When choosing a hard drive for your PC, one of the most important factors to consider is drive capacity or storage space. The amount of storage you need depends on how you intend to use your computer. Here are some quick answers to common questions about recommended hard drive size for PCs:
Quick Answers
– For basic computing needs (web browsing, office work), 250-500GB is usually sufficient.
– For moderate use (some gaming, photo/video editing, multimedia storage), 1-2TB provides good capacity.
– For power users (video production, 3D modeling, high-end gaming), 3-4TB+ is recommended.
– For a boot drive, 120-250GB Solid State Drive (SSD) is ideal for fast startups.
– For external backup drives, 2-4TB is a common and affordable range.
– Most modern PCs have at least 1TB of storage space.
– Storage needs tend to increase over time as file sizes get larger.
– More capacity means you’re less likely to run out of space for applications, games, media files, etc.
– Large files like videos, RAW photos, and high-res games take up a lot of space quickly.
Typical User Profiles and Storage Needs
Here is a more detailed look at the hard drive requirements for different types of PC users:
Light Users
Typical light users perform basic tasks like:
- Browsing the internet
- Checking email
- Using simple office software
- Streaming music/video
- Casual gaming
For these types of uses, a 250GB to 500GB hard drive is usually sufficient. A solid state drive (SSD) in the 240-500GB range will provide fast boot times and app launching.
Medium Users
Medium users have more demanding storage needs from activities like:
- Playing immersive games
- Advanced office/productivity applications
- Editing photos
- Casual video editing
- Multimedia storage
1-2TB hard drives have good capacity for these needs. A 500GB SSD paired with a 1-2TB HDD offers a balance of speed and storage space.
Power Users
Power users need maximum capacity for storage-intensive tasks like:
- High-end PC gaming
- Professional content creation
- 4K/8K video editing
- 3D modeling and animation
- Running virtual machines
For these demanding uses, hard drives in the 3-4TB+ range are recommended. A 1TB SSD supplemented by high capacity HDDs (4TB+) provides excellent performance and ample storage.
Laptop Users
For laptops and portable PCs, the main considerations are:
- SSD for the boot drive – 250-500GB is typical
- HDD for media storage if there is a second bay – 1-2TB
- External portable HDDs – 1-4TB capacity
- Cloud storage to supplement limited local storage
An external USB 3.0 HDD provides flexible additional storage for laptops when needed.
Media Professionals
Media professionals working with HD, 4K and 8K video require huge storage capacity:
- 1TB SSD for boot and active project files
- RAID array of high capacity HDDs (10TB+) for media libraries
- External HDDs for transporting files and backup
- Cloud storage for archiving projects
Large RAID arrays with redundancy are essential for safely storing massive media files and projects.
Gamers
Gamers need sufficient capacity for large game installs and smooth gameplay loading:
- 500GB-1TB SSD for OS and active games
- 2-4TB HDD for game libraries and media
- Some high-end games can take up over 100GB each
- Allow extra space for game mods and DLC
A high performance SSD paired with a massive 4TB+ HDD provides the ideal gaming storage setup.
Factors That Affect Storage Requirements
Some key factors that influence how much hard drive space you will need include:
- Operating System – Windows 10 requires 20-35GB, more with updates.
- Programs and Apps – Apps range from a few MBs to GBs for major software.
- Personal Files – Photos, music, videos, documents take up variable amounts.
- Games – Modern games often require 20GB+ and some over 100GB.
- Media – HD video and audio files consume storage quickly.
- Content Creation – Video projects, 3D assets, image files can be huge.
It’s important to consider both your current usage and future needs when choosing a hard drive. Applications, games, media formats, and file sizes are only going to increase over time. Having some room to grow is ideal so you don’t run out of space too quickly.
