1.2.1 primary storage

Question 1

what is ram

Answer 1

memory storage of data and instructions fetched by CPU

Question 2

what is difference between RAM and ROM

Answer 2

RAM : - Read an write access
ROM: read only
RAM: volatile (everything stored lost when power is off)
ROM: non volatile (stored data not lost when power turned off)
RAM: stores data and instructions
ROM: Stores BIOS

Question 3

what is BIOS

Answer 3

• checks input output devices are working
• checks hardware is working
• loads operating system and starts up computer

Question 4

what is virtual memory

Answer 4

• temporary memory to store programs not being used CPU when RAM is full so computer can still run smoothly
• found in hard disk
• volatile memory

Question 5

Problems with virtual memory

Answer 5

much slower to access by CPU than RAM
- so OS has to keep swapping programs from VM and RAM
if VM used a lot computer could slow down
- because hard disk working even harder

Question 6

what is flash memory

Answer 6

• can store BIOS
• non volatile
• not read only like ROM (can be written on) so more useful

Question 7

problems with flash memory

Answer 7

• very expensive
• has limit to number of times data can be written on it