The Different Types of Memory Devices

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The Different Types of Memory Devices

This technical report will look at various different memory devices

and how they are implemented in a standard computer system. Internal

memory devices such as ROM, PROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM, SIMM and DIMM will

be looked at in order to give a clear idea of how each one operates,

and external devices such as memory sticks will also be touched upon.

Each of these devices uses different types of memory in different

ways. Over the course of this report, each of the aforementioned terms

will be technically defined and reasons will be established as to why

there are so many memory devices within a standard computer system.

Memory Devices

Technically, memory is electronic storage of any capacity; however, it

is increasingly being used to identify temporary forms of storage. If

the CPU in a standard computer system was to frequently access the

hard disk drive for data retrieval, it would operate very slowly. On

the other hand, if this much-needed data was stored in memory, not

only would it be easier to access, but the CPU would also be able to

access it much more quickly. Data that is stored in memory is

generally only kept there on a temporary basis.

The term “memory” identifies data storage that comes in the form of

silicon chips, and the word “storage” is used for memory that is

stored on disks or tapes. Moreover, the term “memory” is usually used

as shorthand for physical memory, which refers to the actual silicon

chips capable of carrying data. Some computer systems also have what’s

called “virtual memory,” which expands physical memory onto a hard

disk.

Read-Only Memory

The firs...

... middle of paper ...

.... Internal memory devices such as RAM, ROM (and all the

branches of ROM), SIMM’s and DIMM’s are requisites of a computer

system. Without such memory devices, a computer system cannot function

and there would be no storage medium to hold temporary data and data

which instructs the operating system function correctly. External

memory devices such as Memory Sticks and Flash Memory devices have

become a way of replacing their predecessors (i.e. floppy disk and

CD-ROM), and are not really required by a computer system in order for

it function correctly. They are mainly used as a convenience and as a

way of transferring data from one medium to another with minimal

hassle. Such devices have also been incorporated into multimedia

devices such as MP3 players and digital cameras, a “craze” which is

becoming increasingly popular.

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