Primary Storage

What is Primary Storage (memory) ?

Primary memory is built inside the computer. As a result, data can be read from and written to primary memory extremely quickly. This gives the processor fast access to the data and instructions that the primary memory holds.

There are two types of primary memory:

read only memory (ROM) - non-volatile
random access memory (RAM) - volatile
Virtual memory

What does volatile mean?

If a computer component is volatile it means that it loses data which is stored on it, if it loses power or when turned off, for example RAM. Non-volatile components don't lose data when their power is turned off, for example ROM or secondary storage devices such as hard disk drives.

Read Only Memory (ROM)

ROM stands for Read-Only Memory. It is a type of computer memory that is permanently or semi-permanently written with data and cannot be easily modified or rewritten by a computer user or a computer program.

ROM is non-volatile memory, meaning that it retains stored data even when the power is turned off. This makes it useful for storing firmware or the BIOS (basic input/output system) of a computer, which contains the instructions that the computer needs to boot up and perform basic functions.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is a type of computer memory that stores data temporarily and is used to hold the programs and data that a computer is currently using or processing. RAM is volatile memory, meaning that it loses stored data when the power is turned off.

RAM allows the computer to read data quickly and efficiently, as the CPU (central processing unit) can access any location in RAM directly, without having to search through memory sequentially. The more RAM a computer has, the more programs it can have open and running at the same time without slowing down.

The average computer has around 4-8gb of RAM and the average gaming PC has around 16GB of RAM.

How much does yours have?

What is Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a technique that allows a computer to use more memory than is physically available by temporarily transferring data from the main memory (RAM) to a storage device, such as a hard drive. This allows the computer to access and use more memory than is physically available, by creating the illusion of having more RAM than is actually installed.

Art style for this page - Acrylic drawing

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse