Random Access Memory (RAM):

Random Access Memory (RAM): 

For a program to be executed or an image to be

manipulated, a copy of it must be held in your computer’s memory, often stated
today as gigabytes (GB). More memory means more software programs can be
run at the same time.
Memory also has a direct connection to the size of images you can work
on—both in terms of pixel dimensions and in bit depth (color accuracy).
Larger amounts of memory are also often required to composite
multiple images together, or to perform certain operations on
them. If you don’t have enough memory to hold the images
being manipulated, the system must “swap out” portions of
memory to and from your computer’s hard drive, which slows
down your computer considerably.
Both your CPU and GPU have their own dedicated RAM; GPU-specific memory is often referred
to as VRAM (Video RAM). You typically cannot add VRAM to your GPU, so choosing a card with
more memory on it means it can process larger images more quickly. However, you can usually
add more RAM to your computer for its CPU. This is particularly an issue when taking advantage
of multiprocessing with After Effects, which we will discuss later.
Storage Devices: There are two parameters to think about when considering disk drives and
other storage devices: size, and speed. Size—stated in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (thousands
of gigabytes, abbreviated as TB)—is obvious: The more storage you have,
the more media you can have connected at one time. Some media
formats—such as HDV and AVCHD—are heavily compressed,
meaning you can fit a large amount of running time of
footage onto a relatively modest-sized drive. However,
as you start to move into larger frame sizes and more
lightly compressed formats such as that for the RED
camera, you will need correspondingly larger drives.
Larger file sizes also require higher transfer speeds to be able
to play back one or more streams of video in real time. File transfer
speed is a function of both the drives themselves, and the physical connection to those drives. For
internal storage connections, most computers use a variation of the Serial Advanced Technology
Attachment (SATA) standard, which is very fast. Once you start connecting to external drives, you
need to worry more about the speed of the connection you’re using, with fiber channel being the
fastest, followed by Thunderbolt, USB3, FireWire 800, then USB2.
There are several components that affect a drive’s transfer speed. One important number to
look for is the drive’s internal platter rotational speed, stated as RPM (Revolutions Per Minute).
Although RPM is similar to a CPU’s GHz rating—not all drives or CPUs are created equal—a higher
number is generally better. You should consider at least 7200 RPM drives for video work (note
that many laptops use slower drives to conserve battery life). The other major component that
affects a drive’s speed is its “seek time” which define how long it may take
the drive’s “head” which reads and writes data to move between
different sections of the same drive to access different pieces of
data. These physical limitations are why Solid State Drives
(SSDs) are becoming popular for high performance
applications: There is no platter to spin, and essentially
no time is required to seek between different pieces of
data. SSDs are currently more expensive than spinningplatter
drives, but are excellent choices for cache drives,
as well as for your software and operating system.
Multiple drives may be used to deliver higher performance. A simple technique is to install
multiple single drives in a desktop workstation computer, and dedicate each to specific tasks:
For example, one for the operating system, one for your files (with potentially separate drives for