In computing, memory is a device or system that is used to store information for immediate use in a computer or related computer hardware and digital electronic devices. The term memory is often synonymous with the term primary storage or main memory. An archaic synonym for memory is store.
There are three main types of memory: working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
Random access memory (RAM) is used as the working memory of a computer system. It stores input data, intermediate results, programs, and other information temporarily. It can be read and/or written. It is usually volatile, which means that all data will be lost when the power is turned off.
Random access memory (RAM) is a computer's short-term memory, where data that the processor is currently using is stored temporarily. RAM memory can be accessed much faster than data on a hard disk, SDD, or other long-term storage device, which is why RAM capacity is so important for system performance.
Hard drive is an example of long term memory. A hard disk consists of one or more platters and the data is written to it using a magnetic head. It can store data such as pictures, music, videos, text documents or files. It also stores files of the operating system and software programs.
Memory is the electronic holding place for the instructions and data a computer needs to reach quickly. It's where information is stored for immediate use.
In computing, memory is a device or system that is used to store information for immediate use in a computer or related computer hardware and digital electronic devices. The term memory is often synonymous with the term primary storage or main memory. An archaic synonym for memory is store.
Computer memory operates at a high speed compared to storage that is slower but less expensive and higher in capacity. Besides storing opened programs, computer memory serves as disk cache and write buffer to improve both reading and writing performance. Operating systems borrow RAM capacity for caching so long as not needed by running software. If needed, contents of the computer memory can be transferred to storage; a common way of doing this is through a memory management technique called virtual memory.
Modern memory is implemented as semiconductor memory, where data is stored within memory cells built from MOS transistors and other components on an integrated circuit.[6] There are two main kinds of semiconductor memory, volatile and non-volatile. Examples of non-volatile memory are flash memory and ROM, PROM, EPROM and EEPROM memory. Examples of volatile memory are dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) used for primary storage, and static random-access memory (SRAM) used for CPU cache.
Most semiconductor memory is organized into memory cells each storing one bit (0 or 1). Flash memory organization includes both one bit per memory cell and multi-level cell capable of storing multiple bits per cell. The memory cells are grouped into words of fixed word length, for example, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 bits. Each word can be accessed by a binary address of N bits, making it possible to store 2N words in the memory.
Computer memory is a generic term for all of the different types of data storage technology that a computer may use, including RAM, ROM, and flash memory.
Some types of computer memory are designed to be very fast, meaning that the central processing unit (CPU) can access data stored there very quickly. Other types are designed to be very low cost, so that large amounts of data can be stored there economically.
Another way that computer memory can vary is that some types are non-volatile, which means they can store data on a long term basis even when there is no power. And some types are volatile, which are often faster, but which lose all the data stored on them as soon as the power is switched off.
A computer system is built using a combination of these types of computer memory, and the exact configuration can be optimized to produce the maximum data processing speed or the minimum cost, or some compromise between the two.