In computer terminology, memory and storage are the two most important components involving

computer’s storage system where everything happens. While memory has something to do with the
primary memory of the computer or RAM, storage refers to the physical component which stores digital
information. Memory is basically made of RAM chips, while storage, in general terms, refers to hard
drives or solid-state drives. Both terms are technically the same and it can be confusing at times because
they are measured in same units: bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, etc. However, functionally speaking, both
are quite different in a way they store and retain data.

What is Memory?

In technical terms, the memory refers to the RAM (Random Access Memory) which is sort of the main
workspace where all the work is done. It’s like an internal storage system that identifies storage of data
in the form of chips. Just like a human brain, the computer memory is used to store data and instructions
temporarily or permanently.

In simple terms, memory is referred to as any electronic component that is capable of storing data and
information on a temporary basis. Thus, in a computer, memory goes by RAM, which is kind of a storage
media which stores temporary data. When you click on any application, or access a document, or do
anything, for that matter, the computer stores the data in the RAM (chips actually hold the data).

Every machine is equipped with a certain amount of physical memory which refers to the main memory
or RAM. Everything we do like running a program or accessing a website, it’s stored in RAM. It contains
everything that happens on your machine. The data is lost when the computer reboots or freezes in the
middle of something. That’s why RAM is referred to as a volatile memory.

Primarily, there are three type of memory:

Cache Memory – It refers to the CPU memory which acts as the buffer between the central processing
unit and the main memory. It’s a volatile memory which provides high-speed data access to frequently
used programs and data.
Primary Memory – This refers to RAM and ROM. RAM is the same as the main memory which holds the
data on which the machine is currently working on. ROM, on the other hand, is the read-only memory
which means you can only read but cannot write on it.

Secondary Memory – It refers to the external memory which stores permanent data and information.
The CPU cannot process the contents of the secondary memory directly. Instead, the data must be
copied into the main memory (RAM) so that the CPU can access it further. Hard disk drives, floppy disks,
compact disks (CDs) are a few examples of secondary memory devices.

What is Storage?

Storage mainly refers to physical storage devices that are capable of storing data and information on a
long-term, such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). It’s a medium of storage which holds permanent and high
capacity data that aren’t in the computer main memory. Storage is a core component of any computing
device which stores all the information that the computer knows.

Unlike memory, storage devices can be unplugged at any time and the data will still be intact the next
time the device is plugged in. Data remains the same and nothing changes in the hard disk drive:
everything gets pulled off into the main memory. As long as the data is in the RAM, only you can access
or modify the data, which gets back to the hard drive when you save it.

Technically, more storage means more data can be stored on the machine and it doesn’t affect the
machine’s performance. For example, a machine with 2 GB of RAM will function at the same speed
regardless of whether it has 64 GB of storage or 1000 GB. Hard disk storage capacity has nothing to do
with the speed of the computer.

Memory vs. Storage

1. Definition
In simple terms, memory refers to random access memory (RAM) which is used to store everything that
is happening on your computer at the moment. It stores temporary data for instant storage.