Primary Storage

Primary Storage

1. RAM

   • The RAM is faster than hard disks however it is slower than cache and registers in the CPU.
   • RAM is volatile memory. This is memory that is lost once the power is turned off for the computer.
   • RAM is read-write memory which means that you can read data stored on the RAM and you can add more things to the RAM

2. ROM

   • Rom is non-volatile memory. This means that once the power is turned off on the computer any data stored on the ROM is not lost.
   • ROM is read-only memory. This means that you can read information stored on the ROM, however you can't edit or add any information to the ROM
   • ROM is the place where the BIOS is stored (Basic Input Output System). The BIOS contains the boostrap which allows the computer to boot up.

3. Virtual Memory

   • Virtual memory is space that is allocated on the hard disk so that data can switch between the hard disk and the RAM
   • Virtual memory is needed when the RAM is full so that your computer can still keep working.
   • Programs are transferred to the virtual memory when they're not being used but once they are needed they get transferred back to the RAM

4. Flash Memory

   • Flash memory is non-volatile. This means that once the power is turned off, any data stored on it will not be lost.
   • Flash memory is read-write memory which means that you can read any information stored on the memory and you can also store and edit data on the flash memory
   • Flash memory can be found in things like USB memory sticks, SD cards and Solid State Drives (SSD).