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How much storage do I need on my laptop?
Do you want to be speedy or creaky? After reading this informative article, you will answer this question by yourself.
One day, I was out to buy a pen drive (USB) from a computer accessories shop. I was discussing technically some issues with the shopkeeper like is it 3.1 generation or 3.2? A lady (who was listening to our conversation) was waiting for her turn. She approached me and asked, I want to buy a computer but I am not sure what to buy. I am unaware of technical details like how much ram do I need, screen size, laptop or desktop and if laptop then “How much Storage Do I Need On My Laptop” etc.
There was a long discussion between us and I finally helped her choose a laptop by answering all her questions. Since these questions are all very important while buying a laptop, I decided to write an article on all those. But in this very article, I am going to focus on the storage I need for my laptop.
How much storage do I need on my laptop?
Hard Disk is the basic component of a laptop used for storing data. When talking about its usage, we analyzed that most non-professional users are comfortable with 250-to-320 GB of storage. Do you know that 250GB can hold more than 30’000 average size photos and audio songs? But if you are planning on storing movies/ videos with HD quality, then you will find this inadequate. You will definitely need to upgrade your hard disk to at least 500GB or even 1TB.
For professional users who are in businesses like graphic editing, video editing, vloggers, programmers, designers, photographers, gamers, etc, then you will need to go for disk space 1TB and beyond.
Task based Disk space I need?
Always type of tasks decides what type and size of hard drive you should get for your computer. Based on performance and application usage, we have different options to choose from.
Below is the small analysis chart:
- Word Processing: 250GB and Higher, 5400 rpm
- Web Surfing: 320GB and Higher, 7200 rpm
- Digital Music: 750GB and Higher, 7200 rpm
- Gaming: 1TB and Higher, 7200 rpm
- Graphics Editing: 1.5TB and Higher, 7200 rpm
- Digital Video: 2TB and Higher, 7200 rpm
How To Choose a laptop Based On HDD or SSD
There are two types of internal storage .i.e. HDD and SSD. You can have either one of them on your laptop as secondary storage.
Now, here opens a discussion for should I buy HDD or SSD?
Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
It is a pretty familiar and common form of storage in laptops. It is the main plus largest data storage hardware device in computers and laptops. The operating system, software, and many other files are stored here.
It is preferred due to its capacity and cheap cost as compared to primary storage (RAM). These are the faster spinning drives and their larger capacity tends to perform better while keeping the price in mind.
Laptop drives are usually 2.5” in size and can range from 160 GB storage to 4TB in capacity. For standard laptops, the range varies between 320GB to 1TB.
How HDD works
A hard drive keeps a hold on data even if the system is powered off (unlike RAM). This is the reason when you restart a system, the kernel loads OS files from HDD to RAM and makes data accessible to the user.
On the hard drive track, there are sectors that are stored on rotating platters. These platters have magnetic heads which help in reading and writing data to drive.
Solid State Drives(SSD)
If you are looking for the modern and latest technology, Solid-state drives are the best and upgraded form of storage, designed to replace Hard drives.
Working of SSD
It uses a series of flash memory modules to store data without any moving parts and information is stored in microchips.
It is just a card rather than a standard 2.5” size drive. These are faster in performance, have a high price,s and have more capacity. Sometimes, to increase overall performance it is used as a form of caching and is available only in Intel-based desktops and 1st Smart Response Technology.
SSDs are made-up of semiconductors and Their primary storage medium is through semiconductors rather than magnetic media such as hard drives.
Is just like a form of flash memory drives that we use to plug in a USB port, so it is also termed a flash drive. This is partially true because both the SSD and USB flash drive works similarly and use the same type of non-volatile memory chips which keep information even when they have no power.
The only difference between the two is that the USB is external and SSD is internally designed.
Why SSD is preferable:
It provides three distinct Features.
