Memory vs. Storage

There are two types of memory in a computer. Many people I encounter aren't aware of this. There is RAM memory (temporary storage) and there is hard-drive storage (long-term storage).

Let's start with the hard-drive storage. Hard-drives are bulky pieces of hardware that contain information that you and software applications store over time. Hard-drives contain their data even if your computer is turned off. An example would be a résumé. When you save a résumé (or other types of documents) to your computer, you are saving the résumé onto the hard-drive.

RAM memory is another type of storage but only lasts as long as the computer is on. Once the computer is turned off the RAM memory clears itself. RAM memory is used by the system to help with processing information.

Here is an example comparing RAM memory to Hard-drive memory. Consider the human mind. There are the subconscious and conscious parts of the mind. The subconscious has our past memories in it. It keeps track of all our experiences for later recall. Then there is the conscious mind which mainly focuses on what you currently are thinking about. So think of RAM as your conscious memory and the hard-drive as your subconscious memory. The more RAM you have, the more you are able to think about at any given moment. Your computer uses more RAM memory when it needs to run larger programs.

Often times, when a computer does not have enough RAM, it will slow down tremendously for simple tasks. (Slowing down can also be a symptom of viruses and malware.)