How RAM affects performance

1 (a) ‘RAM’ and ‘ROM’ are acronyms. State what the letters RAM and ROM stand for.

• RAM - Random Access Memory
• ROM - Read Only Memory

(b) State the differences between RAM and ROM.

• RAM a form of volatile memory, it loses all data when power is turned off, ROM is not volatile.
• ROM is read only, it cannot be changed, data can be written to the RAM by the computer.

(c) Explain why ROM is required by the computer.

• ROM is needed by the computer so instructions can be remembered by the computer (e.g. configuration settings). BIOS - basic input output system - is stored on ROM so the computer has boot up instructions.  

2. Explain the function of RAM in a computer system.

• RAM is a physical type of volatile memory. It sends instructions to and from the CPU inorder to load documents and programs. when programes are open they are, loaded onto the RAM. RAM allows you to open a number of documents at any one time - however this does slow down your system. To over come this, a bigger RAM should be installed, most computers come with 1-4GB of RAM installed.

3. Explain what happens when there is not enough RAM to store all of the required data

• When the RAM is full data is swapped out from the CPU on to a hard disk, this is known as Virtual memory. The least used page is most likley to be swapped out, but if it is referenced it will be swapped back for another file/page.

4. Explain how inserting more RAM in a computer affects its performance.

• With more RAM in a computer more instructions can be prosessed on the RAM meaning that less swapping, in and out, of data to the hard drive is needed.  Constant swapping in and out of data slows down the speed at which programs run. so, increaseing RAM increases the speed of the operating system aswell as increaseing the amount of programs that can be ran at once.