[SOLVED] Is 128GB SSD enough for a Windows 10 laptop?

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koam

koam

Dec 22, 2019
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Shopping for a laptop.
Windows 10. I'd probably have not too much in the way of applications installed. Probably Office and a few smaller things. I don't need to store a lot of data on the laptop itself.
My current Window 10 laptop with 1 TB HDD is mostly empty. Here's what the system drive looks like.


https://imgur.com/a/t6sAEw0
View: https://imgur.com/a/t6sAEw0


There's 77 GB used on my system drive partition, 25 GB is in the Windows folder. 13 GB in the two Program Files folders combined.
About 8 GB on my data drive partition, much of which could be deleted.

And this is after about 3 years of use, so Windows disk usage has grown in that time.

So with about 85 GB total used on the current old laptop, would 128 GB SSD be enough space for Windows and apps to run on a new laptop?
Yes, I know a larger drive is better but would I see any impact in having 128 GB vs 256 GB SSD if I only used it the way I've been using the current laptop?
Please state your reasoning when replying. Thanks.

My use case is lots of web surfing, many Chrome tabs, sometimes Edge, lots of video streaming and casting to a TV. No real gaming, no video editing.
 
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Solution
USAFRet
"There's 77 GB used on my system drive partition "

That is right on the edge of actual usable space for a 120GB drive.
For a 120GB drive, you don't want to go over 80-85GB actual used space.
One 5GB video, or the semi-annual Windows update...poof...too much space used.

In addition, the better manufacturers don't even make 120GB drives anymore.
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Dark Lord of Tech said:
PCPartPicker Part List

Storage: Crucial MX500 250 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($42.90 @ Amazon)
Total: $42.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-12-27 19:22 EST-0500
Click to expand...
Thanks.

To be clear I'm not building the laptop and it's not likely to be one that's customizable....opening voids warranty. Most I've seen don't have doors for access to RAM slots or drive bays, etc.

Also you don't say why 128 isn't enough so ... I haven't learned anything. But thanks.
 
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"There's 77 GB used on my system drive partition "

That is right on the edge of actual usable space for a 120GB drive.
For a 120GB drive, you don't want to go over 80-85GB actual used space.
One 5GB video, or the semi-annual Windows update...poof...too much space used.

In addition, the better manufacturers don't even make 120GB drives anymore.
 
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Solution
koam said:
Shopping for a laptop.
Windows 10. I'd probably have not too much in the way of applications installed. Probably Office and a few smaller things. I don't need to store a lot of data on the laptop itself.
My current Window 10 laptop with 1 TB HDD is mostly empty. Here's what the system drive looks like.


https://imgur.com/a/t6sAEw0
View: https://imgur.com/a/t6sAEw0


There's 77 GB used on my system drive partition, 25 GB is in the Windows folder. 13 GB in the two Program Files folders combined.
About 8 GB on my data drive partition, much of which could be deleted.

And this is after about 3 years of use, so Windows disk usage has grown in that time.

So with about 85 GB total used on the current old laptop, would 128 GB SSD be enough space for Windows and apps to run on a new laptop?
Yes, I know a larger drive is better but would I see any impact in having 128 GB vs 256 GB SSD if I only used it the way I've been using the current laptop?
Please state your reasoning when replying. Thanks.

My use case is lots of web surfing, many Chrome tabs, sometimes Edge, lots of video streaming and casting to a TV. No real gaming, no video editing.
Click to expand...

120Gb is on the limit, I was running a fully updated Win 10 + Office 365 with a 128Gb Samsung 830 but there is no price difference between 120Gb and 250Gb.

They still make new laptops with 120Gb SSDs?
How much more expensive is a laptop with bigger drive than 120Gb?

Also keep in mind that I turned off windows restore and removed the recovery partition to use a 128Gb drive which I think voids warranty. A new laptop with 120Gb with a recovery partition and Microsoft Office installed might use more than 120Gb. Running an SSD close to its max capacity is not a good idea, it will slow down and you won't be able to update Windows anymore.

