What is a primary characteristic of intermediate storage?

Intermediate storage is primarily characterized by its role in managing data during processing tasks, especially when immediate processing resources like RAM are insufficient. This type of storage acts as a buffer that holds data temporarily, enabling systems to continue functioning smoothly without losing information that cannot fit into more volatile memory types, such as RAM.

When the operational demands of applications exceed the available RAM capacity, intermediate storage provides a critical solution by ensuring that data remains accessible until it can be processed or moved. This is particularly important in scenarios where large datasets or memory-intensive applications are in use, which can lead to performance bottlenecks if there were no storage alternatives.

The other choices, while relating to different aspects of storage systems and power management, do not accurately capture the essence of intermediate storage’s primary function in this context. For instance, retaining data without power refers to non-volatile storage types, and power savings during shutdown typically involve broader energy management strategies that do not specifically pertain to the functions and purposes of intermediate storage.