RAM stands for Random Access Memory, and refers to the components that your computer uses to store data and instructions for programs that are running.
Without RAM, your computer would be an expensive paperweight. RAM allows your computer to keep track of what it is doing and what it is supposed to do next. The data stored in RAM is intended for short term use only - anything that needs to be kept for longer will be saved to a disk. Everything that is stored in RAM will be lost when the computer is switched off or reset
In addition to RAM, most computers also have a hard disk. The hard disk is a more permanent data storage device, which retains all the data stored in it when the computer is switched off.
The best way to understand the relationship between the hard disk and the RAM in terms of system performance is to compare them to a desk and a filing cabinet in an office.
Hard disks generally have more storage capacity than RAM, in the same way that a filing cabinet can hold more files than a desk. The filing cabinet is intended to store information for a long time, whereas the desk is only meant to accommodate information that you are working on right now.
Continuing with this analogy, some tasks may require more desk space than others. For this reason, it's a good idea to have a bigger desk.
If you ran out of desk space while working on a project, you would have to clear some space by putting some of the files back in the filing cabinet. When you needed them again, you would have to go back and dig them out again. As you can see, this would slow you down.
Computers work in a similar way. When there is not enough memory (desk space), computers will shift some of the data onto the hard disk (filing cabinet). This is called "virtual memory".
No matter how fast the hard drive is on your computer, the RAM is MUCH faster, by a factor of thousands. Adding more RAM will speed up your computer, as it will spend less time fetching data from the hard drive and more time running from RAM.
You can also speed up your computer by upgrading to a faster hard disk, and of course a faster processor would help, too. But often the fastest improvement will occur as a result of upgrading the RAM.
Find out more :
More about RAM.
More about hard disks.