What is swap out meaning?

Swap out, also known as paging out or swapping, refers to the process of transferring data from the computer's RAM (Random Access Memory) to the hard disk drive, freeing up memory space for other applications to operate. This process is necessary when the computer's RAM space is not enough to accommodate all the running applications and processes. When an application that is not currently being used remains in the RAM, it consumes valuable resources, resulting in slow system performance. The swap out process transfers the program's data back to the hard disk, and in exchange, it brings the required data from the hard disk into RAM to be processed by the CPU. The operating system manages the swap out process, ensuring that it does not impact performance greatly. Swap out plays a vital role in ensuring that computers can run smoothly and efficiently without crashing due to inadequate memory resources.