When it comes to the nomenclature of memory and storage, there's often a lot of confusion, especially among the general public. The industry has its own set of established terms, but common usage sometimes strays from these conventions, leading to widespread misunderstandings. Let's clarify these concepts and explore the distinctions between memory (RAM) and external storage.

First and foremost, when we mention "memory," we are typically referring to RAM, or Random Access Memory. This is the go-to temporary workspace for a computer's processor and comes in the form of modules that can be inserted into a desktop or laptop. You might also encounter memory with added heatsinks for cooling, but the underlying component, the chip, remains the same. It's just mounted on a PCB (Printed Circuit Board).

However, memory isn't just limited to desktops and laptops. Mobile devices and some laptops have soldered memory modules directly onto the motherboard, known as onboard memory. Despite differences in type and interface, all these are collectively referred to as "memory."

In contrast, "external storage" is a term used to describe any storage medium that is not integral to the system's operation. This includes a variety of devices like hard drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), flash drives, and more, which can be connected to the system via PCIe, SATA, USB, or even over a network.

The Fundamental Difference:

The key difference between memory and external storage lies in their roles within a computing system. Memory, or RAM, is volatile and serves as the system's primary cache, essential for the system to pass self-tests and boot up properly. External storage, on the other hand, is non-volatile and doesn't affect the system's ability to perform hardware diagnostics or enter the BIOS.

Technical Characteristics:

RAM is designed for speed, prioritizing bandwidth and latency. It uses electric charges to represent binary data, which allows for quick access but is lost when power is cut off. This lack of physical change during read/write operations contributes to RAM's durability, often backed by a lifetime warranty.

In contrast, SSDs, flash drives, and similar storage devices must retain data after power loss, which means they change the charge state of semiconductors to represent binary data. This results in a limited number of write cycles, commonly referred to as wear leveling.

Mechanical hard drives and tapes operate on different principles from SSDs but still encode data as binary 0s and 1s, often with moving parts that contribute to their relatively shorter lifespans compared to RAM.

In Summary:

The distinction between memory and external storage primarily hinges on their volatility. While memory is volatile, external storage is not. Despite the variety in interfaces and performance, these storage types can be categorized accordingly.

It's crucial to recognize that memory modules, whether in the form of sticks or soldered onto the motherboard, are fundamentally different from hard drives, flash memory, and storage cards.