Memory+Hierarchy



media type="file" key="Memory Heirarchy.mp3" [|Memory Heirarchy.mp3]

Description  This pyramid describes how memory is stored. The top starts with the most immediate use of memory that is most central to your computer. The top would be the CPU Register. The next places that the CPU look for information is the internal cache and then the external cache, known as Level 1 and Level 2, respectively. Next comes your RAM, divided into physical RAM and virtual memory. After that we have storage devices like your ROM/BIOS, removable drives, hard drive and network or internet storage. The bottom of the pyramid contains Input sources like the keyboard, mouse, removable media, scanners, cameras, mics etc. The top of the pyramid is the the smallest of course, and this shows how the smallest amount of information is stored in the CPU register. As we go down the pyramid it gets larger, and that reflects the larger and larger amounts of information you can find in the different storage areas found nearer the bottom. The input sources at the bottom show that there is much more information "out there" than can be stored in your computer.

Questions
1. Give 2 examples of a removable drive. 2. Give 2 examples of internet or network storage. 3. Why do you think the pyramid has input sources at the bottom, when they aren't actually memory in your computer? 4. On your student computer, or your own computer, describe the ranking of storage like the pyramid. The differences will be found in the bottom two tiers.