How much SSD storage do I need for my build?

[Tweed]

How much SSD space do I need for my OS, video editing applications, animating applications, graphic design applications, and programming/coding. I'm building my first PC and idk how much these applications will take up, so I need help/advice on how much I should get for my SSD.

 

[CTurbo]

The 240-256GB range is the best bang for buck right now. You could get away with 120-128GB if you needed to, but I would not go lower than that.

 

[bliq]

these days, i'd recommend a minimum of 240/256GB and if you can afford, 480/500/512GB. For me, I'd rather get a 512GB mainstream drive than a really fast 256GB drive- the differences are imperceptible in everyday usage. If you're doing the editing for business purposes (i.e. time is money) then a fast 256 might make more sense, but a fast 512 would make a lot more sense (as in, if you make money from it, invest in the big drive- the ROI should be short).

 

[Tweed]

I currently use a Macbook 2008 with 128GB of storage and I'm constantly having to go through my stuff and delete/move it to an external hard drive. And I only have 1 game, Adobe Applications (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Flash, etc.), Microsoft Office, and just a bunch of other applications. I don't want to run into the same problem I have right now and having to clear/move stuff to make up space.

But I'm also trying to save money. And was just deciding whether is 500GB for all the stuff I plan to have is good enough or too much. Lke stuff I plan to have as in video editing applications, graphic design, coding, all stuff I said in the description, to which I don't know what or how much each applications will take up because I haven't really delved into that field yet.

 

[atomicWAR]

I'd go with 500GB range if it were me...if you could afford a full 1TB I'd do that( i have 2x 1 TB SSD in my rig for games and applications i don't want on my OS drive , 1x 4tb SSHD for bulk storage and 2x 128GB in raid 0 for my OS) Can never have to much space.

 

[azaran]

Running Adobe Suite stuff, and general assorted programs I use a little over 250GB. This doesn't count the actual working files, personal documents, media files, etc that are on HDD drives. With the amount of programs you're looking to load, and the working size of files you need at a minimum a 240GB/250GB drive. I'd really recommend picking up a 500GB drive tho. Also a HDD drive with a few TB for the project files you're going to need to store.

 

[bliq]

I currently use a Macbook 2008 with 128GB of storage and I'm constantly having to go through my stuff and delete/move it to an external hard drive. And I only have 1 game, Adobe Applications (Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop, Flash, etc.), Microsoft Office, and just a bunch of other applications. I don't want to run into the same problem I have right now and having to clear/move stuff to make up space.

But I'm also trying to save money. And was just deciding whether is 500GB for all the stuff I plan to have is good enough or too much. Lke stuff I plan to have as in video editing applications, graphic design, coding, all stuff I said in the description, to which I don't know what or how much each applications will take up because I haven't really delved into that field yet.

well, aside from the apps, the video files tend to be huge and you want those files on the SSD, not on mechanical disk when you're editing it. So 500 is definitely not too large. Check the price difference between 256 and 512 for some decent mainstream drives (Samsung Evo 850, Crucial MX200, etc) and you'll find the difference isn't too much, maybe 40-50% difference for 100% more storage. Plus, you never really want to go over about 90% of the capacity of the SSD due to the way most SSD's work- performance suffers. Near 100% utilization, and you'll probably have crashes- my wife's laptop does this until I clear out all her photos.

 

[Tweed]

Running Adobe Suite stuff, and general assorted programs I use a little over 250GB. This doesn't count the actual working files, personal documents, media files, etc that are on HDD drives. With the amount of programs you're looking to load, and the working size of files you need at a minimum a 240GB/250GB drive. I'd really recommend picking up a 500GB drive tho. Also a HDD drive with a few TB for the project files you're going to need to store.

