Difference between Primary and Secondary Memory

Memory is the main component of every system that stores data and instructions. A computer's memory is mainly categorized into two types: primary and secondary memory. Primary memory is the main memory of the system, and it is often random access memory (RAM) and is used to store data that the CPU requires quick access to. Secondary memory is the additional memory of the system. It is used to store the data that the CPU does not require immediate access to, which is typically in the form of hard drives, solid-state drives, or detachable storage devices (such as USB drives).

In this article, you will learn the difference between Primary and Secondary Memory. But before discussing the differences, you must know about Primary and Secondary Memory with their features and types.

What is Primary memory?

The primary memory of a PC system is its primary memory. The instructions that must be performed at the time are copied to primary memory because the CPU may directly access data from the primary memory. Accessing data from this memory is faster because it is the internal memory, and the CPU accesses data from primary memory via the data bus.

Primary memory is typically volatile in nature, which implies that information in primary memory doesn't exist if the information is not stored in the event of a power loss. It is more costly than secondary memory because it is made of semiconductors, and primary memory capacity in a computer is restricted and is always less than secondary memory.

Types of Primary Memory

RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) are the two types of primary memory.

1. RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM is both a read and writes type of memory. The information that has to be currently processed is stored in RAM, which the CPU may immediately access. It is a volatile memory that loses data when the electricity is turned off. RAM may be static or dynamic in nature.

2. ROM (Read Only Memory)

ROM is a read-only memory, which implies that its contents may not be altered. It contains the instructions that are executed when the system boots up. It is a non-volatile memory, which implies that it preserves its contents even after the power is turned off. It has three types of ROM, such as PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM.

Features of Primary Memory

There are various features of Primary Memory. Some important features of Primary Memory are as follows:

1. It is faster to access when compared to secondary memory.
2. If the power is turned off, you may lose data.
3. It is the computer's working memory.
4. It is known as primary memory.
5. Without primary memory, the system cannot function.
6. It is also known to as volatile memory.

What is Secondary Memory?

Secondary memory is additional computer memory. Secondary memory stores data that must be preserved permanently. The CPU cannot directly access secondary memory data, and the data must first be copied to primary memory before the CPU can process it. As a result, accessing data from secondary memory takes longer. The secondary memory may be accessed via the input-output channel.

It is non-volatile memory, which implies that its content remains even after the power is turned off. It is optical or magnetic memory, which is less expensive than primary memory.

Secondary memory is always more plentiful than primary memory. As an external memory, a computer may even function without secondary memory. Secondary memory includes hard disks, CDs, DVDs, floppy disks, etc.

Types of Secondary Memory

There are various types of secondary memory. Some of them are as follows:

1. Floppy Disk

It is a magnetic disk that is enclosed in a square plastic box. Its main goal is to store information and then move it from one system to another. Floppy disks come in two sizes (1) Size: 3.5 inches, storage capacity: 1.44 MB (2) 5.25-inch display and 1.2-MB storage capacity. A system contains a floppy disk drive to use a floppy disk. DVDs, CDs, and flash drives have mostly replaced this type of storage media.

2. Hard Disk

Hard disks are storage devices that may hold a large amount of data. Hard disks are often known as hard disk drives. It comes in a range of storage capacities (For instance, 256 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB). It is constructed of platters, which are collections of disks. The plates are piled on top of one another and covered in a magnetic coating. Each plate is composed of a series of invisible circles, each with an identical core track. Hard disks are classified into two types: internal and external.

3. Blu-ray Disk

It looks like a CD/DVD; however, it may carry up to 25 GigaBytes of data. You'll require a Blu-ray reader if you want to utilize a Blu-ray disk. The name Blu-ray is derived from the technology that is utilized to read the disk: 'Blu' stands for a blue-violet laser, and 'ray' stands for an optical ray.

4. SD Card

It is a type of memory card that is often utilized to store data in portable devices like cameras and cell phones. It is available in several capacities, such as 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 GB. The data on the SD card can be accessed by removing it from the system and placing it into a system through a card reader. The SD card data is stored in memory chips, and there are no moving parts, as there are on a hard disk.

Features of Secondary Memory

There are various features of Secondary Memory. Some important features of Secondary Memory are as follows:

1. These are optical and magnetic memories.
2. It is a sort of non-volatile memory.
3. It aids in the storage of data in a PC.
4. The data is stored permanently, even when the system is turned off.
5. The system can function without secondary memory.
6. It is slower than the primary memory.

Key differences between Primary and Secondary Memory

There are various key differences between Primary and Secondary Memory. Some of the key differences between Primary and Secondary Memory are as follows:

1. The primary memory of a computer system is also known as the PC's main memory. In contrast, secondary memory is known as auxiliary memory.
2. The CPU has immediate access to primary memory. On the other hand, the CPU cannot directly access secondary memory.
3. Primary memory is a semiconductor memory. In contrast, secondary memories are magnetic and optical memories.
4. When the pricing of primary and secondary storage alternatives are compared, primary storage costs more than secondary storage, while secondary storage costs less than primary storage.
5. The speed of data accessing in the primary memory is faster. In contrast, the data accessing speed of the secondary memory is slower.
6. The data to be processed currently is in primary memory. In contrast, the data that has to be maintained permanently is stored in secondary memory.
7. The primary memory is accessed via the data bus. In contrast, secondary memory is accessed through input-output channels.
8. Primary memory is a volatile storage medium. In contrast, secondary memory is non-volatile memory.
9. The storage capacity of primary memory is quite less than that of secondary memory.
10. Primary memory is more expansive than secondary memory. In contrast, secondary memory is cheaper than primary memory.

Head-to-head comparison between Primary and Secondary Memory

Here, you will learn the head-to-head comparisons between Primary and Secondary Memory. The main differences between Primary and Secondary Memory are as follows:

Conclusion

Computer memory is divided into two types: primary and secondary memory. Primary memory is the computer's main memory or internal memory, which is utilized to store frequently needed data and instructions. It allows fast memory access due to its volatile nature, making it simple for the processor unit to get information directly from the main memory. In contrast, secondary memory refers to external storage devices that are utilized to store large amounts of data in hard drives, flash drives, magnetic tapes, CDs, floppy disks, DVDs, etc. The processor does not immediately access secondary memory.