ScienceVerseLearning path: Memory
The concepts to learn before Memory, in order. Each step links to its page and, where one exists, its quiz.
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Your path
- ComputersDirect prerequisite
A computer is a device that takes in digital data, processes it by following a program of instructions, stores it and produces results. Inside, everything is represented as bits, each either 0 or 1. Most computers still follow the organisation John von Neumann described in 1945: a processing unit, a control unit, a memory that holds both instructions and data, and input and output.
- MemoryYour goal
Computer memory holds the instructions and data a processor is using, while storage keeps information when the power is off. Working memory (RAM) is usually volatile: DRAM stores each bit as a tiny charge on a capacitor that leaks and must be refreshed. Computers combine small, very fast memories near the processor with larger, slower ones further away, and measure capacity in bytes using decimal (GB) or binary (GiB) prefixes.