I was thinking of getting an HDD as well for project files and stuff I need to store. But was considering an external HDD instead so that I can fit extra fans in my case (remove the hard drive cage so I can fit intake fans since my case has terrible airflow *when I mean terrible, I meaning there is little, if no ventilation*)

 

[Tweed]

well, aside from the apps, the video files tend to be huge and you want those files on the SSD, not on mechanical disk when you're editing it. So 500 is definitely not too large. Check the price difference between 256 and 512 for some decent mainstream drives (Samsung Evo 850, Crucial MX200, etc) and you'll find the difference isn't too much, maybe 40-50% difference for 100% more storage. Plus, you never really want to go over about 90% of the capacity of the SSD due to the way most SSD's work- performance suffers. Near 100% utilization, and you'll probably have crashes- my wife's laptop does this until I clear out all her photos.
[/quotemsg]

I couldn't agree more. I'm just having a hard time deciding what I need and if it is too much or too little. Since I have no experience in these kinds of applications that I plan to get into as a hobby/career (<-maybe...) I was looking at OCZ SSDs as well, cheaper than Samsung, but I want to go with Samsung because of their reputation in "best SSDs." But I have to relook it because I'm trying to save money, and my build is looking at $2000, which I don't want to spend that much.

 

[Tweed]

I'd go with 500GB range if it were me...if you could afford a full 1TB I'd do that( i have 2x 1 TB SSD in my rig for games and applications i don't want on my OS drive , 1x 4tb SSHD for bulk storage and 2x 128GB in raid 0 for my OS) Can never have to much space.

I'm trying to save money haha. Trying to get what I need, not too little, not too much.

 

[azaran]

I'd recommend sticking to something above the quality of the OZC drives since you're going to be doing a LOT of writing to disk with the programs you're talking about. The Samsuing Evo line out performs most mainstream level SSD's and pushes in to Pro levels. The flash memory on the budget drives really isn't meant for what you'll likely be putting the drive through. Externals aren't bad for cold storage, but really for the price difference of the external drive and the extra fans you might as well look at getting a better case. If you post up your budget and your build I'm sure we could help fine tune it.

 

[bliq]

the external drive would be good for storing finished video but not for video you're in the process of editing. Are you planning to build something or use the macbook pro? I'm not too clear on what you're planning.

 

[Tweed]

I'd recommend sticking to something above the quality of the OZC drives since you're going to be doing a LOT of writing to disk with the programs you're talking about. The Samsuing Evo line out performs most mainstream level SSD's and pushes in to Pro levels. The flash memory on the budget drives really isn't meant for what you'll likely be putting the drive through. Externals aren't bad for cold storage, but really for the price difference of the external drive and the extra fans you might as well look at getting a better case. If you post up your budget and your build I'm sure we could help fine tune it.

Here is my build: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/fKPbXH
I actually have my CPU and case already. Kind of jumped on the case without really thinking about it, just saw how sexy it was and had to get it.

 

[Tweed]

the external drive would be good for storing finished video but not for video you're in the process of editing. Are you planning to build something or use the macbook pro? I'm not too clear on what you're planning.

I''m building a PC so I can get rid of my Macbook Pro lol. It sucks so bad, it gets super hot and slow all the time, even watching browsing the web, watching YouTube videos, small demanding games, etc.

 

[bliq]

yeah sorry, misread your first post. realistically, $2000 is a pretty big budget. There should be plenty of room in the budget to get a 500 or even 1TB SSD and a couple GB storage drive- really, you can never have too much space. I don't want to be a downer but for something you're not even sure you're going to enjoy, that's a lot of money to spend. Even at $1000-1200, you could build a perfectly usable enthusiast video editing workstation I'd think. As with all builds being built to a budget, I just recommend splurging on the parts that'll have an impact on performance or longevity, i.e. the GPU or PSU, rather than aesthetics or excessive cooling. You don't *need* watercooling or a $100+ case or a dozen fans, for example. You will want a good GPU, CPU, ample RAM (I was able to buy 32GB for just $70 a couple months ago and RAM has been getting cheaper).

