The typical gamer thinks that you can store ten games on a single terabyte of storage. Then again, even though solid-state disks (SSDs) are faster than hard drives. If you are concerned about the future, a 2-terabyte hard drive is your best bet in case you may wish to add a second 500GB SSD to house your computer system and frequently play games. As a novice gamer, it is good if you have an idea on how much storage does a gaming PC needs?
A gamer’s storage needs are unique to them and their gaming habits. With a 500 GB hard drive, your gaming PC is ready to go. Still, you can only fit a couple of games on it until you run out of room. You’ll need a considerably larger drive if you like to install games rather than uninstall them to make room for new ones.
What Is a Gaming PC?
The most visually intensive games may be played with relative ease on a gaming PC. These computers include powerful graphics cards and ample storage and RAM options.
Many different variations of gaming PCs can be grouped into three broad types:
- Laptop computers, specialized for use in video games, combine a keyboard and screen into a single compact unit. They are well-liked due to their portability, although performance may suffer as a result.
- Traditional desktop gaming PCs typically consist of a keyboard, monitor, and speakers that can be placed flat on a desk or propped up vertically. These computers are often rather huge, so you may need a sizable workspace to handle them.
- As the name implies, all-in-one PCs integrate a display and audio system into a single chassis. If you want to reduce the size of your home office and living space, this may be a good option.
How Much Storage Does a Gaming PC Needs? Things to Know About Gaming Storage
As a medium, video games have come a long way over many years. The size of the field shifts and changes throughout the game. Games on Nintendo cartridges back in the day typically ran between 8KB and 6MB. In the PlayStation era, game sizes grew to above 650 MB. In 2021, the average AAA game will be between 4 and 100 gigabytes in size.
The vast majority of the lower-end games have storage capacities of between 4 and 10 GB. Even while indie games tend to be smaller, they can still be quite large. Another caveat is that one should not assume an indie game will be less massive than a triple-A title.
Thankfully, as consoles and PCs improve in capability, more realistic visuals and higher resolutions become possible. The larger the game’s installation becomes, the more quality there is to it. For example, even after compression, Forza 7 is above 100 GB in size.
The Importance of Storage for Gaming: How Much Storage Does a Gaming PC Needs?
Games that require a substantial amount of storage space are those that are the most demanding. Quite a few video games are cumbersome in size and demand a sizable hard drive. You won’t simply have one or two PC games downloaded; you’ll have dozens. In addition, you’ll need extra space because of the regular updates that are provided for these games.
How Much Space Does a Typical New Video Game Need?
Some of today’s most popular AAA games can require hundreds of gigabytes of storage space on your hard drive when installed. You shouldn’t have to constantly reinstall games to deal with disk space issues, even if you frequently move between them. Curating your installed games, however, could be a viable alternative for people looking to save money who only play a small handful of games.
How Much Space Does a Gaming PC Need for Storage?
If you plan on installing 20 games, at an approximate size of approximately 40 GB each, you’ll need at least 1 TB of extra storage for games. Remember that the operating system, any programs, and files that you install will all take up some space. This is why it makes sense to keep a 50-200 GB reserve for data that isn’t related to games on the same or a different hard drive. The number of games you want to have installed can increase or decrease the size of this estimate.
What if There Isn’t Enough Storage on Your Gaming PC?
Your computer needs a particular amount of free space to play a game; if it doesn’t have that much available, the game won’t launch. If the game is too demanding for your computer, you won’t enjoy playing it. Game crashes in Fallout 4, lag spikes in Rainbow Six Siege, and other similar issues are all possible. Having enough storage space for the game to function properly is essential for a lag-free gaming experience.
1-Gaming PC Storage Recommendations (Capacity)
The optimal capacity of gaming PCs will be established by the quantity or size of games downloaded. The table below summarizes the disk space requirements of several well-liked games. Knowing these will help you identify how much storage does a gaming PC needs.
500GB
The standard for a gaming system these days is a 500GB hard disk. As an alternative, you will frequently have to delete games as well as other files in order to make room for new games. A 500GB hard drive is sufficient if you prefer to save media files in the cloud and do not frequently download games. In addition, it’s a reasonable choice for those on a tighter gaming budget or who just play a few games sometimes.
