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A computer has two types of memory, RAM or random access memory and ROM or read only memory. With read only memory, the computer can read the memory but can not change it. It tells the computer how to work. Random access memory is memory that can be changed. It tells your computer what to do. Once you are finished with the random access memory, you can use the space it occupied for other tasks.

The two are analogous to the way your body works. You have both kinds. If you tell your hand to pick up a pencil, you are using random access memory. You are telling your hand to do one of many possible different instructions. You do not need to tell your hand which tendons, muscles, veins, arteries, nerves, and bones to use in the process. Those instructions are built in. That is analogous to read only memory.

Soon after you picked up your pencil, you have forgotten you picked it up. You have started to draw a picture or add some numbers. You are using your short term memory for something else. It does not matter what. Soon you will forget that also. You will forget the start of a project. You will remember the finished product. You may save that. You can not save that in random access memory but you can save your drawing or math homework.

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14y ago
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12y ago

RAM or Random Access Memory is a computer term which refers to a segment of your computer which helps with allocation of temporary information. Generally speaking, the more the better. RAM in terms of day to day use of a computer will have little to do with the most used processes such as Microsoft Word, But can have a major impact on programs such as Video Games and Graphics Applications. The first implication of RAM is the loading times for your program, which is also affected by your Processer (Commonly known as a CPU) and your hard drive write/read speed. The second implication is the speed at which your applications will run once started, the more RAM you have, the faster your application will run, up until a peak of the applications maximum allowed speed. I hope this helped :D

RAM is Random Access Memory. It is the working memory of the computer. When you are running any programs they are stored in RAM. When you are finished with them, they are unloaded. RAM is volatile, meaning that when you turn off your computer, it is cleared out. Any work you do must be saved to storage, otherwise you will lose your work. RAM is smaller than storage, as storage needs to store all sorts of things, not just what is been used at present. A simple analogy is what you are thinking about now is in your memory, but although you are not thinking about them, there is a huge amount of other information and memories in your brain. In a few minutes you will not be thinking about what you are thinking now, as new things come into your thoughts. That is a bit like how RAM works.

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15y ago

RAM (random access memory) is the working memory of your computer. It allows you to open programs, add information, copy/paste, save it, etc. Basically, it is allocated space to allow you to use your computer. We used to compare it in class to the portion of a tabletop that is available to have things put on it. These days, most programs will use RAM to launch or operate and then release it once you close the program. In any case, restarting the computer will do the same thing, and may help speed things up if you have been doing a lot of copy/pasting or have had a lot of tabs open.

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7y ago

RAM (Random Access Memory) is used to store files that your CPU needs for running applications and the os, the more ram you have means there's more room for files and means less files have to be accessed from the hdd, which is good as ram can be accessed and read at a much faster rate.
RAM (Random Access Memory): In laymans terms, RAM is what allows your computer to multi task efficiently. It determines how many things your computer can do at one time without you noticing a decrease in system performance. It doesn't store information (for example when you install a program on your computer), that is what your harddrive does.
RAM is short for Random Access Memory. Without enough RAM, your computer will not function properly. Any programs that are open temporarily stores running information in these virtual, quick access memory cards. Every application that you see in the taskbar in Windows (bottom right corner), is currently using RAM, or virtual memory. You can see which programs are using how much memory by pressing Control + Alternate + Delete and opening the Task Manager. Click the Processes tab and you can then see the memory usage of each program.
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is like the conscious brain, it lets you do things at one moment in time but only stores information when the computer is on.
It's a way to speed up processes - if we only used Hard Drives or floppies, the processing would be much slower. By using an electronic device called ram, we get a limited but fast place to do a lot of calculations.

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15y ago

RAM - Random Access Memory It holds memory for short periods of time. Simpler: Holds small amounts of data for short time spans. Simplerer: The more you have, the better.

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11y ago

RAM or random access memory is is used by a computer's central processing unit (CPU) to store data for processing. The data is lost once the computer is turned off.

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Q: What is computer RAM for?
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