How Much Storage Do I Need On My Laptop?

Posted on the 08 February 2023 by Robbin Simmond @gaminglapfinder

Are you planning to buy a brand new laptop? If yes, then you may be definitely thinking about how much storage space do I need? am I right? So, this article would be helpful for you to find the best laptop with according to your storage needs.

Actually, when we are going to buy a brand new laptop, there are many things that we need to consider and storage is one of them. Sometimes, people buy a laptop but after few months they know how much storage space they need. So, as a business person or a student, you should know about what is your storage requirement in your laptop.

In this article, you will get a proper guide on how much storage space you require for your laptop. Like, 256GB storage space is enough for you, or should move towards 1TB, you will get all the answers of all these kinds sorts of questions.

Before we discuss on how much storage space you need, first you should know about the type of storage drive which is available such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive).

SSD VS HDD

HDD drive has slower reading and writing speed as compared to the SSD and the reason is that HDD has a moving part while SSD has not.

SSD is newer technology and that’s why it cost double compared to HDDs. But the best part is that it allows you to access heavy files faster compared to HDDs and also it improves the overall performance of the laptop.

If we talk more about SSDs then its not store their data on spinning disc like HDDs but on microchips and thus it comes along with its own in built processor to access the data. Actually, SSD is the best option for those who wants to use their laptop for gaming, video editing, 3D works, etc.

However, if you want large storage capacity then HDDs are available up to 16TB which is very useful who needs more space. While SSDs only available up to 4TB but the important thing is that it loads the app faster as compared to HDDs. So, its best for those people who is willing to spend more money compared to HDD for faster speed.

Ok, so now without wasting too much time, let’s dive in to this article which would help you to know how much storage space you need on your laptop.

How Much Storage Do I Need On My Laptop?

Here I have explained this topic in different categories and I hope that this should help you to take the right decision for your storage space requirements.

Kids Laptop:

These days kids laptops are becoming more popular day by day just because of online schooling and other online activities.

However, kids laptops doesn’t need loads of storage space because they don’t work on heavy programs and files.

A laptop with 128GB or 256GB of storage space is decent space to install few online study programs and it would be enough space for kids who will spend their most of the time watching videos.

Family Laptop:

If you are planning to buy a laptop which you can share with your family then you will need a laptop with good storage capacity which may be favorable.

Also, if you want to store all your family photos/videos on this laptop along with your kids homework and files then you will notice that the storage space is being full very quickly.

Depending on the amount of data your family wants to store on the laptop, storage space between 512GB or 1TB is good enough.

Students Laptop:

The storage space for the students normally depends on what they are studying.

If we talk about high school students then there is no need a huge amount of storage space for their homework because they will not work on heavy files and programs.

When it comes to college students then the storage space depends on the course of study which they are chosen.

If you are in a course which requires to work on MS Word, and PowerPoint for the small size assignments then it would be perfect to go with 256GB or 512GB of storage space.

But if you are in a course like engineering, computer science, 3D animation, etc., then definitely you will need more storage space like 512GB to 1TB because of heavy programs and file size.

Business Laptop:

Like student laptops, business laptops also require storage space as per the work which they are doing.

So, if you are in a business which requires to work on big spreadsheets along with multiple programs then you will need a laptop with good amount of storage capacity like at least 512GB.

Gaming Laptop:

Gaming laptops needs at least 512GB of storage space compared to other laptops even if you want to do some light gaming.

If you are a pro or hardcore gamer and want to install and play some AAA gaming title on your laptop then 1TB would be perfect for that

One of the best methods to determine how much storage space you need as a gamer is just simply to look at what kinds of games you want to play and for that how much space it requires. There are many AAA games in the market which requires space between 25GB to 100GB.

Photo/Video Editing Laptop:

Similar to gaming laptops, photo and video editing laptops also require more storage space than normal day to day use laptops.

The main thing is that photos and videos can take up space very fast than any other files and for that you will need plenty of storage space.

As a photo/video editing professional, you don’t only need lots of space for your photos and videos but you will also need space for the applications which you will use for editing.

If we see how much space requires for applications then only Adobe Photoshop takes 3.1GB of space. So, if you want to use some other apps also then you will definitely need plenty of storage space.

However, long videos with high resolution or 4K resolution can take up space in gigabytes and that’s why it is good to go with a laptop with good storage space.

Laptop for photo editing should have at least 512GB of space while for video editing 1TB or more. There are many photographers who suggest 4TB of storage space.

How much storage space you need is entirely depends on what is your plan for using this laptop. As a student, if you like to play games on your laptop then you need a laptop with at least 1TB of storage would be perfect for you.

On the other side, if you are planning to buy a laptop only to use for storing family photos, surfing the web, and watching videos then 256GB of storage also be fine.

Things You Need To Consider

Cost:

If you want more storage space then simply you will need to pay more for internal or external storage. For instance, if we are going to buy a new Seagate’s 1TB SSD then it cost you around $200 and which is only storage space.

The overall cost of the laptop depends upon the available hardware inside. Simply, if you want more storage space then you need to pay more. SSDs are becoming more popular these days just because of its fast performance. But if we compare, then HDDs cost you less and provide more storage space as compared to SSDs. The only difference is that HDDs offer slower speed than SSD.

Final Verdict

On a conclude, I hope that you have got the answer of “how much storage do I need on my laptop”. This article would give you a good idea on how to decide how much storage you will need based on your usage and budget as well. There are many experts who prefer SSD only just because of its faster performance and noise free experience.

Still, if you are not able to decide how much storage space you need then feel free to tell me your requirement on the below comment box I will help you out.