 

[Tweed]

yeah sorry, misread your first post. realistically, $2000 is a pretty big budget. There should be plenty of room in the budget to get a 500 or even 1TB SSD and a couple GB storage drive- really, you can never have too much space. I don't want to be a downer but for something you're not even sure you're going to enjoy, that's a lot of money to spend. Even at $1000-1200, you could build a perfectly usable enthusiast video editing workstation I'd think. As with all builds being built to a budget, I just recommend splurging on the parts that'll have an impact on performance or longevity, i.e. the GPU or PSU, rather than aesthetics or excessive cooling. You don't *need* watercooling or a $100+ case or a dozen fans, for example. You will want a good GPU, CPU, ample RAM (I was able to buy 32GB for just $70 a couple months ago and RAM has been getting cheaper).

Yeah $2000 isn't my budget. I'm trying to get my PC to a lower price.

 

[bliq]

yeah sorry, misread your first post. realistically, $2000 is a pretty big budget. There should be plenty of room in the budget to get a 500 or even 1TB SSD and a couple GB storage drive- really, you can never have too much space. I don't want to be a downer but for something you're not even sure you're going to enjoy, that's a lot of money to spend. Even at $1000-1200, you could build a perfectly usable enthusiast video editing workstation I'd think. As with all builds being built to a budget, I just recommend splurging on the parts that'll have an impact on performance or longevity, i.e. the GPU or PSU, rather than aesthetics or excessive cooling. You don't *need* watercooling or a $100+ case or a dozen fans, for example. You will want a good GPU, CPU, ample RAM (I was able to buy 32GB for just $70 a couple months ago and RAM has been getting cheaper).

Yeah $2000 isn't my budget. I'm trying to get my PC to a lower price.

yeah just model your build on pcpartpicker.com and let's see where you can shave off some money...

 

[Tweed]

yeah sorry, misread your first post. realistically, $2000 is a pretty big budget. There should be plenty of room in the budget to get a 500 or even 1TB SSD and a couple GB storage drive- really, you can never have too much space. I don't want to be a downer but for something you're not even sure you're going to enjoy, that's a lot of money to spend. Even at $1000-1200, you could build a perfectly usable enthusiast video editing workstation I'd think. As with all builds being built to a budget, I just recommend splurging on the parts that'll have an impact on performance or longevity, i.e. the GPU or PSU, rather than aesthetics or excessive cooling. You don't *need* watercooling or a $100+ case or a dozen fans, for example. You will want a good GPU, CPU, ample RAM (I was able to buy 32GB for just $70 a couple months ago and RAM has been getting cheaper).

Yeah $2000 isn't my budget. I'm trying to get my PC to a lower price.

yeah just model your build on pcpartpicker.com and let's see where you can shave off some money...

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/fKPbXH

 

[bliq]

Dang, that's a pretty nice build. You definitely will want to go with a single 1TB SSD rather than a pair of 500's- RAID 0 doesn't give you the same benefits with SSD's as with HDD and the risk is higher. That ought to save you $100 right there. You could easily shave off $100 just by picking a cheaper case- it's subjective, so maybe that case is worth $100 more to you than something else. another $50-100 with a less expensive motherboard (unless you need something specific that that MB offers). Another $80 by going with less expensive RAM. and anther $100 by sticking with air cooling. Don't get me wrong- the parts you spec'd out are Top of the Line. But you wanted to shave off some cost- it's up to you what to set the target at. One thing I'd note is that you'd probably want more than 1TB for your storage drive- I'd aim for maybe 2-3 TB or else you'll probably find that you're shopping for more HDD space sooner than you'd like.

 

[azaran]

So how heavy in to overclocking do you want to get?

Also your build has 2x 500GB drives. Are you just wanting 1TB of space or are you looking to RAID them?

