If you go through a computer's technical specifications or components, you will go through things like memory and solid-state drives. These are usually denoted by RAM and ROM, the two most confusing things about any computer. Understanding the difference between these is essential to know how the computer works with these two. So, here you will get an overview of all the details you need to know about these two.

What is computer memory?

Memory is usually considered for storage, but in computer technical terms, the memory stands for RAM, and it is temporary memory and not a permanent one. It is much faster than the storage and is used as an intermediate device between the faster processor and the slower storage device.

The ram job in a PC is to load files from the solid-state drives and keep them ready for usage by the processor. Thus, it helps in improving the performance of a PC.

What is computer storage?

Computer storage, as the name says, is the storage of a PC. It traditionally has Hard Disk Drives which use magnetic disk technology to store data. However, the storage drives we use today are solid-state, and they use semiconductor transistors to store data and files.

What’s the difference between these two?

There are several differences between these two. Below are the details of the differences you need to know between storage and memory.

1. Processing capabilities

The first is the processing capability; you can also consider the data transfer speed. The memory is designed to provide higher transfer speeds. On the other hand, storage is not designed to provide such high-speed data transfers. Even the latest SSD drives are not as fast as the ram according to their usage with the CPU.

2. File storage capabilities

Storage size is another huge difference among these. Most computers today come with a memory of up to 64GB which is considered overkill for many users. On the other hand, storage of at least 512GB is necessary to support OS, tools, and files.

3. External usage capabilities

Storage devices can be used externally. It means that you can externally add a drive to increase the storage of your PC. On the other hand, memory can only be used internally.

4. Physical differences

Today NVMe storage drives have a similar size as memory sticks. However, in older times, the SATA drives were much bulkier than the ram sticks.

Are both memory and storage essential for every computer?

Yes, memory and storage, along with the processor, are essential components for a computer to perform. Skipping either of these is not an option. However, you still have the option to go for low-spec options like a smaller size ram and storage with less space. The best part is that you can scale these as per your requirements.

Your best choice to get the SSD drives and high-speed RAM for your PC

Installing top-spec solid-state drives and high-speed RAM in your build can significantly increase its performance. However, you must also consider the motherboard and processor capabilities to ensure you get the best performance from your configuration.