1TB
One terabyte (TB) of storage space is ideal for gaming PCs. Many players have switched to the 1 TB drive. That’s why it’s the most common size for hard drives. It has a large capacity for game saves. In addition, 1 terabyte (TB) hard disks are cheap these days. As a result, most experts agree that a 1 TB hard disk is the optimal capacity for a gaming PC.
2TB
Many gamers also favor this disk size because it provides enough room for archiving games, media files, and gameplay captures. 2TB hard drives can be completely filled in a relatively short amount of time if you just play recent games and constantly buy new ones. Two-terabyte hard drives, meanwhile, are cheap and widely available.
3TB
A 3 TB hard drive is ideal if you wish to save and play multiple versions of your games. As an added bonus, this disk space can also accommodate the needs of content producers who want to document their gaming sessions. A 3 TB hard drive will save you from having to make any drastic storage changes anytime soon. Hard drives with 3 terabytes of storage space are extremely rare and much beyond what the average gamer needs. There are relatively few serious gamers who own a Windows PC with such a large hard drive.
4TB
Games can be downloaded without limit on 4TB hard disks. The drive may accommodate many game installations simultaneously. The potential uses for the remaining space are numerous. While hard drives with capacities of more than 3 terabytes (TB) are technically feasible, they are typically reserved for use in extremely large servers and networks.
2-Recommended Storage for Gaming PCs (Disk Types)
There are primarily two kinds of hard drives available today: HDD and SSD. The question of whether or not to utilize an SSD or HDD in a gaming PC has been debated for some time. Each hard drive format and its benefits and drawbacks are explored. Before choosing, weigh each option’s pros and cons.
HDD
Advantages:
- Affordably priced
- Huge Capacity
Disadvantages:
- Less rapid data transfer speeds than SSDs.
- As a result of a reduced life expectancy (it usually lasts for 3 to 5 years)
- A magnetic head and a spinning disk produce a certain amount of noise.
SSD
Advantages:
- Quick reading and writing speeds (SSDs are often 20-200 times quicker than HDDs.)
- Mechanically inert; lacking in any kind of movable parts
- Having a longer useful life than hard disk drives
Disadvantages:
- For a hefty sum of money
What Determines Storage Size?
What you do on your computer affects how much space you’ll need for programs, documents, and other data. Depending on how they use their computer, some people need more than 500GB of storage, while others can get away with less than that. Even gaming PCs aren’t exempt from this rule. The amount of storage space required for various PC games is highly individual and genre specific.
1-The Games You Play
What you do on your computer affects how much space you’ll need for programs, documents, and other data. Depending on how they use their computer, some people need more than 500GB of storage. That’s still more than the others could get away with.
But if you’re into playing AAA games, you’ll need even more than 1 TB. The file sizes of computer games have also decreased significantly. A Nintendo cartridge could hold a game that required only 8KB to 6MB of storage space.
2-Your Budget
Despite the fact that PC storage costs have decreased, money may still be an issue for some. If money is no object, the 1 TB hard disk that can be had for roughly $30 may be the best option. The 500GB is sufficient for most players, especially newcomers, who are on a tight budget and plan to upgrade their storage space later. However, as capacity increases, the per-GB cost decreases, making the purchase more affordable.
3-System Usage
All the aforementioned storage suggestions are based on the assumption that you will only be using your computer for gaming. Hardcore gamers, like many others, use their computers for more than just gaming. In addition to doing things like video editing and content creation, you may also use your computer to save movies and images.
There should be enough room for these activities, after all. So, even if you’re just a casual gamer or enjoy independent titles, you’ll need more than 500GB of storage space. The storage space you have available may be swiftly depleted by an hour of high-resolution 4K video, which might consume anywhere from 25GB to 75GB. The space requirements of lower resolutions are smaller, yet they are still significant.
4-Engaged Platforms
Game developers have been embracing cloud storage in an effort to solve the widespread storage problem faced by players. Streamed games eliminate the need for a dedicated hard drive or other storage medium on your part. Streaming services for video games are a great way to play without worrying about space constraints.
You can use the processing power and data storage capacity of the streaming servers, meaning a high-end computer is not required. Popular AAA titles are now also playable on mobile devices. You only need a stable internet connection that won’t cause any pauses in your game.
To play games without an internet connection, you can download them from most of these sites, including Steam and Twitch. If you’re concerned about taking up too much room on your hard drive. You can disable local storage.