Get a customizable laptop, it's better. I upgraded the RAM to 16Gb and the SSD to a 250Gb.
I am now using the 128Gb as a fast external drive.
On a desktop you need much more space, I have an 850 EVO 1Tb right now and a 970 EVO Plus M.2 1Tb on the way, games take too much space.
 
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For those asking, yes there are many, many new 2019 laptops preconfigured with 128 GB SSDs. I'm buying on Amazon because I have a gift card balance. Each of these preconfigured systems has one drawback or another unless you are spending more. In some cases it's 128 GB SSD, others it's only 8 GB RAM, others it's not FHD, older CPU, or no touchscreen, etc. I've been automatically eliminating 128 GB SSDs but they come up often and given that I'm only really using something around 2/3 of that now, I wanted to be sure I wasn't worrying about a limit that wasn't a real barrier to use. I could easily trim a lot of the GB used on my current HD if I wanted to... old version of windows stored in update, old backups, apps I don't use, etc.

Proof that 128 exists. At least 24 on HP, including machines that cost over $900 and yes they will charge over $100 more to switch to 256, if that's even an option. But like I said I'm going to buy on Amazon this time, where lots of systems aren't configurable before or after ordering without voiding warranty.

https://store.hp.com/us/en/vwa/laptops/stor=128-GB;form=Standard-laptop,Convertible
 
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koam said:
For those asking, yes there are many, many new 2019 laptops preconfigured with 128 GB SSDs. I'm buying on Amazon because I have a gift card balance. Each of these preconfigured systems has one drawback or another unless you are spending more. In some cases it's 128 GB SSD, others it's only 8 GB RAM, others it's not FHD, older CPU, or no touchscreen, etc. I've been automatically eliminating 128 GB SSDs but they come up often and given that I'm only using something around 2/3 of that now, I wanted to be sure I wasn't worrying about a limit that wasn't a real barrier to use.

Proof that 128 exists. At least 24 on HP, including machines that cost over $900 and yes they will charge over $100 more to switch to 256, if that's even an option. But like I said I'm going to buy on Amazon this time, where lots of systems aren't configurable before or after ordering without voiding warranty.

https://store.hp.com/us/en/vwa/laptops/stor=128-GB;form=Standard-laptop,Convertible
Click to expand...

Do you need 16Gb of RAM? 8Gb is more than enough for Office work.
 
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From the first one at your HP link:
aTt7f0w.png


$60 for twice the size and much faster...

All we're saying is, from personal experience, a new system with only a 128GB drive is simply TooSmall.
 
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Zizo007 said:
Do you need 16Gb of RAM? 8Gb is more than enough for Office work.
Click to expand...
I currently have 12GB of RAM and typically have most of it in use according to Task Manager. Right now it's at 75% of Memory in use so that's 9 GB.
For the most part I'm not looking at discreet GPUs because I'm not a gamer and when I've read reviews of AMD rigs with 8GB RAM and no separate GPU with its own RAM ,they all say that 2GB of the 8GB is taken for graphics and that leaves not much.
 
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My current laptop is HP Envy x360 with i7-6560 at 2.2 GHz and 12 GB Ram, 1TBB HDD, no SSD. I use it all day, all night. It's fading. Battery is shot, touchscreen no longer works due to a crack, the chassis screws have worn out., so it's taped and the keyboard has some keys that give me trouble frequently. as a result. Other than that it's great. But I'm afraid it could die on me. The cracked screen is just from wear.. there was no trauma, drop or anything, it just wore out. Apparently a lot of people have had the same happen.
 
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Zizo007 said:
It has decent specs except for the HDD instead of SSD, I hope it doesn't have an integrated battery otherwise you are stuck with AC power.
Click to expand...
There are no serivceable parts on these slim books. Battery is inside. It still runs but won't run unplugged for more than a few minutes. Not worth replacing given that the body screws won't hold it together anymore.

From my research, the newer CPUs once you get to at least 8th Gen Core or a Ryzen are a lot better than this i7-6560 and that an SSD would also be a great improvement.

I'm concerned that Amazon's return policy on laptops isn't great. Technically, the laptop either has to be DOA or unopened to return it. You might be able to tell them features aren't working or somehow it's not as described, but that's not a sure thing. So there may not be the ability to test drive from Amazon.
 
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