EDRAM

Embedding memory on the ASIC or processor allows for much wider buses and higher operation speeds, and due to much higher density of DRAM in comparison to SRAM, larger amounts of memory can be installed on smaller chips if eDRAM is used instead of eSRAM. eDRAM requires additional fab process steps compared with embedded SRAM, which raises cost, but the area savings of eDRAM memory offsets the process cost when a significant amount of memory is used in the design.

eDRAM memories, like all DRAM memories, require periodic refreshing of the memory cells, which adds complexity. However, if the memory refresh controller is embedded along with the eDRAM memory, the remainder of the ASIC can treat the memory like a simple SRAM type, such as in 1T-SRAM.

eDRAM is used in various products, including IBM's POWER7 processor, and IBM's z15 mainframe processor (mainframes built which use up to 4.69 GB of eDRAM when 5 such add-on chips/drawers are used but all other levels from L1 up also use eDRAM, for a total of 6.4 GB of eDRAM). Intel's Haswell CPUs with GT3e integrated graphics, many game consoles and other devices, such as Sony's PlayStation 2, Sony's PlayStation Portable, Nintendo's GameCube, Nintendo's Wii, Nintendo's Wii U, and Microsoft's Xbox 360 also use eDRAM.