---
title: "What are the differences between virtual memory and physical memory?"  
description: "What are the differences between virtual memory and physical memory?"  
author: "Utpal Vishwas"  
published: 2023-07-13  
updated: 2023-07-14  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159072/what-are-the-differences-between-virtual-memory-and-physical-memory  
category: "Operating System"  
tags: ["operating system", "memory"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What are the differences between virtual memory and physical memory?

What are the [differences](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12918/cat-5e-vs-cat-6a-understanding-the-major-differences) between [virtual memory](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159075/what-s-the-difference-between-virtual-memory-and-swap-space) and [physical](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/82619/leave-digital-live-physical) memory?

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

Sure, I can help you with that.

**[Virtual](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81341/the-oh-so-fight-for-democracy-virtual-rally-scenes) [memory](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/300050/what-causes-sudden-memory-loss)** is a memory management technique that allows a computer to use more memory than is physically available. This is done by dividing the memory into pages, and then storing the pages in different locations, such as RAM and disk space. The operating system keeps track of which pages are in memory and which pages are on disk. When a program needs to access a page that is not in memory, the operating system will swap the page in from disk.

**Physical memory** is the actual memory that is installed on a computer. It is made up of random-access memory (RAM), which is the fastest type of memory. Physical memory is used to store the operating system, programs, and data that are currently being used by the computer.

The main difference between virtual memory and physical memory is that virtual memory is a logical concept, while physical memory is a physical resource. Virtual memory allows a computer to use more memory than is physically available, while physical memory is the actual amount of memory that is installed on a computer.

Here is a table summarizing the key differences between virtual memory and physical memory:

| Feature | Virtual Memory | Physical Memory |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Definition | A memory management technique | The actual memory that is installed on a computer |
| Purpose | Allows a computer to use more memory than is physically available | Stores the operating system, programs, and data that are currently being used by the computer |
| Location | RAM and disk space | RAM |
| Access speed | Slower than physical memory | Faster than virtual memory |


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159072/what-are-the-differences-between-virtual-memory-and-physical-memory

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