What do you mean by memory devices? Explain RAM and ROM.

Memory devices are hardware components that store data or program instructions for a computer.

1. RAM (Random Access Memory) — It is a read/write memory as it is possible to both read from and write to a location within RAM. It is used for primary storage in computers to hold active information of data and instructions. The RAM is a volatile memory as it does not store data and instructions permanently and loses its contents when the power is switched off or interrupted. RAM provides faster access than secondary memory with less memory access time. The RAM chip in a computer can be categorized into two types:

   1. Static RAM (SRAM)
   2. Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

2. ROM (Read-Only Memory) — It is a read-only memory, i.e., the data and instructions are placed in the ROM at the time of its manufacturing and cant be changed thereafter. It is a permanent and non-volatile memory as it does not lose its contents when the power is switched off or interrupted. It is slower than RAM and is used to hold certain essential instructions to check basic hardware components such as booting, procedures to load operating system and frequently needed functions. The different types of ROM available are:

   1. PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory)
   2. EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)
   3. EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)