1.2 Memory

Question 1

Random Access

Answer 1

Random Access means that any part of the memory can be accessed as quickly as any other part of the memory

Question 2

RAM

Answer 2

Fast

RAM is much faster to access than secondary storage such as Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)

Expensive

RAM is much more expensive per unit capacity than secondary storage media

Volatile

RAM is volatile. This means that it will lose its contents when power is lost (i.e. if the computer is switched off)

Question 3

Read Only Memory

Answer 3

Read Only Memory (ROM) is another type of main memory found in computers. It comes on a small, factory made chip in the motherboard

Question 4

ROM - Non - Volatile

Answer 4

ROM is non-volatile
This means that ROM keeps its contents when power is lost

Question 5

ROM - Fast but Expensive

Answer 5

• ROM is very fast to access.
• ROM is expensive, so tends to be only small

Question 6

ROM - Read Only

Answer 6

• ROM is often made from flash memory. This means that its contents cannot be changed easily.
• This means that the ROM only stores small programs that boots or starts up the computer.
• These programs are called the Basic Input Output System (BIOS). They usually:
  
  • Load an operating system.
  • Check the system for errors.