Is 128GB SSD Enough for Windows 10?

by Paul | Last Updated: July 5, 2022

Deciding on the Perfect Storage Capacity for your Computer. The word “enough” is a relative term, like the popular saying “One man’s treasure is another man’s trash”. This is applicable in this situation, when you make use of an operating system, it is not just that software that will be on your PC as there are other applications you need to maximise your PC.

Is 128GB SSD enough for windows 10?

Yes, it is. You need just 20GB of your PC’s storage to install and successfully run the Windows 10 operating system, there are other essentials like having a backup to access helpful features like system restore and the 128GB SSD is sufficient. The only reason why the sufficiency of this drive capacity will surface is the need to install other software and store other files asides from the ones needed to smoothly run Windows 10.

Why Use an SSD?

Better Technology

SSD is designed with NAND technology; this means it has a flash memory making the disk process information fast. SSDs either when used internally with a form factor e.g. m.2 or used externally can give you a better experience. HDDs designs make them run slow and using an SSD will significantly improve the speed of your PC as it has a low read access time and a fast throughput.

Reliable and Durable

The design of SSD makes them more reliable and durable for all walk of life. For business, there is always a need for huge amounts of data. A company interested in the speedy process of data will use SSD, and even companies that give staff computing systems (especially laptops), will provide the one with SSD, this is important for good workflow.

SSDs are great for people who have a mobile lifestyle. For a person who is always on-the-go, the battery life of your computing system is important as you cannot always plug into a power source. SSDs require lower power to function and this gives you a decent battery life. It is also shock resistant, and there is a lower chance of data loss because of an accidental drop which is a possibility while commuting.

For people or companies that use servers, there is always a need for data processing and backup. Using SSD is a better way to ensure these tasks are done efficiently as read and write times are very fast. For gamers, to have a better gaming experience you need a device that can properly process the software. This is especially true for the latest games that are being released.

Performance

Generally, SSDs perform better than HDDs but there are different SSDs interface, they have different performance levels. There is the PCI express (PCIe) which is designed to give a high bandwidth, low latency, this ensures that your CPU, RAM, and SSD all interact swiftly.

An advanced version of this is the Non Volatile Memory Express (NVMe), the input per second is higher, it has up to 16bits per second resulting in 4GB per second. SSDs can also be connected to the form factor that is mostly suitable for HDDs, that is SATA, but it is not as fast as the previous two mentioned.

Why 128GB SSD?

Cost

The smallest SSD storage option for windows 10 is 128GB, why would one want to go for the smallest storage capacity option? The thing with SSDs is that they are quite expensive when compared to HDDs, unlike the hard disk drive, solid state drives are made with NAND technology.

The materials used for this hardware are expensive and this translates to its price tag. The SSDs are not yet widely accepted, yes, it is more popular and more in use than it was a few years ago but it has not yet become a strong competitor for the HDDs.

These factors make it too expensive to use but because it has significant value, people with higher performance needs will purchase them, if the work required does not need so much space, it is more affordable to go for the smallest storage available.

In case you are wondering, how expensive is the SSD? A laptop with 128GB SSD can be the same price or slightly more expensive than a laptop with 1TB HDD.

The thing with this cost is it is relative, not to be mistaken for an exorbitant price, SSDs are expensive because they are compared to HDDs. For example, currently the 2TB HDD Seagate costs $63 while SanDisk 1TB costs $160. That is more than twice the cost for a storage capacity than is just half.

Nature of Work

If you purchase a windows 10 PC with 128GB SSD, it already shows that it is sufficient for the operating system. The question now is, will it be sufficient for the work you want to do? For example, if you plan to design with that storage capacity then that is a no. If you plan to just run simple Microsoft office tools, emails, and chats then you are good to go.

Gaming and designing 4k videos with that storage capacity is out of the question. Even if you plan to change your HDD to SSD, 128GB is sufficient for your OS but maybe not all your files, you also do not want to fill up your disk you need space for partitions and just a little space to allow your disk to “breathe”

SSDs are great and from everything we have discussed in this article it is sufficient for windows 10 to run smoothly, the only challenge will be if it is your only means of storage. Also, if you have a lot of files, you can save them in an external hard drive to free up your SSD disk.

Relation SSD Question

How much is 128GB SSD?

As there are various manufacturers, the price varies but with as low as $40, you can get good internal storage. For an external SSD, with $120 you can get a solid 1TB drive. All these prices do not have shipping fees included.