How a Computer Actually Runs Your Programs
Every time you open an app, a chain of hardware kicks into motion behind the scenes. This post follows that chain from the disk all the way to the CPU, one idea building on the last. 1. Why RAM is faster than a hard disk RAM is electronic. Data is fetched by sending electrical signals, almost instantly. A hard disk drive (HDD) is mechanical. It has spinning platters and a moving arm that must physically travel to the right spot before it can read....