Suspend To RAM

Ok, I'm looking for some plain english, laymens terms, of what 'Suspend to RAM' means. I've heard of this feature and have seen some varying definitions on what it is such as this one from Webopedia which states "Suspend-to-RAM (STR) occurs when a system enters a low-power state. Information on system configuration, open applications, and active files is stored in main memory (RAM ), while most of the system's other components are turned off. A system in STR can use as little as 5 watts of power, with most of it going to main memory for data maintenance.

If left in STR, a system may be programmed to waken, so it can perform tasks at any given time. If the power is interrupted, then the system will undergo a normal reboot, restoring full power to the machine and loosing any information not saved to the hard disk. "

Now all of that sounds good and maybe I'm a bit techinally challenged but I'm thinking this option is what happens when you close the lid on your lappy and it goes into sleep mode. Anybody care to clear this up for me?

 

okay basically, what happens is that anything you have open (e.g. word documents etc.) gets put into the RAM which means that all other parts can be turned off, leaving only the RAM on.

As you no doubt know RAM is volitile (i think thats the word?) storage, so if you lose power to it, anything that is stored in it is lost.

I belive this is what is meant by sleep, which is probably what happens when the lid is closed. If the power is still on, then it must be what happens. Of course then you get hibernation in which anything thats in RAM gets written to hard disk space, and the whole thing shuts down.

whats even weirder is my computer seems to keep the num lock light on *even* when i have completley shut it down. Weeerd!

 

Hmmmm, ok. Thanks fishy.