How Much Storage Do I Need on My Laptop?

Your old laptop isn’t working properly, and while shopping for a new laptop, you ask yourself some questions like how much storage space do I need on my laptop? How much will be enough for gaming, music, and studies?

Well, you don’t need to have quite a large space, as you think.

The process isn’t much complicated. Check out this article to know the right storage capacity that you should get for your brand new laptop.

How Much Storage Space Do I Need on My Laptop?

The laptop industry keeps on experiencing changes with the use of advanced chips.

Before buying a laptop, it is important to consider your needs and budget. Get the one that satisfies your needs; otherwise, you will have a hard time working on it.

Also, if you use your laptop for some simple tasks, and then you get a new one with high storage, then it will be purely a wastage of money.

You need to consider such things, too even if you are thinking of building your own PC.

SSD vs. HDD

The older PCs used to come with hard drives, but the new ultra-slim ones have SSDs installed.

The difference between the HDDs and SSDs is that on HDDs, there is a metal disk that stores the information, while on SSDs, the microchips store the information.

If you are shopping with a tight budget, then you will have to get the HDD. This is because the SSDs are a bit expensive.

You can buy a 1 TB SSD for around $300. On the other hand, you can get an HDD for $100. Although the HDDs are a bit cheaper, they perform quite slowly.

How Much Storage Space Does Windows 10 Take On an SSD?

To install Windows 10, you need to have a minimum of 16GB free in case of a 32-bit version. For a 64-bit version, you need to have a free SSD space of 20 GB.

SSD + HDD Combo

Some laptops come with an SSD and HDD combo. In such a case, the SSD offers a marvelous speed for data loading while the HDD provides you storage for the remaining data.

Also, check out Flash Storage vs. SSD 

Lightweight Computing

If you are looking for lightweight computing like web browsing, email checking, and some simple apps and programs like excel and word, then 256GB will be more than enough for you.

Many non-professional users are satisfied with 250GB – 320 GB of storage.

But if you store a lot of pictures and videos, then with this amount of storage, you will be a bit stressful as you will then run out of space.

Large Files Storage

If you intend to store a big music collection and also have lots of pictures, then you will need to invest in a 512GB SSD.

For Gamers and Professionals

If you are a designer and have to work with some heavy software like Photoshop and InDesign, then you need ample space.

The same goes for gamers. In such a case, you need to have 1 TB of storage.

How Do I Find the Ram Capacity of My Computer?

Your computer uses RAM to store the data of programs that are currently in progress.

More RAM in your PC allows you to open more and more programs at a time.

There is a maximum capacity of which RAM you can install in your PC. If you install more RAM than its maximum capacity, then it won’t get recognized.

You can also get this maximum capacity information on your motherboard’s documentation.

To check out this maximum amount, follow these steps.

Windows

1. First, you need to check whether your window is 64 bit or 32 bit.
2. Press Win + Pause key, and the system properties windows will be opened in front of you.
3. From here, you can check if your windows are 32 bits or 64 bits.

• If it’s 32 bit, then the maximum RAM capacity is 4GB.
• If it’s 64-bit, then the maximum RAM capacity is 128 GB.

Do Read RAM vs. Storage

MAC

In the case of MAC, to get the maximum RAM capacity, you need to check out the model of your MAC.

The iMAC 27 inches (late 2013) can support up to 32 GB.

Linux

You can install up to 4GB in a 32-bit Linux installation.

If there is PAE kernel enabled in your system, then you can install up to 64GB RAM in a 32 bit system.

On the other hand, you can install up to 17 billion GB of RAM in a 64 bit Linux system.

You can find the exact amount of RAM that you can install on your Linux system by following these steps.

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the terminal.
2. Then type “sudo dmidecode -t 16”
3. Enter the administrator password when you are asked.
4. Then enter “Maximum Capacity:”

You can also get this information on your motherboard’s documentation.

Also, Check Out What is the Function of the Kernel of an OS?

How Much Space Do I Need on My Laptop for College or University?

For college or university students, picking the right laptop storage can be a bit difficult. While doing so, keep the following things in mind.

Curriculum

Do consider your curriculum

Screen Size

Screen size matters too. It affects the weight and overall size of the laptop. Get the one that can easily fit in your backpack.

The Real Benefit

Checkout your needs. If you want it for lectures and making notes in college or university, then you can also try a tablet.

Storage

If you have to store large files, then get a one with higher storage, whereas if you stream music and videos online, then there is no need to get the one with the highest storage.

Final Words

Setting the correct storage capacity for your laptop might make you stressed as the decision needs to be done a bit carefully.

It is essential to consider your personal needs and budget in such a case.

You can get SSDs if you have a good budget as they offer impressive performance.

After reading this article, you have now got the answer to your question of how much storage space do I need on my laptop and can easily take your buying decision.