Paper 1 Memory and storage Flashcards
Identify the type of memory used for the process:-
The type of memory that is used to store program data for applications currently running and is volatile. ‘Volatile’ means the memory will lose its contents when the computer is switched off.
RAM Random Access Memory
Identify the type of memory used for the process:-
This type of memory is usually etched into a memory chip during the manufacture of a computer’s motherboard to hold its boot-up routine.
ROM - Read Only Memory
Where is virtual memory normally held?
A section of a computer storage drive (normally the hard drive) which is temporarily used as RAM.
When is virtual memory used?
Virtual memory is used when the computer has no more available random access memory (RAM).
There are times when the amount of RAM needed to hold all running programs and data is greater than the amount of RAM available to the computer.
Which of the following files is larger? 0.6 gigabytes or 700 megabytes
700 megabytes
Which of the following files is larger? 1.1 gigabytes or 10,000,000 kilobytes
1.1 gigabytes
More and more companies are releasing new laptops with solid-state drives (SSDs) instead of using magnetic hard drives (HDDs). Give two reasons why this could be the case.
Capacity
In terms of capacity, SSDs have a larger storage capacity then magnetic drives.
Battery Life
HDDs consume an average battery life of 6-7 watts, while SDDs only draws an average of 2-3 watts.
OS Boot Time
HDDs consume 30-40 seconds bootup time while it only costs 10-13 seconds for SSDs.
File Copy Speed
For magnetic drives, their file copy speed ranges from 50-120MBs, while SSDs have a writing speed of more than 200MBs up to 550MBs.
File Opening Speed
SSDs are faster than HDDs up to 30% when it comes to file opening speed,
Vibration, Noise and Produced Heat
SSDs do not vibrate; do not produce much heat and do not create noises because they do not have moving parts. HDDs have platters and other moving parts resulting in vibration and some spinning noises can be heard. HDDs also amount more heat as it draws a larger amount of power and it also has moving parts.
Reliability
2 to 3-year-old SSDs have a significantly lower annual replacement rate than HDDs mainly because they have moving parts that made them physically vulnerable. It’s a mechanical reality for hard drives that its moving parts just wear out over time and although SSDs have a little advantage on this, it’s important to be aware that SDDs memory bank can only be written and read for just a limited number of times.
Identify a storage device and justify your decision for the following scenario:
Transferring files between home and school
USB flash drives are often used for storage, data back-up and transferring of computer files. Compared with floppy disks or CDs, they are smaller, faster, have significantly more capacity, and are more durable due to a lack of moving parts
Identify a storage device and justify your decision for the following scenario:
Saving photography on a digital camera
A memory card is a flash memory or storage card that is used to keep various data like photos, text documents, videos and audio file. They are quite small in physical size, lightweight and not inexpensive.
Identify a storage device and justify your decision for the following scenario:
Storing your computer’s operating system
SSDs because they are a lot better in random small reads and writes, and all the programs depend on small reads and writes.
Hard drives are sufficient in sequential reads and writes for most purposes, so storing large files like movies and music on the HHD is perfectly fine.
