When purchasing a new laptop, one of the key factors to consider is the hard drive size. With operating systems, programs, and files taking up storage space, you’ll want to make sure to get a laptop with enough storage capacity to meet your needs. But what is the most common hard drive size found in laptops today? Let’s take a look at some of the key factors and trends to determine the most popular storage options.
Key Factors in Laptop Hard Drive Size
There are a few key factors that influence the typical hard drive sizes found in laptops:
- Operating system requirements – Windows 10 requires at least 32GB of storage space while MacOS needs at least 44GB free.
- Pre-loaded software – Many laptops come with pre-installed software which takes up storage space.
- Average user storage needs – General home and office tasks require adequate storage for documents, photos, music and more.
- Multimedia files – Users storing lots of large multimedia files will require more storage space.
- Budget – Larger hard drives add to the overall cost of a laptop.
With these factors in mind, many laptop manufacturers offer multiple storage size options to choose from. The most common sizes seen are:
- 128GB
- 256GB
- 512GB
- 1TB
However, the most popular choice amongst average laptop buyers is typically 256GB.
Why 256GB is the Most Common Hard Drive Size
256GB hard drives offer a good balance of several factors that make them the most popular choice in new laptop models:
- Affordability – 256GB drives are significantly cheaper than higher capacity options like 512GB or 1TB. For budget-conscious buyers, 256GB provides ample space at a reasonable price.
- OS and software requirements – With 256GB, there is plenty of room for operating systems and pre-installed software, plus space for additional programs.
- Everyday tasks – Light office work, web browsing, streaming media and other common tasks are easily handled with 256GB storage.
- Some multimedia files – There is room for a moderate library of documents, photos, videos and music.
- External storage options – If more space is eventually needed, external USB drives provide a simple storage upgrade path.
For all these reasons, 256GB hard drives are a “sweet spot” for the majority of laptop users looking for the best balance of price and capacity.
256GB Offers Room to Grow
One of the appealing aspects of a 256GB laptop hard drive is that it provides some growing room as storage needs expand over time. Let’s look at some examples:
- Photos – A typical MP3 song takes up about 3-5MB. With 256GB of space, you could store over 50,000 songs with room left over for photos and videos.
- Videos – High definition video consumes about 2GB per hour. With 256GB available, you could save around 128 hours of HD video along with your other files.
- Games – Many popular game titles use 1-4GB per game. There is easily room for 50+ games on a 256GB laptop drive.
- Documents – Word files, PDFs, spreadsheets and other documents use very little space, just KB. Tens of thousands of documents can fit on 256GB.
As you can see, typical users have quite a bit of room for growth even starting with a 256GB capacity hard drive.
512GB and 1TB Drives for Power Users
While 256GB hard drives are the most common in new laptops, some power users prefer higher capacities like 512GB or 1TB to start with more storage headroom.
Here are some examples where larger drives are beneficial:
- Extensive multimedia collections – Users with huge libraries of high resolution photos, videos and lossless music have large storage requirements.
- PC gaming – Modern game install sizes can reach above 50GB each. Gamers need spacious drives.
- 4K video production – Creating and editing high resolution 4K videos consumes massive storage capacity.
- Developers / IT pros – Developers working with large datasets need more room for programming tools and virtual machines.
For these types of demanding roles, 512GB or 1TB may be the minimum starting point. Of course, the trade-off is higher cost. But for some, the extra performance and capacity is well worth it.
External Storage Expands Options
One way for typical laptop owners to augment their 256GB of internal storage is to utilize external USB hard drives and flash memory. External storage can be purchased and connected whenever extra capacity is needed down the road. Key options include:
- USB flash drive – Low cost flash memory sticks that connect via any USB port. Capacities from 16GB up to 256GB are available.
- External hard disk – Compact external USB hard drives offer capacities from 500GB to 5TB at reasonable prices.
- USB SSD – External SSD drives combine fast solid state flash memory with USB connectivity. Up to 2TB capacity options.
- Cloud storage – Services like Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive provide abundant online “drive” space for occasional needs.
With these easy add-on storage choices, even starting with a 256GB system drive leaves future expansion possibilities.
Choosing the Right Hard Drive Size
When choosing your next laptop, consider how you plan to use it. Here are some laptop hard drive recommendations based on use case:
| How You Use Your Laptop | Recommended Hard Drive Size |
|---|---|
| Office work, web browsing, streaming media | 256GB |
| Gaming, multimedia production, programming | 512GB – 1TB |
| Extensive gaming and multimedia libraries | 1TB+ |
For most mainstream laptop owners, a 256GB hard drive provides a great blend of affordability and capacity. Power users who work with large multimedia files or install sizeable games and applications opt for 512GB or 1TB+ sizes. And external storage can always be added later if needed.
256GB SSDs Becoming More Popular
One recent shift in laptop storage is the growing popularity of 256GB solid state drives (SSDs) in newer models. SSDs provide much faster performance than traditional hard disk drives. Key advantages of 256GB SSDs:
- Faster boot up, shut down and application loading
- Improved responsiveness for a snappier computing experience
- Better durability and power efficiency compared to mechanical hard drives
- Silent operation and reduced heat production
Thanks to continually lower prices, 256GB SSDs are now found on many mainstream laptops. Gamers and power users seeking even faster speeds can upgrade to larger capacity SSD options up to 2TB.
Average Laptop Hard Drive Sizes Over Time
Over the past decade, average laptop hard drive capacities have grown substantially. According to Statista, the average storage size offered in new laptops increased from around 320GB in 2010 to about 1TB in 2020. However, consumer purchasing trends tend to favor mid-range capacities like 256GB for a balance of price and performance.
Here is an overview of the growth in average laptop hard drive sizes since 2010:
| Year | Average Laptop Hard Drive Size |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 320GB HDD |
| 2011 | 420GB HDD |
| 2012 | 500GB HDD |
| 2013 | 620GB HDD |
| 2014 | 700GB HDD |
| 2015 | 780GB HDD |
| 2016 | 900GB HDD |
| 2017 | 1TB HDD |
| 2018 | 1TB HDD/SSD |
| 2019 | 1TB HDD/SSD |
| 2020 | 1TB HDD/SSD |
As you can see, storage capacities grew steadily each year as larger hard drives were introduced. And in 2018, SSDs began replacing hard disks in many laptop models. But consumer demand has centered around mid-range sizes like 256GB SSDs that offer a good balance of space, speed and affordability.
Conclusion
When looking at the most common laptop hard drive sizes today, 256GB remains the leading capacity sold. For mainstream consumers doing common productivity tasks and storing a moderate amount multimedia, 256GB hits a sweet spot between price, performance and space. Laptop gamers, creative pros and performance users often opt for larger 512GB or 1TB+ drives to obtain more speed and headroom. Externals storage can also augment internal capacity when needed. But overall, 256GB remains the typical laptop hard drive size purchased by general notebook PC users.