COMP-1200: Memory and Storage Review

These flashcards cover key concepts related to memory and storage, including definitions and characteristics of various types of memory and storage devices, as well as caching mechanisms and locality.

Memory

Stores program variables and instructions; loses data after power off.

Storage Devices

Devices that store data permanently, retaining it even after power is turned off.

Registers

Small, fast storage locations included within the processor; used for computation.

Cache

A smaller, faster memory that stores copies of frequently accessed data for quick access.

Locality

The principle that programs access memory in predictable patterns, including temporal and spatial locality.

Hard Disk Drives (HDD)

Storage devices that use spinning disks to read and write data; relatively slow compared to SSDs.

Solid State Drives (SSD)

Storage devices that use silicon chips to store data; much faster than HDDs but more expensive.

Average Memory Access Time (AMAT)

A metric used to evaluate the average time it takes to access memory, factoring in cache hits and misses.

Cache Hit

Occurs when the data requested by the CPU is found in the cache.

Cache Miss

Occurs when the data requested by the CPU is not found in the cache, requiring a lookup in main memory.