What Is a Gig of RAM?

RAM is where a computer stores data for quick access.

Random Access Memory is a type of data storage computers use to hold data that is currently in use. A "gig" of RAM is 1 billion bytes of data storage space.

Benefits

RAM is one of the fastest forms of data storage to read or write to. When data is in use, the computer stores it in RAM. If the computer had to use its hard drive to store this temporary data, it would be slowed down to a crawl.

RAM vs Hard Drives

While RAM is much faster than a hard drive, it has one fatal flaw. When power is disconnected from a RAM chip, all data contained within it is lost. This is why RAM is used only for fast temporary storage, and hard drives are used for long-term storage.

Measuring RAM

RAM chips are measured in the number of bytes of data that they can hold at one time. Common units of measurement are: kilobytes (1,000 bytes) or "kilos," megabytes (1 million bytes) or "megs" and gigabytes (1 billion bytes) or "gigs."

References

• Random Access Memory (RAM)