How much SSD capacity is enough? Which hard drive should I choose?

If you are using a traditional HDD, it will be limited in speed, cheap in price but only meets the sole need of high capacity. Meanwhile, SSD hard drives are different, providing a more classy experience and higher cost. So how much SSD is enough? Let's find out with TipsMake in the article below.

What SSD capacities are available?

Normally, an SSD hard drive today has many different capacity levels. However, the most popular users still use 4 types of capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

In addition, models using removable SSDs will have capacities of up to 4TB and sometimes even up to 8TB in some high-end computer lines such as the Apple Mac Pro. Some Samsung desktop computers also have high capacities of about 16TB.

For each capacity level, there will be different data storage capabilities. It can be seen that the storage level of SSD is much better than HDD. Therefore, the selling price of SSD hard drives is also much higher on the market.

Purpose of use of each type of SSD capacity

Below TipsMake will analyze for you the uses of popular SSDs today. Specifically:

128GB

This capacity level is suitable for the needs of surfing the Web, entertainment, watching movies online on platforms such as Netflix, Apple TV+, Galaxy Play or listening to music online on Spotify and Zing MP3 applications.

256GB

If you want to install an online movie watching platform or music listening software on your computer, using a 256GB drive is completely suitable. But if you want to download or store large games on your computer like League of Legends, FiFa or MU online, you need to install an extra hard drive to increase loading speed and the game interface will also be smoother, avoiding stuttering. lag.

512GB

With SSD hard drives with a capacity of up to 512GB , you can comfortably use your computer to play games, entertain, surf the web or watch movies without worrying about running out of space or having to install a second drive. But if you are passionate about games and want to download many genres on your computer, you should still install an additional hard drive to store and speed up the playing experience.

1TB

This type of hard drive is designed to meet the needs of graphic design or gaming streamers. If your work requires you to regularly edit videos or make 3D images, you should also install an additional drive to help increase the ability to store files.

2TB

Computers using SSD drives with a capacity of 2TB will be the perfect choice for gamers or professional photographers. With the nature of work having to play many different types of games or store a lot of 3D photo and video editing apps, a 2TB hard drive will create more storage space, meeting all effective usage needs.

4TB

This type of hard drive is suitable for most users' needs, from basic to large data. But if you are just a student or do regular office work, it will be a bit redundant and costly. This capacity level will only be suitable for content creators who regularly use PCs to store large data files of audio, video, images, recording files, etc.

Things to note when choosing SSD capacity

Here are some questions to help you choose an SSD capacity that is more suitable for your needs:

On the computer I am using, is this the only hard drive for storage?

If you are currently only using one drive, you need to install a drive with a larger capacity or install an additional hard drive to help increase the usage experience and create larger data storage space. This is extremely suitable for desktop or laptop computers that do not have the ability to upgrade SSD drives.

Is constantly having to search for content and delete unnecessary files annoying you?

If regularly having to search for data and clean the drive does not bring trouble or make you uncomfortable, then using small capacity drives will be suitable for you. On the contrary, if you feel this work is not necessary or you do not have time to delete old data files, then large-capacity SSD drives are the perfect solution.

Does the need for data storage increase over time?

Most users have a need to store data that gradually increases over time. Entertainment interests or game applications will cause the computer to take up more storage space. Therefore, you need to use a suitable and large-capacity SSD to be able to retain all the necessary files and software. Instead of saving money to choose a drive with a small initial capacity and adding a secondary drive with a larger capacity, invest in a large-capacity SSD from the beginning.

What performance are you interested in?

If you care about loading speed as well as storage space requirements, you need to use a large capacity SSD drive. Many users think of using a low-capacity SSD for their computer. Then install a second drive or use online storage such as cloud storage or Google drive to store data. However, this option does not bring high performance to users, and furthermore reduces loading speed as well as increases data latency compared to using an SSD.

How much SSD capacity is enough?

