( ) is the electronic holding place for instructions and data that your computer's microprocessor can reach quickly. When your computer is in regular operation, its memory usually contains the main parts of the operating system and some or all of the application programs and related data that are being used. ( ) is often used as a shorter synonym for random access ( )(RAM). This kind of ( ) is located on one or more microchips that are physically close to the microprocessor in your computer.