Ways to Organize Game Data on Your Computer
In spite of having plenty of space, you may soon find that your game files have outgrown your system, especially if you’re using high-resolution visuals and sound. Even more so if you’re constantly adding new games to your collection through download. So, you might have to rearrange some things in order to make way for brand new games.
Experts’ first piece of advice is as simple as deleting old games to make room for new ones. If you have a lot of games that you haven’t played in a while, getting rid of them could seem like the easiest solution. However, a dedicated player may find it challenging to decide which games to retain and which to delete.
You can always re-download the game if you change your mind about playing it after deleting it. The lengthy time required to download a new game is a source of frustration for many players.
Additional Game Hardware Requirements
The subject of which video game console is superior cannot be answered categorically. If you want to play a game smoothly after installing it, you should check its system requirements. Some games have additional requirements beyond the standard gaming gear of a video card, input devices such as a mouse and keyboard, a display, and cooling solutions.
As an illustration, the vast majority of newer games are incompatible with anything older than Windows 10. (64-bit). The amount of space required varies widely across the most popular games, and this information is provided in-game. In contrast to the 100 GB needed for the full release of Horizon: Zero Dawn, VALORANT only needs 8 GB.
1-Processor
Many gamers prioritize purchasing a high-end graphics card when building a gaming PC, but the central processing unit (CPU) should be their primary priority. The CPU, or “brain” of your system, determines how quickly you can perform certain tasks.
2-RAM
The amount of random-access memory (RAM) in your computer also has a major role in the overall gaming experience. While there are games out there that just need 8GB or 4GB of RAM, most of the popular AAA titles today demand at least 16GB of RAM to run smoothly.
3-PSU
In general, gaming hardware is notoriously power-hungry. This is why specialized gaming hardware like a graphics card has its own power connection to the PC’s PSU. A reliable PSU is required to supply adequate power to all components. A cheap power supply device will fail quickly, perhaps causing damage to your machine.
Improving Data Integrity When Moving to a Bigger Disk
Upgrade to a larger hard disk if you’re running out of room. The results of this action will be noticeable almost immediately, providing you with a substantial amount of more room. More importantly, there’s no need to delete anything from the device’s storage.
However, the most crucial factor to think about is how to increase disk space without compromising security. If so, MiniTool Partition Wizard is a tool you should consider. With its Copy Disk or OS Migration to SSD/HDD Wizard functions, you can easily copy the data from the old drive to the new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is 2 TB a lot of storage for gaming?
For video games, 2 terabytes of storage capacity are a lot. Two terabytes of space may hold a variety of games or other files. Most players won’t need any more room than that. More than 2 terabytes of space is recommended for video game collections.
Q: Does a 256GB hard drive suffice for a gaming rig?
Because of its high speed and large storage capacity, a 256 GB solid-state drive (SSD) is an excellent component in a gaming laptop. But it’s pricey, and for some individuals that means it’s not worth it. How much solid-state drive space is required for games?
Q: How much SSD is enough for gaming?
Traditional wisdom holds that a minimum of 512 GB of storage space is required for an entry-level solid-state drive (SSD). In order to accommodate the operating system, general system speed optimizations, and frequently used games. However, a 1 TB SSD is quickly appearing like the minimum requirement, given the growing sizes of recent games.
Q: Do gamers benefit more from a hard disk or a solid-state drive?
SSDs cost more per gigabyte, but they load games and transmit data faster than HDDs. Consider the read and write speeds of potential SSDs. Today’s solid-state drives (SSDs) connect using a PCIe interface, which is much quicker than SATA III. Compared to SATA III drives, the PCIe interface used by modern SSDs is much faster.
Q: When using an SSD, do game installations happen more quickly?
When compared to HDDs, SSDs are preferable due to the fact that they don’t require moving parts to function. Games installed on a solid-state drive (SSD) are quicker to launch and load levels. The performance of games that stream resources from storage is improved on SSDs.
Bottom Line
What is the minimum storage requirement for a gaming PC? How much storage does a gaming PC needs? What matters is your desired game depth. You can purchase the ideal amount of space for a gaming PC. Luckily, there are lots of ways that can help you find additional disk space on your computer. Obtaining your goal is as easy as following the provided steps to upgrade to a larger disk.
