Member Avatar for Hiroshe

Well, to be completly accurate. On an x86 (including x86-64) IBM compatible system:
When the computer FIRST starts up, the BIOS cannot use the RAM immediatly. The BIOS's first task is usually to detect the RAM so it can continue to perform it's other functions. For this, the BIOS uses chiptset provided features all of which use it's own memory. This can be seen in plain english fairly well here: http://wiki.osdev.org/System_Initialization_%28x86%29 .
You can verify this for yourself by looking through the source code of http://www.coreboot.org .

In theory, you could replace the bios with a very small OS that works completly from ROM. But you still wont be able to access any memory outside of what the chipset might provide and the registers within the CPU itself.

Edited by Hiroshe
Member Avatar for kaka_bin

no...you can not..because a computer shows all staffs run from RAM....yes you can start a computer with out RAM but you just can access to bios menu and boot menu

Member Avatar for kaka_bin

No ..no computer can be started without ram ..i think

Member Avatar for Esraeldelima

absolutely no! you cannot run your computer with out RAM...Because RAM is a Running memory...like the processor, it runs you computer...Just try it....you will have your cintinuos beeps if you have your on board speaker while your monitor has no display...

Member Avatar for Cranium23

Hi Guys. Can I Play GTA 3 On Dell Optiplex

Ram : 2GB
Windows 7 Ultimate

Member Avatar for Cranium23

Hi Guys. Can I Play GTA 3 On Dell Optiplex

Ram : 2GB
Windows 7 Ultimate

Member Avatar for XP78USER

Impossible! running a pc without ram probably get past the POST

Member Avatar for normanw40

Mememory is the physical device that the computer uses to store and manipulate information in the present. The hard drive or solid state drive is the physical device that stores information for longer periods.

It requires short term storage to access long term storage.

It follows that the computer would have no physical device to store information if it did not have memory.

Obviously, the computer could not operate.

Member Avatar for deceptikon

Obviously, the computer could not operate.

Given the usual architecture, yes. But it's not inherently required for RAM to be present, otherwise paging into virtual memory wouldn't be a valuable solution to lack of sufficient RAM. All memory work can be done from longer term storage, though it would be orders of magnitude slower. At the very least all you need would be CPU registers to perform calculations, and even that could be eliminated with a different (though vastly sub-optimal) processor design.

Member Avatar for rubberman

What deceptikon said. In addition, modern processors have a lot of cache memory that could, in theory, be used as main core if desired. That said, most BIOS's will refuse to run without main memory, unless modified.

Member Avatar for jim3472

I don't think so. Because if their is no RAM who will provide the memory. And if their is no memory how the processor will perform.

Member Avatar for RikTelner

Let me ask you a question, if I told you you have two apples for each day, how many apples would you have at the end of the year?

Solve this without using memory, then 2 minutes later, come to me with answer without reading it or hearing it anywhere.

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