COMPUTER

6. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRIMARY MEMORY AND SECONDARY MEMORY

S/N. Primary memory Secondary memory

          1.     Primary memory is temporary.            Secondary memory is permanent.

Primary memory is directly accessible by Secondary memory is not directly

2.

                    Processor/CPU.                                  accessible by the CPU.

Nature of Parts of Primary memory

3.        varies, RAM- volatile in nature. ROM-     It‘s always Non-volatile in nature. Non-volatile.

                    Primary memory devices are more          Secondary memory devices are less

4.        expensive than secondary storage expensive when compared to primary devices.        memory devices.

                    The memory devices used for primary           The secondary memory devices are

5.        memory are semiconductor memories. magnetic and optical memories.

Secondary memory is also known as Primary memory is also known as Main

6.        External memory or Auxiliary memory or Internal memory. memory.

Examples: RAM, ROM, Cache memory, Examples: Hard Disk, Floppy Disk,

7.        PROM, EPROM, Registers, etc.    Magnetic Tapes, etc.