Essential Guide to Computer Data Storage: From Floppy to DVD, The

Computer Random Access Memory (RAM)

Let's first look at the part of a computer where the real action takes place: the cache and the Main memory.

In order for the central processing unit (CPU) to run an application, this application must reside in the memory, which is called the Main memory or System memory. When a specific application is needed for an operating system, the system will find it on the storage device (i.e., hard disk drive) and then transfer it to Main memory. Figure 6-7 shows the memory structure in a computer system with high-speed cache memory (L1) integrated into the processor, high-speed secondary cache (L2) included in the system to boost performance, and a relatively large Main memory, which is significantly slower and has ...