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What Is RAM

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the hardware in a computing device where the operating system, programs, and data currently in use are stored for quick access by the processor. RAM is volatile memory, meaning data is lost when power is turned off. RAM provides temporary storage and acts as the device's short-term memory, while storage drives like hard disks function as long-term memory. RAM is organized so any location can be accessed directly through its address, allowing fast read/write capabilities compared to storage drives.

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133 views2 pages

What Is RAM

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the hardware in a computing device where the operating system, programs, and data currently in use are stored for quick access by the processor. RAM is volatile memory, meaning data is lost when power is turned off. RAM provides temporary storage and acts as the device's short-term memory, while storage drives like hard disks function as long-term memory. RAM is organized so any location can be accessed directly through its address, allowing fast read/write capabilities compared to storage drives.

Uploaded by

Will Asin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is RAM?

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the hardware in a computing device where


the operating system (OS), application programs, and data in current use are kept
so they can be quickly reached by the device's processor. RAM is the main
memory in a computer. It is much faster to read from and write to than other
kinds of storage, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), or
optical drive.
Random Access Memory is volatile. That means data is retained in RAM if the
computer is on, but it is lost when the computer is turned off. When the computer
is rebooted, the OS and other files are reloaded into RAM, usually from an HDD
or SSD.

Function of RAM
Because of its volatility, RAM can't store permanent data. RAM can be
compared to a person's short-term memory and a hard disk drive to a person's
long-term memory. Short-term memory is focused on immediate work, but it can
only keep a limited number of facts in view at any one time. When a person's
short-term memory fills up, it can be refreshed with facts stored in the brain's
long-term memory.
A computer also works this way. If RAM fills up, the computer's processor must
repeatedly go to the hard disk to overlay the old data in RAM with new data.
This process slows the computer's operation.
A computer's hard disk can become full of data and unable to take any more, but
RAM won't run out of memory. However, the combination of RAM and storage
memory can be completely used up.

How does RAM work?


The term random access as applied to RAM comes from the fact that any storage
location, also known as any memory address, can be accessed directly.
Originally, the term Random Access Memory was used to distinguish regular
core memory from offline memory.
Offline memory typically referred to magnetic tape from which a specific piece
of data could only be accessed by locating the address sequentially, starting at the
beginning of the tape. RAM is organized and controlled in a way that enables
data to be stored and retrieved directly to and from specific locations.
Other types of storage -- such as the hard drive and CD-ROM-- are also accessed
directly or randomly, but the term random access isn't used to describe these
other types of storage.
RAM is similar in concept to a set of boxes in which each box can hold a 0 or a
1. Each box has a unique address that is found by counting across the columns
and down the rows. A set of RAM boxes is called an array, and each box is
known as a cell.
To find a specific cell, the RAM controller sends the column and row address
down a thin electrical line etched into the chip. Each row and column in a RAM
array has its address line. Any data that's read flows back on a separate data line.
RAM is physically small and stored in microchips. It's also small in terms of the
amount of data it can hold. A typical laptop computer may come with 8 gigabytes
of RAM, while a hard disk can hold 10 terabytes.
A hard drive, on the other hand, stores data on the magnetized surface of what
looks like a vinyl record. Alternatively, an SSD stores data in memory chips that,
unlike RAM, are non-volatile. They don't depend on having constant power and
won't lose data once the power is turned off. RAM microchips are gathered into
memory modules. These plug into slots in a computer's motherboard. A bus, or a
set of electrical paths, is used to connect the motherboard slots to the processor.
Most PCs enable users to add RAM modules up to a certain limit. Having more
RAM in a computer cuts down on the number of times the processor must read
data from the hard disk, an operation that takes longer than reading data from
RAM. RAM access time is in nanoseconds, while storage memory access time is
in milliseconds.

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