Also known as: RAM, random-access memory, memory
Random-access memory (RAM) is a computer’s fast, temporary working storage — it holds the data and programs in active use so the CPU can reach them quickly.1
Overview
RAM is volatile: its contents are lost the moment power is removed. That is the key contrast with storage, which is permanent. When you open a program, the device copies what it needs from storage into RAM, works there at high speed, then saves anything worth keeping back to storage before shutting down.
More RAM lets a device hold more programs and larger data sets in active use at once. Run out, and the system slows to a crawl as it shuffles data back and forth with slower storage.
Where it fits
RAM is one of the four building blocks of computer hardware, and its size tracks the hardware spectrum: a microcontroller may have only a few kilobytes, a phone several gigabytes, and a large server terabytes.
Sources
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Random-access memory — Wikipedia, on RAM as fast volatile working memory. ↩