6. Memory
Memory is a crucial component in computer systems that enables data storage and retrieval, influencing overall system performance. The chapter discusses various types of memory, including cache, main memory, and secondary storage, alongside their hierarchies and management techniques. Insights into advanced memory technologies and challenges in memory systems highlight current trends and future developments in the field.
Enroll to start learning
You've not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Sections
Navigate through the learning materials and practice exercises.
What we have learnt
- Memory refers to devices and storage systems for data and instruction storage.
- The memory hierarchy balances cost, capacity, and speed, with multiple levels from registers to secondary storage.
- Effective memory management and optimization are critical for system performance.
Key Concepts
- -- Memory Hierarchy
- The organization of memory into levels that balance cost, capacity, and access speed, including registers, cache, RAM, and secondary storage.
- -- Cache Memory
- A small, high-speed storage area that reduces access time to frequently used data by sitting between the CPU and main memory.
- -- Virtual Memory
- A memory management technique that allows the execution of processes that may not be entirely in physical memory, by swapping data between RAM and disk storage.
- -- Memory Management Techniques
- Strategies such as allocation methods and garbage collection, aimed at optimizing memory usage and performance.
- -- NonVolatile Memory (NVM)
- Memory that retains data even when not powered, such as Flash and Phase-Change Memory, significant for performance improvements in modern computing.
Additional Learning Materials
Supplementary resources to enhance your learning experience.