RAM and ROM are the 2 frequently used memory in our life. They often confuse users due to their name. Hence, they are compared by lots of users. RAM vs ROM: which one to pick? You can read this post of MiniTool and then make your own decision.
One of the most frequently asked questions about memory is what’s the difference between RAM and ROM. To figure out the question RAM vs ROM, you should have a basic understanding of them firstly. What is RAM and ROM definition? Please keep reading the post.
What Is RAM
RAM (Random Access Memory) stores the data needed by CPU when running for the operating system, software programs, as well as processes. The speed of RAM is measurable in nanoseconds. Due to the high speed, RAM can switch quickly between multiple tasks.
Generally speaking, the RAM capacity ranges from 64MB to 4GB on a computer, which is provided by RAM chips. If you want to add more RAM, you can consider upgrading RAM chips.
What Is ROM
ROM (Read Only Memory) offers permanent storage for instructions required during the process of bootstrapping or computer startup. It works by storing the BIOS and other firmware for the computer hardware. It is rather hardware-specific and seldomly needs updating.
Data stored in ROM is kept even after the PC is turned off. So, you will not lose your data because of this feature.
RAM vs ROM
After having an overall understanding of 2 memory, you should focus on ROM vs RAM now. The differences on ROM vs RAM memory will mainly be talked about on the 4 aspects (physical appearance, storage capacity, data retention and speed).
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Physical Appearance
The RAM, a thin rectangular chip, can be found in a slot on the motherboard, while ROM is an optical drive that is made of magnetic tapes. In addition, RAM typically is bigger than ROM.
Storage Capacity
On computers, a ROM chip usually stores fewer megabytes of data (typically 4MB) than a RAM does. A RAM chip can store gigabytes of data. How many megabytes in a gigabyte? After reading the post, you will know the storage capacity difference between RAM and ROM memory.
Data Retention
The data retention is an obvious difference between the 2 memory. ROM is a kind of non-volatile memory that indicates that the data will be stored even when the computer is shut down. Differently, the RAM is viewed as a volatile memory, which only holds the data when the device is running. So, you will lose your data when the PC is turned off or crashes.
Speed
The speed here is divided into data accessing speed and writing data speed. Both of the 2 speeds are important. RAM has a faster data accessing speed than ROM. It means that RAM can access the data on the computer in a shorter time than ROM.
Besides, it can improve the processing speed of your PC. On storage read, the speed of ROM is a few GBs/second, while RAM is a few MBs/second.
On the aspect of data writing, it is easier to write on RAM than on ROM. It is because that the ROM can store the very limited, albeit immensely important and long-lasting information. For most types of ROM memory (except EEPROM), it is hard to alter data.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Having writing articles about computer tech for a long time, I am rather experienced especially on the aspect of computer optimization, PC enhancement, as well as tech terms explanation. The habit of looking through tech forums makes me a great computer issues collector. And then, many articles related to these issues are released, which benefit plenty of users. Professional, effective, and innovative are always the pursuit of an editing worker.