Which of these storage devices can act as a buffer between the CPU and the main memory ?
Answer Details
The storage device that can act as a buffer between the CPU and the main memory is Cache Memory.
Cache memory is a small, very fast, and expensive type of memory that is located close to the CPU. It is used to temporarily store data and instructions that the CPU frequently accesses.
When the CPU needs to access data or instructions, it first checks the cache memory. If the requested data or instructions are found in the cache, this is called a cache hit, and the CPU can access them quickly. This helps to improve the overall performance of the CPU because accessing data from cache memory is much faster than accessing it from the main memory.
If the requested data or instructions are not found in the cache, this is called a cache miss. In this case, the CPU needs to fetch the data or instructions from the main memory, which takes more time. However, once the data or instructions are fetched from the main memory, they are also stored in the cache for future use. This way, if the CPU needs the same data or instructions again, it can access them quickly from the cache, resulting in faster performance.
By acting as a buffer between the CPU and the main memory, cache memory helps to reduce the CPU's waiting time for data and instructions, which ultimately improves the overall speed and efficiency of the computer system.