Memory of Computer

What is Computer Computer

Computer memory refers to the parts of a computer that store data, instructions, and information—either temporarily or permanently.

Types of computer memory

Computer memory is mainly divided into Primary Memory and Secondary Memory.

• Primary Memory (Main Memory)
• Secondary Memory (Storage Devices)
• Cache Memory
• Registers
• Virtual Memory

Primary Memory (Main Memory)

Primary memory is directly accessed by the CPU and is fast but limited in size.

a. RAM (Random Access Memory)

• Temporary memory
• Stores data only while the computer is ON
• Volatile — data is lost when power goes off
• Used for running programs

Types of RAM

• SRAM — faster, used in cache
• DRAM — slower, used in main RAM slots

b. ROM (Read Only Memory)

• Permanent memory
• Stores important startup data (BIOS)
• Non-volatile — data stays even without power

Types of ROM

• PROM
• EPROM
• EEPROM

Secondary Memory (Storage Devices)

Secondary memory is used for permanent storage and has large capacity but is slower than primary memory

• HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
• SSD (Solid State Drive)
• CD / DVD
• Pen Drive
• Memory Card
• External Hard Drive
• Cloud Storage

Cache Memory

• High-speed memory located between CPU and RAM
• Stores frequently used data
• Makes processing faster
• Very expensive
• Small in size (MBs)

Registers

• The fastest memory inside the CPU
• Stores small data temporarily
• Example: instruction register, accumulator

Virtual Memory

• A part of the hard disk used as extension of RAM
• Helps run large programs when RAM is full