Suitable device and storage media for applications - Memory and storage - OCR - GCSE Computer Science Revision - OCR - BBC Bitesize (2024)

Suitable devices and storage media for a given application

The choice of secondary storage medium depends on the use it is required for. When deciding on the type of device needed, a user should consider:

  • Cost - what is the cost per gigabyte (GB)?
  • Capacity - how much data can the medium hold?
  • Speed of access - how quickly can data be transferred to and from the medium?
  • Portability - how portable is the medium? Does it need to be portable?
  • Durability - how robust is the medium, and how robust will it need to be?
  • Reliability - how resilient and long-lasting is the medium?

Storage media comparison table

MediumTypeCapacitySpeed of accessPortabilityDurabilityReliabilityTypical use
Hard diskMagnetic500 GB-12 TBSlowInternal devices are fixed. External hard disks are portableReasonable, but prone to damage if dropped or knocked Generally very reliable if looked afterLong-term storage of programs and data
CD-ROM/ROptical640 MBVery slowVery portableEasily scratched, damaged or brokenGenerally very reliable if looked afterBackups, archives, copies of data, distribution of programs and music
CD-RWOptical640 MBVery slowVery portableEasily scratched, damaged or brokenGenerally very reliable if looked afterCopies of data, transferring files between computers
DVD-ROM/ROptical4.7 GBSlowVery portableEasily scratched, damaged or brokenGenerally very reliable if looked afterBackups, copies of data, distribution of games, TV programmes and movies
DVD-RWOptical4.7 GBSlowVery portableEasily scratched, damaged or brokenGenerally very reliable if looked afterBackups, archives, copies of data
Blu-ray-ROM/ROptical50 GBSlowVery portableEasily scratched, damaged or brokenGenerally very reliable if looked afterDistribution of TV shows and movies
Blu-ray-RWOptical50 GBSlowVery portableEasily scratched, damaged or brokenGenerally very reliable if looked afterBackups, archives
Solid-state driveFlash memory256 GB-4 TBVery fastInternal devices are fixed. External hard disks are portableRobust and resilientReliableLong-term storage of programs and data where high performance is required
USB memory stickFlash memory2 GB-2 TBFastVery portableRobust and resilientReliableCopies of data, transferring files between computers
MediumHard disk
TypeMagnetic
Capacity500 GB-12 TB
Speed of accessSlow
PortabilityInternal devices are fixed. External hard disks are portable
DurabilityReasonable, but prone to damage if dropped or knocked
ReliabilityGenerally very reliable if looked after
Typical useLong-term storage of programs and data
MediumCD-ROM/R
TypeOptical
Capacity640 MB
Speed of accessVery slow
PortabilityVery portable
DurabilityEasily scratched, damaged or broken
ReliabilityGenerally very reliable if looked after
Typical useBackups, archives, copies of data, distribution of programs and music
MediumCD-RW
TypeOptical
Capacity640 MB
Speed of accessVery slow
PortabilityVery portable
DurabilityEasily scratched, damaged or broken
ReliabilityGenerally very reliable if looked after
Typical useCopies of data, transferring files between computers
MediumDVD-ROM/R
TypeOptical
Capacity4.7 GB
Speed of accessSlow
PortabilityVery portable
DurabilityEasily scratched, damaged or broken
ReliabilityGenerally very reliable if looked after
Typical useBackups, copies of data, distribution of games, TV programmes and movies
MediumDVD-RW
TypeOptical
Capacity4.7 GB
Speed of accessSlow
PortabilityVery portable
DurabilityEasily scratched, damaged or broken
ReliabilityGenerally very reliable if looked after
Typical useBackups, archives, copies of data
MediumBlu-ray-ROM/R
TypeOptical
Capacity50 GB
Speed of accessSlow
PortabilityVery portable
DurabilityEasily scratched, damaged or broken
ReliabilityGenerally very reliable if looked after
Typical useDistribution of TV shows and movies
MediumBlu-ray-RW
TypeOptical
Capacity50 GB
Speed of accessSlow
PortabilityVery portable
DurabilityEasily scratched, damaged or broken
ReliabilityGenerally very reliable if looked after
Typical useBackups, archives
MediumSolid-state drive
TypeFlash memory
Capacity256 GB-4 TB
Speed of accessVery fast
PortabilityInternal devices are fixed. External hard disks are portable
DurabilityRobust and resilient
ReliabilityReliable
Typical useLong-term storage of programs and data where high performance is required
MediumUSB memory stick
TypeFlash memory
Capacity2 GB-2 TB
Speed of accessFast
PortabilityVery portable
DurabilityRobust and resilient
ReliabilityReliable
Typical useCopies of data, transferring files between computers

In many situations, more than one type of may be suitable. For example, a USB stick or a CD-RW may be used to transfer files, or to back up data.

