Memory And Storage Flashcards
What does primary storage consist of?
Random access memory
Read only memory
Registers and cache
What does primary storage do?
Primary storage holds the data and instructions which the CPU needs to access while the computer is running, it is also faster than secondary storage
What are the three types of storage?
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Which type of storage is directly accessible by the cpu?
Primary storage
What are the traits of primary storage?
All volatile (except ROM)
Rom is read only
Relatively small compared to secondary storage.
Very fast access compared to secondary storage.
What are the traits of secondary storage?
All non-volatile
Large storage capacity in comparison to primary
Very slow access time in comparison to primary
What is tertiary storage?
Storage used for backing up and archiving large amounts of data
What does RAM stand for?
Random Access Memory
What does RAM do?
Holds the operating system and programs and data in use by the CPU when the computer is running.
Is RAM volatile?
Yes
Is RAM read and write?
Yes
Is RAM big or small?
Big (compared to ROM)
What does ROM do?
Holds the first instruction for when a computer turns on, also known as the bootstrap
Is ROM volatile?
No
Is ROM read and write?
No
Is ROM small or large?
Small (compared to RAM)
What is virtual memory?
A place in secondary storage which acts as memory
When is virtual memory needed?
When there is not enough physical RAM to open programs
Where is virtual memory held?
On the hard disk
When are programs transferred to Virtual memory?
When they are not currently being executed
Why are programs transferred to virtual memory?
To free up space in RAM
What is virtual memory?
Space in virtual memory acting as memory?
Why is secondary storage needed?
For long term storage of files and data.
What is the order of capacity? From high to low of Optical, Magnetic and Solid state
Magnetic - 16TB
Solid state - 4TB
Optical - 50GB