft Office Word as your e-mail editor. To make sure you are not using Word as your e-mail editor, follow these steps:
In Outlook, on the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
Clear the check box next to Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit e-mail messages.
Click Apply, and then click OK. - Create a mail template
In Outlook, on the File menu, point to New, and then click Mail Message.
Note You can also start a new message by clicking the New Mail Message button on the Standard toolbar.
When the new message opens, give it an appropriate subject and compose your content. Leave space for personalized information that you'll add when you send the message to a particular recipient.
On the File menu, click Save As.
In the Save as type list, select Outlook Template, and then click Save
Close the message that you used to create your template. If you are prompted to save the message, click No.
Now that you've created your e-mail template, you can restore Word as your message editor:
On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Mail Format tab.
Select the check box next to Use Microsoft Office Word 2003 to edit e-mail messages.
Click Apply, and then click OK. - Preparing the message
Now that you've set up the message template, you're ready to send the potential customer a follow-up letter. The template already contains most of the information you need to send, so you’ll just add current data and personalized comments before adding the e-mail address on the To line and sending the message. - Send a message using your template
From the Inbox, click the Tools menu, click Forms, and then click Choose Form.
Click the Look in box, and select User Templates in the File System from the drop-down list.
Select your template, and then click Open.
Personalize the message if you want to, add the recipient's e-mail address to the To line, and click Send.
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