Memory

From Styleguide

memory

Used generally to refer to RAM, a ROM or a hard disk that holds computer data. Refer to one of these specific types of memory instead of using the generic term "memory" whenever possible.

Memory is measured in bytes, which are made up of eight bits, each one represented by a one or a zero. Use the following two letter abbreviations when referring to memory size (all abbreviations acceptable on first reference).

• KB – kilobyte = 1024 bytes
• MB – megabyte = 1024 KB
• GB – gigabyte = 1024 MB
• TB – terabyte = 1024 GB
• PB – petabyte = 1024 TB

Always use Arabic numerals when describing memory size rather than writing out the number. 5 MB; NOT: five MB.

Never mix different memory size abbreviations. Instead, use decimals to approximate exact sizes. 1.5 MB; NOT: 1 MB, 500 KB.

Games for older systems are sometimes measured in kilobits and megabits, which should always be written out. The cartridge was 4 kilobits. A 16-kilobit cartridge.

Example: While a CD-ROM can hold more than 600 MB, loading all that data into 4 MB of RAM can slow down games considerably.

Also see: CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, hard drive, RAM, ROM.