A Level Computer Science OCR Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

When RAM is full, one of the significant disadvantages is that the system may experience performance issues, including the likelihood of crashing. RAM, or Random Access Memory, is used as temporary storage for data that the CPU needs to access quickly. When it reaches capacity, the system struggles to manage processes effectively, leading to slowdowns or complete failures in operations. In extreme cases, this can result in the operating system becoming unresponsive, which is often referred to as crashing.

The other options provide misleading or incorrect ideas. For example, a full RAM does not lead to increased speed; in fact, the opposite is true. RAM is also not a permanent storage medium; its contents are lost when the power is turned off, differentiating it from storage solutions like hard drives or SSDs. Lastly, RAM does not become less expensive when it's full; pricing is influenced by market factors, not by the memory's current usage.