RAM, HDD, CPU? They all contain a different form of memory and making sure you have the correct balance of each device in your computer can help optimise your devices speeds.
The Kitchen Analogy
I have to say the best way that I have ever had this explained to me is using a kitchen analogy, and now I will share this analogy with you.
Your computer is broken down into 3 main components:
The CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The CPU has a small amount of memory called the cache. Let's pretend this is your bench top in your kitchen. It is fast to get access to but it is limited by the amount of items it can hold. You will need to make regular trips to the pantry when you require something.
The RAM (Random Access Memory)
The RAM is like your pantry, it is close to your bench top and has more room to store items than your bench top but it can take some time to go and get an item out when you need it. Your Pantry is a practical place to store items temporarily before you use them but it is impractical to always have everything in it. So occasionally you might need to visit the grocery store to get something you need.
The HDD/SSD (Hard Disk Drive/Solid State Drive):
The HDD/SSD is like the grocery store. It has a lot more storage and you can always go back to get something you need (well that was true outside of these COVID times). The problem with having to get items from the grocery store is that it can take a lot more time than getting an item from the pantry so it important to stock the pantry with items before they are needed.
So now that we have that out of the way we can now look at some of the issues that can happen.
Sometimes your pantry is not big enough. You are limited on how much you can store here. But good news with a computer is that most of the time you can increase the amount of RAM your computer has. This will allow your computer to make less visits to the HDD/SSD when it needs to get information.
The counter top is small, like in real life it will take a kitchen renovation to get a bigger counter top, however it is possible. Newer CPUs will have larger and faster cache that will allow your computer to run faster and not have to reach back to the RAM as often to get information.
When it comes to the Grocery store, you also have options, you can get fast or slow service. A HDD uses physical spinning disks that spin around while a read-and-write head looks up the information. An SSD uses Solid State technology to store your information, this is much faster than a HDD and will greatly improve the speeds that files can be read.
Credits:
I cant take credit for this analogy, but it became the best way for me to explain it. I learnt it from the video below. Thanks to Crucial
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