Internal Memory (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE ICT)
Revision Note
RAM
What is RAM?
RAM (Random Access Memory) is primary storage that is directly connected to the CPU and holds the data and instructions that are currently in use (temporary)
RAM is volatile which means the contents of RAM are lost when the power is turned off
For the CPU to access the data and instructions they must be copied from secondary storage
RAM is very fast working memory, much faster than secondary storage
RAM is read/write which means data can be read from and written to
In comparison to ROM, it has a much larger capacity
RAM capacity can be increased to improve performance
ROM
What is ROM?
ROM (Read Only Memory) is primary storage that holds the first instructions a computer needs to start up (Boot file)
ROM contains the BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
ROM is a small memory chip located on the computers motherboard
ROM is fast memory, much faster than secondary storage but slower than RAM
ROM is non-volatile which means the contents of ROM are not lost when the power is turned off
ROM is read only which means data can only be read from
In comparison to RAM, it has a much smaller capacity
ROM capacity can not be increased
Differences between RAM & ROM
Feature | RAM | ROM |
|---|---|---|
Stores | Data & programs in use | Boot file (start-up instructions) |
Capacity | Variable | Fixed |
Contents | Temporary | Permanent |
Read/Write | Read & write | Read only |
Volatile/Non-volatile | Volatile | Non-volatile |
Worked Example
State two characteristics of RAM
[2]
Answer
Two of:
RAM can be read from and written to [1]
RAM is volatile memory [1]
RAM is temporary storage [1]
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