Systems architecture - AQARandom access memory

Random access memory (RAM) is volatile main memory. This means that once the computer is switched off, the data and instructions held in RAM are lost. RAM is given the term “random access” because data can be stored and accessed from any location within the memory.

RAM is used to hold data and programs that are currently in use. In a modern PC, RAM is used to hold the operating system and any open documents and programs that are running.

The contents of RAM can be changed at any time, simply by overwriting them with other data and instructions. For example, a user might close one document and open a second, or run a different program.

The more RAM a computer has, the more data and programs it can hold simultaneously. RAM can also be upgraded fairly easily, unlike other types of main memory.