Whether you’re buying a laptop or building your own personal computer, you’ll need an SSD as your main storage drive – and you’ll also want to make sure it’s the right size for your needs.
While you may be able to upgrade the main drive of a laptop with a larger one, or even install a second drive alongside it for extra storage space, you can definitely do that with a desktop computer.
But if you have no interest in repairing computers, it’s more suitable to buy the right amount of storage space from the start. Working on a computer with a very small SSD drive for your needs can be frustrating, but you also don’t want to overspend on unused capacity.
Here’s everything you need to know about the size of SSD storage you should have in 2024, as well as the size you can reasonably get without wasting your hard-earned money.
64GB Storage Is Too Little
Officially, Microsoft’s system requirements for the Windows 11 operating system state that a minimum storage capacity of 64GB is required.
However, while you may be able to cram Windows 11 onto a drive this small, it won’t be comfortable. You won’t have much space – if any – to install third-party applications, download files, or manage computer games.
However, a computer with a 64GB SSD drive can technically run Windows 11 as long as you are willing to give up a lot of applications and store all your files on the cloud, an SD card, a USB drive, or a separate SSD. If you do that, it might be usable. But I don’t recommend it.
128GB Is the True Bare Minimum
As we approach the end of 2024, a 64GB SSD storage capacity is not realistic for most users. For me, a 128GB SSD is the actual best bare minimum.
If you don’t do a lot of heavy tasks – meaning as long as you stick to lightweight applications, avoid downloading large files, and don’t store everything on your primary drive – you could get by with a 128GB SSD.
But a 128GB storage capacity isn’t really much these days, especially if you’re a gamer. Many modern PC games range from 20GB to 30GB each, then you have games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and God of War Ragnarok that exceed 150GB each and won’t be suitable on an SSD of this size.
Additionally, very full SSD drives close to capacity start to slow down and lose performance, so you can’t really benefit from the full 128GB on your drive without consequences. Do you really want to manage your files and storage space all the time?
Related: Budget Laptop Buying? Don’t go under these specs
256GB Is Good for Average PC Users
A 256GB SSD is a reasonable and suitable size for most average users. With a 256GB capacity, you can install some large applications, store many gigabytes of data, and still have extra space. You don’t have to think too much about your storage limit.
256GB is also the new minimum requirement for Microsoft Copilot+ computer configurations. More and more computers are likely to settle on this as the “new minimum” as Copilot+ computers become more prevalent. This makes this minimum good for capacity if you’re interested in future-proofing.
512GB (or More) for Avid Gamers, Downloaders, and Power Users
Once you exceed 256GB, you really start to meet your specific needs. For basic web browsing, office work, and media streaming, a 256GB capacity is more than enough – but if you plan on storing a lot of large video files or installing computer games, you’ll need more.
For PC gaming, the more storage space, the better. As mentioned earlier, PC games are massive and increasing in size, so you’ll likely need at least 1TB of SSD capacity if you’re into AAA titles. But it really depends on the types of games you play. You can get by with 512GB if your Steam library consists of small, indie games.
Similarly, for content creation and media editing, file sizes are usually very large. Depending on the bitrate, 4K video footage can reach 50GB or even double that. (Again, if you’re creating and editing content, you probably already have an idea of how much space you need for the types of files you work with.)
If you’re data-heavy, the situation is a little different. You may be better off using a medium-sized SSD drive and storing large data files on external drives connected via Thunderbolt. In fact, for long-term storage that isn’t accessed frequently, traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) still prevail over Solid State Drives (SSDs).
Related: Best External Hard Drives for Backup and Storage
How Big Should Your SSD Be in a Nutshell
When in doubt, aim for at least 256GB of SSD storage if possible. While you can get by with 128GB if necessary, it will be much less comfortable. And don’t even think about cutting down to 64GB, it might be technically possible, but it won’t be enjoyable at all.
If you plan on playing modern PC games, you’ll need at least 512GB of storage, but aim to get 1TB or more if your budget allows. If you work with large files, you should have a good idea of what you need. It’s not uncommon for power users to want 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or more.
How Much Does SSD Storage Cost?
The only downside to larger SSD storage capacity is the cost. Larger capacities may be cheaper per gigabyte, but they are still generally more expensive and you don’t want to overspend on unused space.
Here’s an approximate ballpark for prices of internal Solid State Drives these days:
- 256GB: $15 to $25
- 512GB: $25 to $40
- 1TB: $50 to $75
- 2TB: $90 to $150
- 4TB: $150 to $300
If you’re buying a pre-built laptop or desktop computer, configurations upgraded with larger SSD drives may be more costly than choosing a cheaper configuration with a smaller drive and upgrading the drive yourself. If you can buy the drive on sale, that’s the better option.
Further Reading: Ways to Repurpose Unused SSDs
