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Which of these loses its contents when the computer loses power?

RAM and CPU cache are volatile; SSDs and hard drives are not.

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  1. The SSD
  2. The hard drive
  3. RAM and cache ✔

Why: Both SRAM cache and DRAM main memory are volatile: no power, no data. SSDs and hard drives are non-volatile storage that keeps data with power off. That is why unsaved work disappears in a power cut.

Huh, didn't know that: SRAM cache and DRAM main memory are volatile, while SSD and HDD storage are persistent.

The dad joke
Why did the RAM forget everything after the blackout? It was a little volatile.
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References

Answer: RAM and cache. Both SRAM cache and DRAM main memory are volatile: no power, no data. SSDs and hard drives are non-volatile storage that keeps data with power off. That is why unsaved work disappears in a power cut.

  1. OpenStax Introduction to Computer Science 5.5: Memory Hierarchy openstax.org/books/introduction-computer-science/pages/5-5-memory-hierarchy
    Both the SRAM and DRAM, or cache and memory, are volatile
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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