Buffer Definition

Buffer (data) is an area of memory used to temporarily store data while it is being moved from one location to another. Typically, data is stored in a buffer when received from an input device or just before it is sent to an output device. However, a buffer can be used when data is moved between processes within a computer.

Buffers can be implemented in a fixed memory location in hardware or by using a virtual data buffer in software pointing to a physical memory location.

Most buffers are implemented in software, which typically uses faster RAM to store temporary data because of much faster access times than hard disks. Buffers are typically used when there is a difference between the speed at which data can be retrieved and the speed at which it can be processed.

Buffers are often used in conjunction with I/O equipment such as disk drives, sending or receiving data to or from a network, or playing sound on a speaker.