How Much SSD Storage Do I Need For Gaming PC 2023?
If you are building a computer for the first time, you may wonder what is the difference between a regular hard drive and a solid-state drive. A solid-state drive (SSD) has no internal moving parts, causing the read speed to be much faster than a typical platter drive. So lets continue to read more about How Much SSD Storage Do I Need For Gaming PC?
Solid State Drive Configuration
Solid-state drives come in three main form factors. 2.5-inch SSD drives are the most common in desktop computer builds, while M.2 SSDs are most often found in laptop configurations. You can also buy an SSD add-in card that fits into the PCI Express slot.
The form issue you would like for your build depends on the type of computer you’re building. Some desktop motherboards are now shipping with M.2 drive slots, so research the type of SSD you need before purchasing one.
How Much SSD Capacity Do I Need?
The size of the drive you require depends on many factors. A high-capacity SSD will be needed to store games without the need to uninstall or reinstall computers built for gaming. While it is common to see SSD drives below inexpensively available 256GB, you should avoid these drives.
A typical Windows 10 installation takes about 25GB, while most game installations are approaching 50GB + in size. Some games such as MMORPGs can take up around 100GB of space. If you plan to record sports streams, there won’t be much room left for anything else in particular. So lets continue to read more about How Much SSD Storage Do I Need For Gaming PC?
PC Game Install Size
- Final Fantasy 15 – 200 GB
- The Elder Scrolls Online – 170 GB
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – 112 GB
- Middle Earth: Shadow of War – 97.7GB
- Grand Theft Auto V – 65 GB
Most gamers should start with 1TB SSD and move on from there as their gaming collections grow. Most people combine their SSD drives with a platter drive for general data storage. A good 1TB SSD typically costs less than $ 150, while the price of these drives continues to fall as technology evolves.
SATA or PCIe Interface?
2.5-inch SSDs operate using a serial ATA (SATA) interface that was designed for regular platter drives in 2000. Most add-in SSD drives work on PCI Express, which has more bandwidth to handle. M.2 drives can be SATA or PCIe depending on the drive. M.2 drives can be difficult to identify, so see to it that your motherboard supports them before purchasing one. So lets continue to read more about How Much SSD Storage Do I Need For Gaming PC?
Endurance
A limiting factor when comparing SSD drives to standard platter drives is that they have a finite life span. All-flash memory has this limit. When purchasing SSD, you will see that drive makers refer to two points for drive endurance. Total terabytes (TBW) and drive rights per day (DWPD) are written for these drives shared by the manufacturers.
Most SSD drives today have over-provisioning, which means that the drive turns off a part of its capacity as a backup. As soon as the drive detects wear, it will move data from the wear-out cell to a new one, extending its lifetime. Most modern SSD drives can last 3-5 years or longer with average usage.
If you are upgrading your computer hard drive from a standard drive to an SSD, you will immediately see a performance improvement. Load time in video games and start-up time are two areas where improvements will be immediately noticeable. “
Ever downloaded a game that was only to see a failure message after a few hours because there was insufficient disk space? Is it annoying to see a game crash when you’re in the middle of something important? Well, it’s time to know how much storage I need for gaming.
These experiences are caused by low disk space. If you still don’t solve it, more similar issues will surface to annoy a serious gamer like you.
If you are upgrading an internal hard drive or thinking of purchasing an external USB drive to play intensive games, it is also important to know the necessary storage space. These days, you really need a lot of hard drive space.
You need to store not only your games but other multimedia files and documents. For those who wish to store their movies and games skills quickly a drive with 1080p or 4K capability will extra service. If you want to play AAA games, know that many new games are needed beyond 100 GB storage space.
When it comes to playing games on a computer, it is a fact that storage space or hard drives are often overlooked. Nevertheless, it cannot deny the fact that it is one of the most important components.
Ultimately, the available storage space determines the amount of four favorite games and media you can store simultaneously. Similarly, storage speed will determine the speed at which a game loads.
Thus, the purpose of this post is how much experience you need for gaming, so that you can ensure the smooth experience you are longing for.
Disk Storage Capacity For Normal Game Size
Let us first understand the average size of the game. Standard modern AAA games are likely to be at least 25 GB in size. The maximum size is likely to reach 50 GB and above. Some can even reach 100 GB. So, on average, three such games can fit on a 100 GB hard disk.
Explaining this statement further, each terabyte of storage may comprise approximately 30 games, provided that all the games you store are AAA and 3D. Indie games take up less space than other games with a lower budget than other games. Even older and last-generation AAA games require less space. So lets continue to read more about How Much SSD Storage Do I Need For Gaming PC?
Frankly, the ratio of 30 games to just 1 terabyte of storage space is unfavorable. If you can invest in these many games, to begin with, then you can actually afford a large hard drive. Below are the common drive sizes to consider for gaming according to your needs:
500 GB
Probably a disc for the enthusiast who is about to start playing. It is a perfect selection for a naïve budget player or a casual gamer. They are those who do not have a large stream library to store, who do not play many games, and who play small titles. When you start filling the library with different games and you find that the library is nearing completion, it is time to move towards a storage drive that has a capacity beyond 500 GB. Or, be prepared to remove some games or multimedia to make room for other games.
1000 GB (1 TB)
One of the most commonly used hard drive sizes is, especially by those who want to invest in a cheap disk. Yes, a 1 TB hard disk has become cheaper these days. You can store a substantial variety of games on a 1 TB disc, even if there is a large backlog. Still, it will give up in the end when you store more games that together exceed its storage capacity.
2000 GB (2 TB)
One of the most preferred storage sizes. It is also a value-for-money deal. Even if you only play modern games and regularly make new investments, this drive will take a significant amount of time to complete. The only exception here is often storing recorded videos or downloaded media files.
3000 GB (3 TB) or beyond)
Consumer hard drives have high-end collections in the world. For gaming, you will usually not see a hard drive exceeding capacity. Hard drives beyond 3 TB are available, however, they’re reserved for servers and high-end networks. Hard drives of 3 TB capacity are ideal for gaming fanatics, who see no end to expanding their collections and playing more and more new versions. If you do not want to upgrade your PC any time soon you can also consider a hard disk of 3 TB or more.
Hard Disk Drives (HDDs), Solid State Drives (SSDs), or Solid State Hybrid Drives (SSHDs): Which to Choose?
SSDs are replacing HDDs due to their faster loading times, as they do not need to spin a platform to find data. This makes SSDs the top choice for many gamers. In fact, they are already integrated into the latest laptop.
An SSD with a storage capacity of 256 GB is usually in use for general purposes. However, this much storage is likely to disrupt your gaming experience. Many enthusiast games such as The Witcher 3 and FIFA 19 require more than 50 GB. If you need these games, a 256 GB SSD can accommodate only four or five such games.
This is the reason why gaming laptops have a 1 TB storage capacity of SSD, although 512 GB SSDs are available to meet the minimum requirements of gamers. While anything less can negatively affect your gaming experience, anything else can store your movies and videos.
Investing in an SSD of 1 TB capacity instead of an HDD of the same capacity means running applications and relevant software components quickly and easily. Obviously, Solid State Drives are more expensive than Hard Disk Drives.
Conclusion
The answer to “How Much SSD Storage Do I Need For Gaming PC?”. 512 GB for beginners and 1 TB or additional for gaming aficionados. Nothing below this is recommended.