Computer Unit 5 –

PracticalActivity
by Ishan Garg
 Computer Memory

Definition:
It refers to the storage area of the computer where all the
data and instructions are stored.
Computer memory is divided into two types:
 Primary memory
 Secondary memory
 STORAGE CAPACITY

Definition :
It refers to the amount of data that can be stored in a
storage device.
 The basic units to measure storage capacity of
computer memory are bit and bytes.
 Bit – The data entered into a computer is first
converted into 0’s and 1’s for computer to
understand.
 This 0’s and 1’s are called Binary Digits-
abbreviated as bit.
 Nibble – It is a collection of 4 bits.
 Byte – It is made up of 8 bits of information. The byte is the
amount of memory required to store a single character.
 Other units of memory are KB,MB,GB and TB.
 To convert MB to GB, simply divide the MB by 1024. To go back
from GB to MB, multiply the GB by 1024. The process
of converting from megabytes to gigabytes is the same for
all units of memory.

SYMBOL TERM VALUE

b Bit 0 or 1
- Nibble 4 bits
B Byte 8 bits
KB Kilobyte 1024 bytes
MB Megabyte 1024 KB
GB Gigabyte 1024 MB
TB Terabyte 1024 GB
 Primary Memory

Primary memory is computer memory that is

accessed directly by the CPU. This includes
several types of memory, such as the processor
cache and system ROM. However, in most
cases, primary memory refers to system RAM.
There are two types of it:
1. RAM
2. ROM
Types of Primary memory
 RAM
RAM is an acronym for Random Access Memory, a type of computer memory
that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed
without touching the preceding bytes.
 RAM is found in servers, PCs, tablets, smart phones and other devices, such
as printers.
 Types of RAM

There are two main types of RAM:

 DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory):-
 The term dynamic indicates that the memory must be constantly
refreshed or it will lose its contents.  
 DRAM is typically used for the main memory in computing devices.
 SRAM (Static Random Access Memory):-
 It is more often used for system cache.
 SRAM is said to be static because it doesn't need to be refreshed,
unlike dynamic RAM, which needs to be refreshed thousands of
times per second.
 As a result, SRAM is faster than DRAM.
 However, both types of RAM are volatile, meaning that they lose
their contents when the power is turned off.
 ROM
 ROM is an acronym for Read-Only Memory.
 It refers to computer memory chips containing permanent or
semi-permanent data.
 Unlike RAM, ROM is non-volatile; even after you turn off your
computer, the contents of ROM will remain.
 For example:- ROM stores the instructions for the computer to
start up when it is turned on again. So as to store data forever. 
 Types of ROM

 PROMs (Programmable Read-Only Memory)

Provides facility to change the contents of ROM once.
When something written onto PROM, it becomes ROM.
 EPROMs (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)
Contents can be written, save and change two times.
 EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-
Only Memory)
Contents can be written, save and change many times
as programmer wish for that.
 Secondary Memory

 Secondary memory refers to the external storage

device which can be used to store data or information
permanently. It is also known as auxiliary memory.

 There are two types of secondary memory

 Fixed
 Removable.
 Types of Secondary Memory

Secondary
Memory

Fixed Removable
Devices Devices

Optical External
Hard disc Floppy Pen Drives disc Hard disc
Drive disc Drive Drives
 Floppy disc Drive

 A Floppy Disc Drive (FDD), or floppy drive, is a

hardware device that reads data storage
information.
 Floppy disc is a removable storage device that was
used earlier but now has become obsolete.
 It was used to transform small files from one
computer to another.
There are two types of floppy discs :-
 3.5 inches could store 1.44MB data.
 5.25 inches could store up to 1.2MB data.
 Hard Disc Drive

 Hard disc is a very important part of the

computer.
 It can store thousand times more data than that of
any secondary storage devices.
 It is sealed in a metallic box called the Hard Disc
Drive, which is fixed in the system unit.
 It stores data in rotating discs known as platters
coated with a magnetic material.
 Hard disc holds the operating system (like
Windows, Linux, etc), application programs (like
MS-office) and your data files.
 Optical Drives

 An optical disc is the flat, circular plastic disc.

 It is capable of storing large amount of data.
 It can be easily carried from one place to another.
 CD,DVD and Blu-ray disc are examples of optical
discs.
 CD, DVD AND Blu-ray Disc

 A CD is a removable storage device that can store

700 MB of data.
 CDs are small plastic discs on which sound,
especially music, can be recorded. CDs can also be
used to store information which can be read by a
computer. CD is an abbreviation for ‘Compact Disc'.
 There are two types of CDs:-
 CD-R recordable – data can be written on them
only once and cannot be erased.
 CD-RW rewriteable – data can be written,
erased and rewritten on to many times. 
 DVD discs are similar to compact discs but hold a lot more
information. 
 DVD is an abbreviation for ‘Digital Video Disc' or ‘Digital
Versatile Disc'.
 It can store around 3 to 4 GB of data.
 It is of two types
 DVD-R: data can be written on them only once.
 DVD-RAM: data can be written, erased and
rewritten on to many times.
DVD ROM drive is required to read the contents
from a DVD and DVD writer allows to read as well as
write on to DVD.
 A Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the new generation optical storage
device that looks similar to CD or DVD but its storage
capacity is much higher.
 The word Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue-violet laser
which is used to read from and write to this kind of disc.
 A single Blu-ray Disc stores about 25 GB of data.
 A Blu-ray reader is required to read from and write to
these discs.
 Blue ray is available in different formats:- BD-ROM, BD-R,
BD-RW AND BD-RE.
 External Hard Disc

 An external hard is a small, reliable and very

useful storage device.
 It is similar to hard disc in terms of internal
structure and function.
 It is connected to the computer system through a
USB cable.
 It is available in two different sizes – 2.5 inches
and 3.5 inches.
 Pen / Flash Drive

 It is also known as thumb drive.

 It is used to transfer large volumes of data from one
computer to another.
 It is small enough to fit into a pocket.
 Its storage capacity is much higher than CD, DVD, etc
 It is connected to the computer system through the USB
port.
Thank you