From Scriptionary.com

RAM, an acronym for Random Access Memory, is a temporary computer data storage facility in the form of a physical integrated circuit or an array of integrated circuits.

The term RAM is often used to denote system memory, which the RAM used by the computer's main processing unit (CPU). Other types of RAM are usually referred to with a specialized name such as VRAM, or in most cases simply called a hardware buffer or hardware cache as is the case with Sound Cards and CPUs.

The purpose of RAM is to temporarily store resources, for a device to utilize until either the device is reset or the device releases the resource. Data stored in RAM can be accessed without restrictions on last accessed location or order within the memory; thus Randomly. Many computer hardware devices contain a form of RAM, including:

• Graphics adapters, see VRAM,
• Motherboards in the form of CMOS RAM and system memory expansion slots,
• CD-ROM drives employ a read buffer,
• CPUs implement a Cache in the form of SRAM (Static Random Access Memory),
• Sound cards usually implement wave-buffers,
• Many more.