Information Technology

Primary Storage
 TYPES OF STORAGE
• Primary storage is the first stage of storage that is used in your computer
system (Memory). However data or information cannot be saved in this
stage of storage.
• Secondary storage is where all data or information is stored for as long as
you wish, these devices include but are not limited to flash drives, CD’s and
Hard Drives.
 PRIMARY STORAGE
• They are two types of primary storage, namely:
• RAM
• ROM
• Primary storage is also called main memory or memory.
 RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY
• This is temporary memory that is immediately used and quickly accessed by
the computer’s CPU when the computer performs any process/task. When
you use different programs or applications on a computer, the data
(instructions for the programs or applications) stored in RAM can change as
needed.
• RAM is volatile memory because it relies on power to store data. As soon as
you turn the computer off or the power supply is interrupted anything
stored on RAM is lost; hence RAM cannot be used for long term storage.
 Varieties of RAM
• Dynamic RAM - The term dynamic indicates that the memory must be
constantly refreshed (reenergized) or it will lose its contents.
• Static RAM -SRAM (static RAM) is random access memory (RAM) that
retains data bits in its memory as long as power is being supplied.
 READ ONLY MEMORY
• This contains permanent, non-volatile information which is not lost or
changed when power to the computer is turned off.
• This information, also known as the basic input/output (BIOS), is needed to
start up the computer and access the operating system.
• ROM can be accessed but not changed. The contents of ROM are created
when the chip is manufactured.
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 Varieties of ROM
• PROM - Programmable read-only memory (PROM) is read-only memory (ROM )
that can be modified once by a user.
• EPROM -a read-only memory whose contents can be erased by ultraviolet light or
other means and reprogrammed using a pulsed voltage.
• EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM),
with the help of an electric field, is erasable and reprogrammable, which may be
reprogrammed a million times. Additionally, to perform a rewrite, EEPROM chips
must be completely erased, unlike other read-only memory (ROM) models.
 PRIMARY STORAGE SPECIFICATION
• Understanding the technical specifications associated with RAM helps you determine
the capacity, type and speed your computer can use.
• Capacity - the capacity of RAM is commonly measured in gigabytes (GB), though
older or low-end computers may measure maximum RAM in megabytes (MB). Some
computers have two slots to install memory, others have four and some have even
more.
 PRIMARY STORAGE SPECIFICATION
• Type - multiple variations of Double Data Rate (DDR) memory technology are
used in various computers. DDR means that it transfers data twice per clock cycle.
There are DDR, DDR2 and DDR3 memory. If your computer requires DDR3
memory, DDR2 memory won’t work.
• Speed - Memory speed is frequently denoted by the memory type followed by a
number that indicates the peak transfer rate of that type of memory. Consider this
example of a memory specification: 1GB DDR2-800 SDRAM. 1GB indicates the
memory capacity, DDR2 is the type of memory and 800 is the speed.