Difference between RAM and ROM

 

There is one major difference between a ROM and a RAM chip. A ROM chip is non volatile storage and does not require a constant source of power to retain information stored on it. When power is lost or turned off, a ROM chip will keep the information stored on it. In contrast, a RAM chip is volatile and requires a constant source of power to retain information. When power is lost or turned off, a RAM chip will lose the information stored on it.

Other differences between a ROM and a RAM chip include:

• A ROM chip is used primarily in the start up process of a computer, whereas a RAM chip is used in the normal operations of a computer after starting up and loading the operating system.
• Writing data to a ROM chip is a slow process, whereas writing data to a RAM chip is a faster process
• A RAM chip can store multiple gigabytes (GB) of data, up to 16 GB or more per chip; A ROM chip typically stores only several megabytes (MB) of data, up to 4 MB or more per chip
• The two main types of RAM are static RAM and dynamic RAM.
• The types of ROM include PROM, EPROM and EEPROM.
• Nowadays, RAM is seen mainly as the primary memory of computers and other gadgets like smartphones and tablets. In portable gadgets, the internal memory reserved for applications is often referred to as ROM
• RAM is analogous to a blackboard on which information can be written with a chalk and erased any number of times, while ROM is permanent and can only be read. One example is BIOS (basic input output system) that runs when computer is switched on and it prepares disk drives and processor to load OS from disk.
  
  
  
  RAM :
  
  
  
  
  ROM