Memory is basically any form of electronic storage. For example, a light switch has memory, as it is able to memorize position 0 and 1 in order to turn a light on and off. Practically, memory is most often used to designate fast and temporary forms of storage. This is electronic memory. Other forms of memory are magnetic core memories and optical memories (such as CD-ROM).

There are two main categories of memory, volatile and nonvolatile. Volatile memory loses the data when the system is turned off. Most types of RAM are volatile. In contrast, nonvolatile memory does not lose its data when the system or the device is turned off. ROM is a familiar example of nonvolatile memory.

The electronic memory systems designed for temporary storage of data are vital to a computer's efficient performance. A central processing unit operates much more swiftly by using data kept in memory...