what is volatile memory

Volatile memory is a type of computer memory that requires power to maintain the stored information; it retains its contents while powered on but when the power is interrupted, the stored data is quickly lost. Volatile memory is used for a computers RAM because it is much faster to read from and write to than non-volatile memory devices such as solid-state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), or optical disks. Volatile memory is also referred to as temporary memory. Examples of volatile memory include RAM (Random Access Memory) and Cache Memory. In contrast, non-volatile memory is the type of memory in which data or information is not lost within the memory even when power is shut down. Examples of non-volatile memory include ROM (Read Only Memory) . Non-volatile memory is slower and more expensive than volatile memory.