Recommendations by Use Case
Here are some general guidelines for recommended hard drive size based on typical PC use cases:
Basic Computing
- 250GB HDD minimum for OS and programs
- 500GB provides more room for growth
- 120-256GB SSD for faster performance
Mainstream Home PC
- 500GB+ SSD or 1TB HDD for boot
- 2-4TB HDD for media storage
Mid-range Gaming
- 500GB-1TB SSD for OS and active games
- 2TB+ HDD for game library
Media Editing/Creation
- 1TB SSD for OS, applications, and active project files
- High capacity HDD in RAID (8TB+) for media storage
High-end Gaming
- 1TB NVMe SSD for OS and current games
- 4TB+ HDD for game library
- May add secondary HDDs in RAID for more storage
Laptops/Notebooks
- 256-500GB SSD boot drive
- Optional 1-2TB secondary HDD if supported
- External USB 3.0 drive for additional capacity
Choosing the Right Hard Drive Types
In addition to drive capacity, it’s important to pick the right types of hard drive technologies for your PC build or upgrade.
Solid State Drives (SSDs)
- Ideal for boot drives and active programs/games
- Faster performance – no moving parts
- More reliable and durable than HDDs
- Lower capacity than HDDs – ideal capacity is 240GB to 1TB
- More expensive per GB compared to HDDs
Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)
- Provide high capacity bulk storage
- Well-suited for media libraries, archives, backups
- Available in large capacities up to 10TB+
- Slower than SSDs due to moving parts
- Budget-friendly storage per GB
Hybrid Drives (SSHDs)
- Combo SSD/HDD technology
- Faster than HDDs, but slower than SSDs
- Cost-effective compromise for both speed and capacity
- Limited capacities compared to HDDs
For most users, an SSD and an HDD dual drive setup provides the ideal blend of performance and generous storage capacity.
Media professionals working with huge files may want to look at high capacity NAS devices and external storage arrays in addition to internal drives.
Drive Interface and Performance Considerations
Along with drive type and capacity, the interface and data transfer speeds are important factors that affect real-world performance. Some key points:
- SATA III SSDs provide sequential read/writes up to 550/520MB/s.
- M.2 NVMe SSDs are faster, with sequential read/writes up to 3500/2500MB/s.
- HDD speeds range from 100-210MB/s, depending on platter density and RPM.
- Hybrid drives have variable speeds depending on SSD/HDD portions.
- UASP and USB 3.x provide faster external drive performance.
For ultimate speed go with NVMe SSDs, but SATA SSDs still provide big improvements over HDDs. Evaluate your budget, performance needs and overall build when selecting drives.
Examples of Drive Speeds
| Drive Type | Interface | R/W Speeds |
| SATA III SSD | SATA 6Gbps | 550MB/s / 520MB/s |
| M.2 NVMe SSD | PCIe 3.0 x4 | 3500MB/s / 2500MB/s |
| 7200 RPM HDD | SATA 6Gbps | 160MB/s (avg) |
| SSHD | SATA 6Gbps | 100-550MB/s |
| USB 3.2 HDD | USB 3.2 Gen2 | 500MB/s |
Comparing Drive Cost Per GB
One last factor to consider is the relative cost per gigabyte (GB) for different storage solutions. In general:
- HDDs offer the lowest cost per GB, ranging from $0.02 to $0.05 per GB for consumer models.
- SSDs are more expensive at around $0.20 to $0.50 per GB depending on speed and form factor.
- External drives cost a bit more than their internal counterparts.
While HDDs are cheaper overall, the dramatically faster speeds of SSDs make them well worth the extra cost for boot and active storage needs. When budget allows, choose SSD boot drives combined with high capacity HDDs for ideal performance and value.
Conclusion
When selecting a hard drive for your desktop PC, the recommended size depends largely on your usage needs and budget. For most mainstream users, a 500GB to 1TB SSD paired with a 2-4TB HDD will provide ample speed and storage capacity.
On the low end, you can get by with a 250-500GB HDD for basic computing. For media professionals or high-end gaming, multiple drives adding up to 10TB or more may be required. Take the time to assess your current and future needs so you choose the right drive sizes and technology for optimal long term use.