SIMM

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SIMM, or Single In-Line Memory Module, is a now-obsolete form of RAM.

Before SIMMs, RAM was installed into a PC one Dual In-Line package (DIP) chip at a time. The nature of these DIP chips made it very easy to bend or break off a connector pin when installing or removing them. With the advent of the 286 (which could access more than 640k of RAM), computer designers needed to allow more and more DIPs to be installed, while at the same time making their installation less error-prone.

The solution was to embed several DIP ROMs onto a small circuit board. Rather than installing every DIP individually, a user could simply insert the circuit board which already contained the RAM.

SIMMs are installed by plugging the module into a memory slot at a slight angle, then gently tilting it into place. Computer motherboards which are compatible with SIMMs will usually have metal clips that snap into place when the SIMM is seated properly.

Next Page: Static Random Access Memory

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