2. Memory and Storage Flashcards
(16 cards)
Characteristics of primary storage
Small capacity compared to secondary storage, volatile (except ROM), Expensive & non-portable in PC’s
Characteristics of secondary storage
larger capacity and cheaper compared to primary storage, non-volatile, holds OS & portable
Characteristics of tertiary storage
Backs up large amounts of data, large capacity, expensive, 24/7 access
What does ROM do?
- Boot strap instructions
- Non-volatile
- Loads BIOS
- Small capacity
- Read Only Memory
What does RAM do?
- Stores current running instructions
- Volatile
- Expensive
- Higher capacity than ROM
- Read and write memory
What is Sec storage used for?
- Backs up data
- Stored programs and data once comp turns off
- Semi-permanent storage of data
Types of secondary storage
Solid-state, Magnetic & optical storage
Compare the storage capacity of sec storage types
Solid-state has the highest capacity, but magnetic is higher than optical
Compare the portability of sec storage types
Optical and Solid state are very portable but optical is higher, magnetic is not portable
Compare the durability of sec storage types
solid-state has good durability, optical has medium durability but magnetic is not durable
Compare the price of sec storage types
Solid-state is most expensive, magnetic is medium and optical is cheap
Compare the speeds of sec storage types
solid-state is fastest, magnetic is medium and optical is slow
Devices of solid-state storage
USB drive & SSD
Devices of magnetic storage
Hard disk, magnetic tape & floppy disks
Devices of optical storage
CD, DVD & Blu ray
How does optical storage write down?
A laser beam passes over the pits
