Two common questions that can cloud your mind while you are looking for a new laptop are… how much storage do you need and if you should get HDD or SSD (all laptops should be SSD at this point). In the section below, we will provide you with a list of prerequisites that should be fulfilled before concluding how much storage I need on my laptop.
To keep it simple, always select the SSD option. SSD is the best choice because of how reliable and safe they are for laptop users.
What Kind of Laptop Storage?
Our answer is… get the SSD for your laptop. However, we understand that your budget can be an issue. So if your budget is an issue then save your money and please get the SSD.
Our opinion about choosing either an SSD or HDD for your laptop is essentially split between people who already own them. The distinguishing factor between these two kinds lies in the fact that in HDD, the information is stored on a spinning metal disk, while in the case of an SSD, the information is collected in microchips. The HDD is acceptable if you are looking for something cheap with access to lots of storage, but, one of the drawbacks is that it can create a lot of noise as the storage is made up of moving parts. These moving parts may fail if accidentally dropped.
The SSD is our favorite because of its reliability and speed. You are guaranteed a smooth and swift performance as flash chips are invariably more accommodative, dependable, and use less power. And with no moving parts, there is a low chance of hard drive failure.
What do you use your laptop for?
This is important to figure out as the amount of work you use your laptop for matters. If you are a lightweight user, you may only use it for creating word documents, sending emails, and streaming your favorite shows. In such cases, 256GB of storage would be sufficient and would easily support a handful of games, applications, files, and others.
Even though 128GB of storage can be enough to store your data (especially if you plan to use cloud storage), you’ll be better off with more storage. If you are like us and love having local backups of your videos and photos from your devices, then having at least 512GB+ of storage is a safe choice.
Is 512GB of storage enough?
If you aren’t a gamer or creative then probably so. As we already mentioned, for photos and similar media files, you want more storage. When there are distinct varieties of files to be added to your collection, 512GB or more is usually more than enough for 99% of the users out there. A big high-quality game can take up to 5GB of storage and a high-resolution 4K photo can take up to 1GB of storage.
Are you a creative or a gamer?
If you are a laptop gamer, an influencer, or the creative type, chances are, you’ll probably want to get a laptop that can work seamlessly to handle all your projects without worrying about running out of storage or carrying external hard drives.
If you are not worried about the budget, select 1TB of storage as it will provide you with storage for a long time, but on the other side, it will cost you a little more than the regular.
How much storage do I need?
Do not get 128GB of storage! You want to go with at least 256GB of storage.
If you plan to do some light work and online video streaming then 256GB of storage is usually enough storage. Be prepared to do a lot of cloud savings if you decide to increase your gaming, photos, or video activity. This will always be the cheapest option.
If you plan to save more media files or install several games, then aim for 512GB of storage or more… especially if you simply don’t want to rely on the cloud.
Conclusion
And finally, you should always have a plan before buying tech with storage options. We believe going with more storage is always best because you’ll have the option to delete files or move your files around without any complications.