main memory

English

Noun

main memory (countable and uncountable, plural main memories)

1. (computing) Volatile memory forming most of a computer’s primary storage, not including cache memory (central processing unit cache) and secondary storage (mass storage).

Notes

• This term is mostly used in more technical material. Less formally, main memory is usually simply called random access memory (RAM). In main memory, the word memory specifically refers to volatile memory. When secondary memory (which is non-volatile) is also included, main memory generally excludes most of a computer’s memory, since secondary storage is typically more than an order of magnitude larger than main memory (and than primary storage as a whole). The clearer term "main volatile memory" is however enormously rarer.

Translations

computing

• Esperanto: ĉefmemoro
• Greek: κύρια μνήμη (el) f (kýria mními), κεντρική μνήμη (el) f (kentrikí mními)