Depending on your selection criteria and usage needs, choose an SSD with the appropriate capacity. Specifically:

Entertainment needs

For Microsoft Office applications, games, music platforms, etc. that basically serve entertainment activities such as listening to music, reading newspapers, watching movies, surfing the web, you should choose an SSD with a capacity of about 128GB . is the most suitable.

Learning needs

If you are a student, you do not need to choose a hard drive with too high capacity. With a 128GB SSD hard drive , it will be the most suitable choice for you to help store basic data such as documents, images, recording files, etc. Moreover, it also helps serve your learning and homework needs. or create effective presentation slides. You can also take advantage of additional storage resources on Google Driver so you don't need to worry about lack of space.

Office work needs

For entertainment or learning purposes, office workers only need to choose an SSD with a capacity of 128GB . This type of hard drive will be suitable for text editing, making computer files or working on basic office software such as Google Docs, Sheets or Slides, etc. And if you want to store a lot of video data . For more movies , you can consider upgrading to a 256GB SSD .

Graphic design work

For users who work in design and often have to use photo or video editing software such as Filmora, VideoPad Video Editor, PhotoScape, Adobe, AutoCAD, you should choose a regular, large-capacity SSD. from 512GB or more . This level of capacity will help serve user needs effectively and can save more image and video files.

Professional gaming needs

For gamers who are passionate about challenging many different types of games, choosing an SSD with a capacity of at least 512GB or more is the minimum. To bring the best user experience, you should choose a 1TB SSD . This type of hard drive will meet most of the data storage and software needs needed for some operating systems or games.

How many applications can a 128GB hard drive install?

The 128GB SSD hard drive is the lowest capacity hard drive available today. So does this hard drive have enough capacity to use or not? Let's answer with TipsMake right away:

For basic needs

For students or office workers who do general work, most of the time they use the computer they only work on some Microsoft Office software such as Google Docs, Sheets or Slides,. Most of the group These users will store documents in the cloud or Google Drive so they will not use too much space on the SSD. Therefore, a 128GB SSD is enough to install all the above software and store data about documents, music, images, etc.

For big data needs

If you are an engineer, designer or professional gamer, a 128GB or 256GB SSD will never be enough. Adobe design software such as Illustrator, Photoshop, Ai,. or AutoCAD software will need more space than that. An SSD hard drive with a capacity of 512GB or more will ensure your work goes as quickly, smoothly and smoothly as possible.

Is a 256GB SSD hard drive enough?

In case you use your PC for purposes such as watching movies, entertainment or performing simple office tasks, not too complicated and do not need large storage space, an SSD with a capacity of 256GB is perfect. enough. With a 256GB SSD, you don't even need to install an additional hard drive and can still perform the above tasks smoothly.

However, if you are someone who regularly interacts with and performs tasks on the computer such as simple graphic design, video editing, 3D photo making, etc., then using an SSD with a capacity of 256GB will be temporary. Timely meets your data storage needs. However, you may need to add a second hard drive to increase the smoothness of your computer experience.

As for the need to store data with larger capacity and regularly use Adobe software such as Photoshop, Ai, Illustrator or Autodesk, a 256GB SSD hard drive will never be enough.

Advice on choosing SSD hard drive capacity according to usage needs

Here is some advice from TipsMake to help you choose to buy an SSD with the appropriate capacity according to your needs such as:

1. For office workers who do simple work, or students who only need to study or make presentation slides, just buying a 128GB SSD hard drive is enough.
2. If you need to store a lot of data files, movies, videos, etc., you can consider buying a 256GB hard drive. This type of hard drive ensures comfortable data storage and is also very affordable.
3. But if you are a gamer who is passionate about experiencing many types of video games or because the nature of your work requires large data storage but does not have a lot of money, you can choose to use two drives at the same time. HDD and SSD. In particular, the HDD will help you store data with huge capacity, while the SSD will help you run software more smoothly.

Epilogue

Above is a summary of information about the most popular types of SSD hard drives for laptops today. Hopefully the above article has suggested for you how much SSD hard drive to buy that is suitable for your needs and purposes.