Memory Access

___So, today's topic in my computer organization class was memory access. The main idea behind which being that some kinds of memory are faster than others, having to do with their distance from the CPU, the speed of the decode and encode of the information, and the amount of information being transferred. Because of the detail into which this class goes on such topics as computer architecture, we spent most of the class discussing cache memory. I however, not to be limited by classroom constraints, decided that a through list of memory access should be compiled and sorted by total access time, from signal sent to signal received. And so, without further ado, the list:
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CPU Registers
Cache L1
_____ L2
_____ L3
RAM
HD
CD
Floppy
External Device (Firewire)
_______________ (USB 2.0)
_______________ (USB 1.0)
Server Local (LAN)
____________ (WLAN)
______ Online (FTP)
_____________ (HTTP)
E-mail
Internet Connection T3
___________________ T2
___________________ T1
___________________ Cable
___________________ DSL
___________________ Phone 128 kb/s
__________________________ 64 kb/s
__________________________ 32 kb/s
__________________________ 16 kb/s
Laser
Radio
Flashlight
Telegraph
Flag Signals
Smoke Signals
Sonar through metal
_____________ water
_____________ air
Rock shot by cannon
____ thrown by sling
______________ hand
____ rolled
Post Plane In state
__________ Out of state
__________ Out of country
____ Carrier Pigeon
____ Truck
____ Boat
Running
Walking downhill
_______ flat
_______ uphill
______________ both ways
Turtle
Post (not junk mail)
Telepathy (still needs to be invented)
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