PREPARE FOR AN EPIC. CACHE AND FLASH AND VIRTUAL.
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Transcript of PREPARE FOR AN EPIC. CACHE AND FLASH AND VIRTUAL.
WHAT ACTUALLY IS “ CACHE AND FLASH MEMORY “Cash
cache memory
Cache memory is random access memory (RAM) that a computer microprocessor can access more quickly than it can access regular RAM. As the microprocessor processes data, it looks first in the cache memory and if it finds the data there (from a previous reading of data), it does not have to do the more time-consuming reading of data from larger memory.
Cache
memory is sometimes described in levels of closeness and accessibility to the microprocessor. An L1 cache is on the same chip as the microprocessor. (For example, the PowerPC 601 processor has a 32 kilobyte level-1 cache built into its chip.)L2 is usually a separate static RAM (SRAM) chip. The main RAM is usually a dynamic RAM (DRAM) chip.
In addition to cache memory, one can think of RAM itself as a cache of memory for hard disk storage since all of RAM's contents come from the hard disk initially when you turn your computer on and load the operating system (you are loading it into RAM) and later as you start new applications and access new data. RAM can also contain a special area called a disk cache that contains the data most recently read in from the hard disk.
Contributor(s): Abdo Sharif
This was last updated in June 1997
• Flash
• flash memory (flash RAM)
• Flash memory (sometimes called "flash RAM") is a type of constantly-powered nonvolatile memory that can be erased and reprogrammed in units of memory called blocks. It is a variation of electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) which, unlike flash memory, is erased and rewritten at the byte level, which is slower than flash memory updating.
• Flash memory is often used to hold control code such as the basic input/output system ( BIOS) in a personal computer. When BIOS needs to be changed (rewritten), the flash memory can be written to in block (rather than byte) sizes, making it easy to update. On the other hand, flash memory is not useful as random access memory ( RAM) because RAM needs to be addressable at the byte (not the block) level.
• Flash memory gets its name because the microchip is organized so that a section of memory cells are erased in a single action or "flash." The erasure is caused by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling in which electrons pierce through a thin dielectric material to remove an electronic charge from a floating gate associated with each memory cell. Intel offers a form of flash memory that holds two bits (rather than one) in each memory cell, thus doubling the capacity of memory without a corresponding increase in price.
• Flash memory is used in digital cellular phones, digital cameras, LAN switches, PC Cards for notebook computers, digital set-up boxes, embedded controllers, and other devices.
• Contributor(s): Steve Collins and Julian de Silva
• This was last updated in August 1998
CASH
Cache memory is basically RAM, but instead of being between the hard drive and the CPU, it is next to the
CPU.
IT IS SOLID STATE AND THEREFORE INSTANTLY ACCESSIBLE AS IT IS CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO
THE CPU IT AVOIDS THE MOTHER BOARD THEREFORE BYPASSING THE BOTTLENECK
SYSTEM MAKING IT MUCH FASTER TO READ.
IT IS USED WHEN THE COMPUTER DECIDES TO RUN A PROGRAM. IT FIRST MOVES THE PROGRAM FROM HARD DRIVE TO STANDARD RAM WHICH IS
CONNECTED TO THE CPU VIA THE MOTHER BOARD.
BUT A COMPUTER WITH CACHE WOULD TRANSFER THE PROGRAM TO CACHE MEMORY
THEREFORE MAKING IT QUICKER TO RUN.
ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT IMPROVE THE SPEED OF OPENING A PROGRAM (IF ANYTHING IT WOULD
SLOW THAT DOWN AS IT HAS TO TRANSFER THE DATA FROM RAM TO CACHE), ONCE IT IS OPEN IT
IS QUICKER.
CRITICS USED TO THINK THAT IT ACTUALLY DID NOTHING TO THE USER EXPERIENCE AS IT ONLY
SPEEDS UP A PROGRAM ONCE IT IS RUNNING AND MOST PEOPLE DON’T USE BIG ENOUGH
PROGRAMS FOR THE RUNNING OF THE PROGRAM TO BE A PROBLEM
ALTHOUGH WITH MODERN GAMES, COMPUTERS ARE HAVING TO RUN INCREASINGLY BIGGER
PROGRAMS SO THESE DAYS IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL. THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF CACHE
MEMORY:
VIRTUAL MEMORY
Virtual memory is a way of managing RAM space.
RAM on most computers does not have enough space to run several programs at once, even programs as small as
a word processor, and a web browser.
THE COMPUTER LOOKS FOR SOME STUFF ON RAM THAT HASN’T BEEN USED FOR A WHILE, AND SAVES IT ONTO THE HARD DISC AND REPLACING
IT WITH JUST AN ADDRESS.
WHEN THE CPU LOOKS FOR THAT BIT OF INFORMATION, RAM IS ABLE TO RECOVER IT QUICKLY AS IT HAS THE DIRECT ADDRESS.