diff between primary memory and secondary memory
Answers
Answer:
Difference between Primary storage and secondary storage
Primary memory is the main memory (Hard disk, RAM) where the operating system resides.
Secondary memory can be external devices like CD, floppy magnetic discs etc. secondary storage cannot be directly accessed by the CPU and is also external memory storage.
Answer:
Differences Between Primary Memory and Secondary Memory
Explanation:
Basics of Primary and Secondary Memory
Memory plays a critical part in computers to store and retrieve data. Computer memory is categorized into primary and secondary memory. While primary memory is the main memory of the computer which is used to store data or information temporarily, whereas secondary memory refers to external storage devices that are used to store data or information permanently.
Access of Primary and Secondary Memory
Primary memory holds only those data or instructions which the computer is currently processing allowing the processor to access running applications and services that are stored temporarily in a specific memory address. Secondary memory, on the other hand, is persistent in nature which means instructions are transferred to the main memory first and then re-routed to the central processing unit.
Data in Primary and Secondary Memory
In primary memory, data is directly accessed by the processing unit and it resides in the main memory until processing. Information and data are stored in semiconductor chips so they have a limited storage capacity. In secondary memory, information is stored in external storage devices and they cannot be directly accessed by the processing unit.
Nature of Primary and Secondary Memory
Primary memory is volatile in nature which means data or information stored in the main memory is temporarily which may lead to loss of data in case of power failure and it cannot be retained. On the contrary, secondary memory is non-volatile in nature which means information is stored permanently with no data loss in case of power failure. Data is intact unless the user erases it intentionally.
Devices for of Primary and Secondary Memory
Primary memory can also be referred to as RAM, short for Random Access Memory, because of the random selection of memory addresses. RAM holds data in a uniform manner and it can be lost when power fails. Secondary memory refers to external storage devices such as hard disk, optical disk, compact disk, flash drives, magnetic tapes, etc. They are high-storage devices with substantial storage capacities, in the range of gigabytes to terabytes.
Speed of Primary and Secondary Memory
In primary memory, applications and instructions are stored in the main memory which makes them relatively faster to access via data bus. Processor is able to retrieve data faster than it does with secondary memory, which acts more like a backup memory to store data in external storage devices.