Types Of Memory

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⭐ COMPUTER MEMORY & STORAGE – Full Information

Computer memory is used to store data and instructions temporarily or permanently.

Computer memory is divided into two major parts:

🔶 1. Primary Memory (Main Memory)

🔶 2. Secondary Memory (Storage Devices)

Let’s understand each in detail:

⭐ 1. PRIMARY MEMORY (Main Memory)

Primary memory is the internal memory of the computer.
It is fast, expensive, and temporary.

✔ Types of Primary Memory

A. RAM (Random Access Memory)

  • Called Volatile Memory (data lost when power off)

  • Stores data temporarily

  • Very fast

  • Used to run programs and OS

Types of RAM

  1. SRAM (Static RAM)

    • Faster, expensive

    • Used in Cache memory

  2. DRAM (Dynamic RAM)

    • Slower, cheaper

    • Used as main RAM in computers

Modern RAM Types

  • DDR1

  • DDR2

  • DDR3

  • DDR4

  • DDR5 (fastest)

B. ROM (Read Only Memory)

  • Non-volatile (data not lost after power off)

  • Used to store BIOS & firmware

  • Permanent instructions

Types of ROM

  1. PROM – Programmable once

  2. EPROM – Erasable using UV light

  3. EEPROM – Electrically erasable

  4. Flash ROM – Used in pen drives & SSDs

C. CACHE MEMORY

  • Very fast small memory inside CPU

  • Stores frequently used data

  • Increases CPU speed

Levels of Cache

  • L1 Cache – Fastest, smallest

  • L2 Cache – Medium

  • L3 Cache – Largest, slower

D. REGISTERS

  • Fastest memory

  • Inside CPU

  • Stores temporary data during processing

⭐ 2. SECONDARY MEMORY (Storage Devices)

Secondary memory stores data permanently.
It is non-volatile and has large capacity.

✔ Types of Secondary Storage

⭐ A. Magnetic Storage Devices

1. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

  • Large storage (500GB–10TB)

  • Uses magnetic disks

  • Slower than SSD

  • Cheaper

2. Floppy Disk (Old)

  • Very small capacity

  • Not used now

3. Magnetic Tape

  • Used in big companies for backup

  • Very large storage capacity

  • Sequential access (slow)

⭐ B. Optical Storage Devices

Uses laser light to read/write data.

1. CD (Compact Disc)

  • Capacity: 700 MB

  • Types: CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW

2. DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)

  • Capacity: 4.7 GB to 8.5 GB

3. Blu-Ray Disc

  • Capacity: 25 GB to 50 GB

  • Used for HD movies, games

⭐ C. Solid-State Storage Devices (Flash Memory)

1. SSD (Solid State Drive)

  • Very fast

  • No moving parts

  • Capacity: 128GB–4TB

  • Types: SATA SSD, NVMe SSD

2. Pen Drive (USB Drive)

  • Portable

  • Capacity: 8GB–1TB

3. Memory Card (SD Card, MicroSD)

  • Used in mobiles, cameras

  • Capacity: 2GB–512GB

4. Flash ROM

  • Used in firmware, BIOS

  • Very reliable

⭐ D. Cloud Storage

Stores data on internet servers.

Examples:

  • Google Drive

  • OneDrive

  • Dropbox

  • iCloud

✔ Accessible anywhere
✔ Needs internet

⭐ E. Hybrid Storage Devices

SSHD (Solid State Hybrid Drive)

  • Combination of SSD + HDD

  • Faster than HDD

  • Cheaper than SSD

⭐ F. Network Storage

1. NAS (Network Attached Storage)

  • Storage available through LAN

  • Used in offices, companies

2. SAN (Storage Area Network)

  • High-speed enterprise-level storage

  • Expensive and very fast

⭐ COMPUTER MEMORY – SUMMARY TABLE

Memory TypeVolatileSpeedUsed For
RAMYesFastRunning programs
ROMNoFastBoot process
CacheYesVery FastCPU performance
RegistersYesFastestCPU internal operations
HDDNoSlowLarge storage
SSDNoVery FastOS, software
Pen DriveNoMediumPortable storage
CD/DVDNoSlowMovies, data backup

⭐ Conclusion

Computer memory is divided into:

Primary Memory

  • RAM

  • ROM

  • Cache

  • Registers

Secondary Memory

  • HDD

  • SSD

  • Pen Drive

  • Optical Discs

  • Magnetic Tape

  • Cloud Storage

  • NAS/SAN

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