13 February 2024

Difference between Memory and Storage

Data that is being actively used by the CPU is kept in memory, whereas long-term data that must be collected often is stored in storage. Let's see the difference between Memory and storage.

What is Memory?

The memory is formed through the use of registers. It represents the most essential part of a computer system. From a technical standpoint, memory is referred to as random access memory, or RAM. It is a part of a computer system that allows for the short-term holding of information. Random Access Memory (RAM) is a form of computer memory utilized for holding data and information temporarily. All the activities currently running on our computer are stored in RAM. Whenever a user opens an application, starts a program, or views a document, the computer system records data in random access memory(RAM).

Memory categorized into 3 types
  • Cache memory
  • Primary memory
  • Secondary memory

What is Storage?

Long-term data storage and access are made possible by storage. Everything is moved into the main memory, but the data stays the same and nothing changes on the hard drive. You may access and maintain your operating system, files, and apps in storage for as long as you like. The term storage which can also refer to a hard drive or mass storage, describes a computer's long-term capacity to store data. It is used to hold programs, files, and other kinds of data that must be often accessed. Because storage is nonvolatile, information is kept on it even after the power is switched off.

Following are the  major types of storage in the computer system

The following are some of the significant differences between memory and storage:

Difference between Memory and Storage

  1. Memory is usually referred to as random access memory(RAM). While the storage is usually referred to as solid-state drive(SSD).
  2. Memory is an electronic component that is capable of storing data and information temporarily, Storage refers to physical storage devices.
  3. Memory is an element that stores data and information on a short-term basis, but Storage is an element that stores data and information on a long-term basis.
  4. Memory is faster than storage (SSD), but the storage is slower than the memory(RAM).
  5. The size of the memory device is not large, in contrast, the size of the storage device is much larger than the memory device and the size goes up terabytes.
  6. Memory is a collection of computer chips installed in memory modules, on the other hand, Storage is a technology consisting of the core components of a computer.
  7. Memory is a volatile memory, on the other hand, storage is a nonvolatile memory.
  8. Memory is a component that accesses the data instantly, but the storage cannot be modify or access the data as fast as memory.
  9. Memory is quite faster than storage. But the storage is slower as compared to memory.
  10. Memory is made up of registers, but the storage is made up of magnetic parts or strips.
  11. The module of memory component is more expensive than the storage, on the other hand, the cost of the storage device is less than the memory modules.
  12. When the system of the device loses power, then the data or information is lost in the memory component, while the data and information will remain even in a storage device.
  13. Types of memory are, cache, primary, and secondary memory, while the types of storage include HDD, SSD, CD, DVD, Disk, Magnetic taps, Blu-ray disc, etc.
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