Memory & Storage - Primary & Secondary Storage Flashcards
What is the RAM?
The computer’s main memory that holds the data, programs and operating systems while in use
Is RAM Volatile or Non Volatile?
Volatile
What does Volatile mean?
Power off = The data is lost
What does Non Volatile mean?
Power off = Data isn’t lost
Where does the CPU fetch instructions from?
The RAM
What happens when the RAM is full?
The computer uses Virtual Memory.
It uses the secondary storage as temporary RAM so that the computer can continue running (but slowly)
What is ROM? (Read Only Memory)
It’s on a chip built into the motherboard
What does ROM contain?
The BIOS (Boot up sequence for the computer)
Is ROM Volatile or Non Volatile?
Non Volatile (data still stored after power is off)
What is Secondary Storage?
Where all data, including the programs, are stored when they are not being used
What is the Key Information for the Hard Disk Drive (HDD)?
- Magnetic
- Has Moving Parts
- Large Capacity
- Lower Cost than SSD (Solid State Drive)
What is the Key Information for the Solid State Drive (SSD)?
- Flash Memory
- No Moving Parts
- More Robust than HDD (Strong)
- Faster and more Expensive than HDD
What is the Key Information for Optical Storage?
- CD’s / DVD’s
- Cheap
- Portable
- Fairly Robust (Strong)
What are the Characters that need to be considered when choosing a Secondary Storage Device?
- Capacity
- Speed
- Portability
- Durability
- Reliability
- Cost
How many Bits are in a Nibble?
4 bits