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FAQs

What are suitable storage devices and storage media for a given application? ›

Suitable devices and storage media for a given application
MediumTypeTypical use
Blu-ray-RWOpticalBackups, archives
Solid-state driveFlash memoryLong-term storage of programs and data where high performance is required
USB memory stickFlash memoryCopies of data, transferring files between computers
6 more rows

What is stored in RAM OCR GCSE? ›

Memory and storage - OCRRandom access memory. Primary memory is a key component of a computer system. Its function is to hold data and programs that are currently in use.

What are the 3 types of storage OCR? ›

magnetic storage devices, such as hard disk drives. optical storage devices, such as CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. solid state storage devices, such as solid state drives and USB memory sticks.

What does ROM store in GCSE computer science? ›

Read only. ROM is often made from flash memory. This means that its contents cannot be changed easily. This means that the ROM only stores small programs that boots or starts up the computer.

What are 3 examples of storage media? ›

A storage medium may be internal to a computing device, such as a computer's SSD, or a removable device such as an external HDD or universal serial bus (USB) flash drive. There are also other types of storage media, including magnetic tape, compact discs (CDs) and non-volatile memory (NVM) cards.

What are the 4 main types of storage devices? ›

And if you want to transfer files from external drives to the cloud, you can use external drive backup and access your files from anywhere.
  • External HDDs and SSDs. You can get both HDD and SSD devices as external drives. ...
  • Flash memory devices. ...
  • Optical Storage Devices. ...
  • Floppy Disks.

What is flash memory ocr gcse? ›

Flash memory is a type of memory technology that can be used to create primary or secondary storage. It is commonly used to make Read-Only Memory (ROM), and Solid State Drives (SSDs).

What is secondary storage OCR GCSE? ›

Secondary storage is used to store programs and data that the computer is not currently using. It is a long term storage and the data will not be lost when the power is turned off. You will need to remember this key fact for your exam.

What is primary storage GCSE? ›

Primary storage is a key component of a computer system that enables it to function. Primary storage includes random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), cache and flash memory. Each of these have different uses within the computer.

What is storage GCSE computer science? ›

Its function is to hold data and programs that are currently in use. Part of Computer ScienceComputer systems.

What is the main memory used for GCSE? ›

Main Memory is what we call the main storage region of a computer that the CPU is able to directly access. It consists of both RAM and ROM. RAM stores the data that is currently in use by the CPU, as well as programs currently running. It is a volatile memory which means that once the power is lost, the data is wiped.

What is a stored program computer GCSE? ›

John von Neumann invented the processor architecture which stores a program in memory as instructions and executes them sequentially using the ALU, control unit and registers. This is known as the stored program concept. is the design upon which many general purpose computers. are based.

Which is a storage device used for storing media and data files? ›

A hard disk drive or solid state drive holds all of the data; files, photos, programs, music, and movies, that the user wants to keep. Removable, external media storage devices such as flash drives and read/writeable CDs and DVDs are also secondary storage. A computer can't function without a storage drive, however.

What are the 5 name of storage devices? ›

Primary storage devices
  • RAM. RAM means random access memory which is used to access any temporary data and to get intermediate results for the usage of that information. ...
  • ROM. ROM means read-only memory. ...
  • Floppy disk. ...
  • Hard disk. ...
  • Magnetic disk. ...
  • Pen drive. ...
  • SSD. ...
  • Sd card.

Which type of storage device is best to store the operating system and applications? ›

You can use the SSD for the operating system and frequently accessed files to benefit from its speed, while using the HDD for storing larger files and less frequently accessed data. This setup offers a balance between performance and storage capacity.

Which of the following is an example of storage media device? ›

Examples: Hard disc, CD, pen drive, solid state driveves etc,. A non-volatile data storage device is a computer hard disc drive (HDD). Non-volatile storage devices are those that retain data even after being turned off. A pen drive is a STORAGE DEVICE, not an input or output device.

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