 

[Tweed]

Dang, that's a pretty nice build. You definitely will want to go with a single 1TB SSD rather than a pair of 500's- RAID 0 doesn't give you the same benefits with SSD's as with HDD and the risk is higher. That ought to save you $100 right there. You could easily shave off $100 just by picking a cheaper case- it's subjective, so maybe that case is worth $100 more to you than something else. another $50-100 with a less expensive motherboard (unless you need something specific that that MB offers). Another $80 by going with less expensive RAM. and anther $100 by sticking with air cooling. Don't get me wrong- the parts you spec'd out are Top of the Line. But you wanted to shave off some cost- it's up to you what to set the target at. One thing I'd note is that you'd probably want more than 1TB for your storage drive- I'd aim for maybe 2-3 TB or else you'll probably find that you're shopping for more HDD space sooner than you'd like.

I had 1 SSD to house everything but I decided to have 2 SSDs to have everything organized. What's your opinion on that? Don't plan to RAID 0 btw. I already got my case so it's too late to return or go back on it, and it can only fit 156mm fans, and is noted to have terrible airflow, so people have removed the hard drive cage to fit in 2 fans on the bottom for intake. Essentially lots of cons that I didn't realize after I bought it, but I still love how it looks, but definitely could've made a cheaper and wiser decision... Would love to go air cooling, but since there aren't many good air coolers that fit in the 156mm restriction, good fans with huge heatsinks from Noctua or Phanteks or any other good air cooling provider, can not fit in my case and decided with an AIO water cooler. Looks better in my case as well for I'm going with a Batman sleek theme.

 

[Tweed]

So how heavy in to overclocking do you want to get?

If I weren't so spontaneous in my decision in buying the i7 6700k (which I already purchased on a sale), I would've gone with a non overclocking CPU, and gone with a H170 motherboard. But I got my CPU seeing it was on sale and I grabbed it. Maybe I'll leave it un-overclocked, maybe I'll overclock it, I'm not sure...

 

[azaran]

Well if you want to stick to stop, going with a Z170 board would still make sense to help with increasing the memory speed. Editing apps will enjoy it.
As for the hard drives. If you're having to micro manage 2 ssd's for your programs, you're making your life way more difficult than it needs to be. I'd go either one 1TB drive or stick to one 500GB drive and just deal with the upgrading to a 1TB when you actually need it. You're going to be running below 500GB unless you decide to install every Adobe/Autodesk/whatever program known to man.

 

[Tweed]

Well if you want to stick to stop, going with a Z170 board would still make sense to help with increasing the memory speed. Editing apps will enjoy it.
As for the hard drives. If you're having to micro manage 2 ssd's for your programs, you're making your life way more difficult than it needs to be. I'd go either one 1TB drive or stick to one 500GB drive and just deal with the upgrading to a 1TB when you actually need it. You're going to be running below 500GB unless you decide to install every Adobe/Autodesk/whatever program known to man.

What's your reasoning to why a 1 TB is better than 2x500GB SSDs? So having all my applications, OS, games, etc. on a large 1 SSD is the way to go?

 

[azaran]

Well if you want to stick to stop, going with a Z170 board would still make sense to help with increasing the memory speed. Editing apps will enjoy it.
As for the hard drives. If you're having to micro manage 2 ssd's for your programs, you're making your life way more difficult than it needs to be. I'd go either one 1TB drive or stick to one 500GB drive and just deal with the upgrading to a 1TB when you actually need it. You're going to be running below 500GB unless you decide to install every Adobe/Autodesk/whatever program known to man.

What's your reasoning to why a 1 TB is better than 2x500GB SSDs? So having all my applications, OS, games, etc. on a large 1 SSD is the way to go?

It's going to make installs easier, its going to organizing things easier. Most applications are fine with not being on the C: drive, but some still fight it. If you need to change out default locations, that's fine. But adding one more layer of complexity to any build when not needed.. eh I've just had that bite me in the ass too many times to ever recommend to people.