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Memory and Its Types: Primary and Secondary Memory M Husnain BS Chemistry 4th Bsf1907949

Computer memory is divided into primary and secondary memory. Primary memory is the main internal memory that allows for faster data access but is volatile, while secondary memory is non-volatile storage for large amounts of data but is slower. The two main types of primary memory are RAM and ROM, and examples of secondary memory include hard drives, SSDs, optical drives, and USB drives.

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M Hasse Khan
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340 views7 pages

Memory and Its Types: Primary and Secondary Memory M Husnain BS Chemistry 4th Bsf1907949

Computer memory is divided into primary and secondary memory. Primary memory is the main internal memory that allows for faster data access but is volatile, while secondary memory is non-volatile storage for large amounts of data but is slower. The two main types of primary memory are RAM and ROM, and examples of secondary memory include hard drives, SSDs, optical drives, and USB drives.

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M Hasse Khan
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Memory and its types

Primary and Secondary Memory


M Husnain BS Chemistry 4th
Bsf1907949
Memory
• What is memory?
Memory is very much like our brain as it is used to
store data and instructions. Computer memory is the storage
space where data is to be processed, and instructions needed
for processing are stored. The memory is divided into a large
number of smaller portions called the cell. Every cell/ location
has a unique address and a size.

What are the types of memory?


There are two major types of a memory which are;
(01) Primary memory (02) Secondary memory
Primary memory
What is primary memory?
Primary memory is the main memory of the computer
system. Accessing data from primary memory is faster because it is
an internal memory of the computer. The primary memory is most
volatile which means data in primary memory does not exist if it is
not saved when a power failure occurs.
The primary memory is a semiconductor memory. It is costlier
compared with secondary memory. The capacity of primary
memory is very much limited and is always smaller compares to
secondary memory.
Two types of Primary Memory are:
• RAM (Random Access Memory)
• ROM (Read only Memory)
Examples:
Some basic examples of primary memory are RAM, ROM,
Cache memory, PROM, EPROM, Registers, etc.
Secondary Memory
What is secondary memory?
All secondary storage devices which are capable of storing
high volume data is referred to secondary memory. It's slower
than primary memory.
However, it can save a substantial
amount of data in the range of
gigabytes to terabytes. This memory
is also called backup storage or mass
storage media.
Types of secondary memory:
There are various types of
secondary memory. Some of them are Floppy
Disk, Hard Disk, USB, CD, DVD, Blue ray etc
Characteristic of Primary Memory:
• The computer can't run without primary memory
• It is known as the main memory.
• You can lose data in case power is switched off
• It is also known as volatile memory
• It is a working memory of the computer.
• Primary memory is faster compares to secondary
memory.
Characteristic of Secondary Memory:
• These are magnetic and optical memories
• Secondary memory is known as a backup memory
• It is a non-volatile type of memory
• Data is stored permanently even when the power of
the computer is switched off
• It helps store data in a computer
• The machine can run without secondary memory
• Slower than primary memory
Summary
• Computer memory is the storage space where data is to be processed, and
instructions needed for processing are stored
• Two types of memories are 1) Primary Memory, 2)Secondary Memory
• Primary memory is the main memory of the computer system. Accessing
data from primary memory is faster because it is an internal memory of the
computer.
• All secondary storage devices which are capable of storing high volume data
is referred to as secondary memory
• Types of Primary Memory 1) RAM, 2) ROM
• Types of Secondary Memory 1) Hard Drive, 2) SSD, 3) Flash, 4) Optical Drive,
5) USD Drive, 3) Magnetic Tapes
• The computer can't run without primary memory. You can lose data in case
power is switched off
• Data is stored permanently in Secondary Memory even when the power of
the computer is switched off
• Primary memory is expensive and is available in limited in size in a
computer.
• Secondary memory is cheaper compared to primary memory.

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