- Less Power Usage
- Faster Data Access
- Higher Reliability
Comparison of SSD and HDD
Attributes | Solid State Drive (SSD) | Hard Disk Drive (HDD) |
| Size | 2.5 inch(s) | 2.5 to 3.5 inch(s) |
Battery Life | Less power draw, 2-3 Watts | More power draw, 6-7 Watts. Consumes more battery. |
Cost | Expensive | Cheap |
Capacity | 1TB for notebook size drives, 4TB max. For desktops | Between 500GB-t0-2TB for notebook size drives, 10 TB max for desktops |
Operating system boot time | 10-to-13 seconds boot time | 30-to-40 seconds boot time |
Noise | No moving part, no sound | Clicks and spinning can be heard |
Vibration | No vibration | The spinning of platters causes vibration sometimes |
Heat produced | Little heat produced | Do not produce much heat but in comparison to SSD, does heat up to some extent because of more power draw and moveable parts. |
File Copy/Write speed | Above 200 MB/sec | The range can be anywhere from 50-120 MB/s depending on rpm/sec |
Encryption | Fully Disk Encryption | Fully Disk Encryption |
File opening speed | 30 % faster than HDD | Less than SSD |
Magnetism affected | Safe from any effects of magnetism | Magnets can erase data |
Performance based on different applications
Below articles will also help you choose/ use your laptop:
- Should I go for laptop or desktop
- How to use whatsapp on laptop
- How to fix laptops keys
- Why is my laptop getting hot
- How much does it cost to repair laptop screen
- How to fix laptop screen without replacing
- Best laptops for live streaming
Your Questions Answered by Laptopsgeek “How Much storage Do I need on My Laptop”
Q. What is better SSD or HDD?
Ans. If cost is something you are not worried about, then SSD is a clear winner.
Q. What is rpm in HDD?
Ans. RPM stands for Rotations per minute and determines the (reading and writing on drive) performance of the har drive. The higher number suggests better performance.
Q. How do I increase storage on my laptop?
Ans: You can choose any option from the below list and you will get extra storage.
1: Replace a hard drive or Solid State Drive with a larger capacity
2: Choose an external drive, you can use SSD or HDD as external storage as well
3: Use cloud storage for rarely used data
4: Network-based storage device, in case you have multiple computers (best for offices)
Q. How do I free up storage on my Laptop?
Ans. Click on the Disk Cleanup button in the disk properties window. Then go and select the types of files you want to delete and click OK. It includes some temporary files, log files, files in your recycle bin, and other unimportant files. Most importantly, you can also clean up system files, which don’t appear in the list here and you will get free storage.
Q.What is the storage capacity of Laptop?
Ans. It ranges from 160GB to over 4TB. Most systems have between 500 GB and 1 TB of storage, which is more than enough for the standard laptop system.
Q. How many types are there of Hard Drives?
Ans. There are four types:
- Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA)
- Serial ATA (SATA)
- Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)
- Solid State Drives (SSD Latest technology)
Q. What is the price of a single storage drive?
Ans. The hard disk memory limit is up to 2TB and can cost from $50-$68, Whereas a laptop can extend up to 4TB and may cost up to $100.
Bottom Line of all this discussion:
To sum up, I always find it easy to select between two, when I compare them. I have written this article with a hope that you will find it worthy while deciding “How much storage do I need on my laptop” and “which type I need”.
For huge storage option you can also go for a choice between a laptop or desktop?
HDD might be the choice if one needs a lot of storage at less price and doesn’t care for comparative performance. SSD might be chosen, if you are willing to pay extra for fast performance.
Do comment below, How much storage do I need on my Laptop and your profession.
Peace out.
Daniel Levi is the Senior Editor at LaptopsGeek. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Arizona State University and boasts over 15 years of experience in laptop reviews. With his extensive knowledge and expertise, Daniel provides invaluable insights into the world of laptops, ensuring that LaptopsGeek readers stay informed about the latest advancements in technology.