How much disk capacity do I need on a PC, laptop and phone

When buying a computer or phone, the question of how much storage to choose comes up almost every time. Too little and you will constantly be deleting, too much and you overpay needlessly. Let us explain how much capacity you really need based on what you use the device for.

What it depends on

The space you need is determined mainly by what you do on the device. The system and applications take up some base, and the rest is filled by your files. The most space is eaten by photos, videos and games, the least by documents.

What takes up how much (roughly)

• The Windows operating system takes up roughly 30 to 50 GB.
• A game can easily be 50 to 150 GB, modern titles are huge.
• An hour of 4K video takes up many gigabytes, and phone photos add up quickly too.
• Documents and music take up little by comparison.

Phone

A sensible minimum today is 128 GB. If you take a lot of photos and videos, choose 256 GB and more. Note that part of the capacity is taken by the system, so you really have less than is on the box. Some phones support a microSD memory card, which expands the space.

Laptop and computer

• Ordinary work, web and office: 256 to 512 GB SSD is enough.
• Lots of photos, videos or programs: 1 TB and more.
• A gamer: 1 to 2 TB, because games take up an enormous amount of space.

Always choose an SSD for speed, not a slow mechanical disk.

SSD and archive together

A proven combination is a fast SSD for the system and programs and a large disk or cloud for an archive of photos and videos. That way you have both speed and space. A comparison of cloud storage also helps.

Leave a reserve

Never fill a disk to 100 percent. Leave at least 10 to 20 percent free, otherwise the computer slows down and with an SSD the lifespan is shortened too.

A table of recommendations

Are you running out of space or choosing a new device? Get in touch, we will advise on the right capacity and on choosing a disk.