Memory of Computer
What is Computer Memory?
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.
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
- DRAM — slower
ROM (Read Only Memory)
- Permanent memory
- Stores startup data (BIOS)
- Non-volatile
Types of ROM
Secondary Memory
Used for permanent storage with large capacity.
- HDD
- SSD
- CD/DVD
- Pen Drive
- Memory Card
- Cloud Storage
Cache Memory
- High-speed memory
- Stores frequently used data
- Very fast but expensive
Registers
- Fastest memory inside CPU
- Stores temporary data
Virtual Memory
- Uses hard disk as RAM
- Helps run large programs