About Storage Capacity: Usage Types and Solutions for Insufficient Space

When building a custom PC, deciding on the right storage capacity can be a difficult choice.

For everyday use or business purposes, a large amount of storage is not necessary. On the other hand, for 3D gaming or video editing, each file can be quite large, so it is important to choose an appropriate storage capacity.

From experience, having to move data or delete unnecessary files when the storage is full can be very stressful, so it is not recommended.

To avoid this, it is best to choose a storage capacity with some extra space. This article will explain the basics of storage capacity and provide guidelines for how much storage is needed for different uses.

This article also explains the basics of storage types, common storage setups, and how to choose based on performance and compatibility.

≫ Related article: How to Choose Storage (SSD/HDD) for Custom PCs [Performance / Features / Compatibility]

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About Storage (SSD/HDD) Capacity

First, let’s go over the basics of storage capacity.

What is Storage Capacity?

Storage capacity refers to the amount of data that can be saved.

Devices like computers, smartphones, and tablets require storage to save data. The larger the capacity, the more data can be stored.

For example, photos, videos, music, applications, game data, and documents are all stored on storage.

Recently, storage capacities of 500GB to 2TB are the most common. Decide on the storage size based on your usage needs.

Estimate Capacity in Advance

To choose the right storage size, it is important to estimate how much capacity will be needed in advance.

For example, if you handle large files like 3D games or videos, you will need a larger storage capacity.

On the other hand, if you mainly browse the web or only save documents and emails for business, you do not need much storage.

As storage needs vary greatly depending on how the PC is used, first decide on the intended use and clarify what types of files will be handled.

Even for the same purpose, usage can differ from person to person, so it is good to think a bit deeper about how the PC will actually be used.

For example, even for gaming, the required capacity changes depending on whether you play 2D or 3D games, and whether you stick to a few games or like to try many.

2D games may only need a few MB to 10GB each, but AAA 3D games like Fortnite or Apex Legends require about 50–80GB per game.

Since usage varies, try to imagine your own usage as much as possible and estimate how much storage you will need before choosing.

Later, this article will explain storage guidelines for each use case.

How Much Will Data Grow in the Future?

It is also important to consider how much data will increase in the future.

Try to predict how quickly data will grow and choose storage with enough room for that.

However, for everyday or business use, the amount of data is small, so this is not a big concern.

For gaming, it is hard to predict, as games are not downloaded at a fixed pace.

On the other hand, if you edit videos for YouTube and upload one video per week, you can estimate the increase.

For example, if each video (raw and edited) is 5GB, uploading one per week means 260GB per year, or 1.25TB over five years.

If you delete raw data after editing or remove finished videos after uploading, the required space will change. For regular increases, estimate the pace to help decide on storage size.

If you continue even longer, more space will be needed. In that case, choose a motherboard or PC case with extra M.2 slots or 2.5/3.5-inch bays for future upgrades.

Do Not Delete Files Every Time Storage is Full

Building a custom PC can cost 100,000–300,000 yen, so it is natural to adjust the balance and budget.

However, choosing a small storage size with the idea of “deleting files whenever it gets full” will become troublesome later and is not recommended.

If you always have to delete files when storage is full, organizing data will take a lot of time.

Usually, you only notice the lack of space when trying to save something new.

Having to stop what you are doing to organize files can be very stressful.

For example, when playing a game, it is annoying to have to delete files because there is not enough space for a new update. If you get a “cannot save” or “not enough space” warning while editing videos, your work will be interrupted.

If storage is always nearly full, you will frequently have to search for and delete unnecessary files while keeping important ones.

Doing this repeatedly not only takes time and effort but also increases the risk of accidentally deleting important files.

Also, as you repeat this, only important files that are hard to delete will remain, making it harder to decide what to remove.

This can lead to long periods of indecision and high stress, so it is best to choose storage with plenty of space.

If budget makes it difficult to choose a large storage size, plan your parts so you can add more storage or use external SSDs/HDDs when needed.

Recommended Storage Capacities by Type

There are three main types of storage: NVMe SSD, SATA SSD, and HDD.

The available capacities and the typical size for products around 10,000 yen differ by type, so here is a summary for reference.

NVMe SSDs and SATA SSDs have similar capacities and prices.

Recently, NVMe SSDs have become more affordable, so using an NVMe SSD as the main storage is now standard due to their high data transfer speeds.

HDDs are available in very large sizes (10TB or more) and are cheaper per GB than SSDs, making them suitable for those who need a lot of space.

However, because HDDs are slower, they are not suitable for uses that require fast loading, such as gaming or video editing. They are often used as secondary storage for backups or infrequently accessed data.

Since SSDs and HDDs have different uses, choose the right one for your needs.

Common Storage Setups and Capacities

Many people are curious about what storage setups and capacities others choose.

Although it varies by use and preference, here are some recent trends for reference.

The most common setup is “one M.2 SSD,” which is fast and affordable at around 1TB, making it the mainstream choice. About 70% of users choose this setup.

Next are two-drive setups like “one M.2 SSD and one HDD” or “two M.2 SSDs.”

The M.2 SSD is used for the system, apps, and games, while the HDD is for those who want to store a lot of data. If speed is more important than capacity for the second drive, another M.2 SSD is chosen.

“One HDD” is also seen, but since HDDs are slow, this setup is not recommended unless there is a specific reason.

≫ Related article: Popular Custom PC Parts Rankings and Selection Rates by Specs [Statistics]

SSD Capacities

1TB and 2TB are the most common SSD sizes, with 1TB being the most popular.

Recently, 1TB SSDs can be bought for around 10,000 yen, making them a standard choice.

Capacities below 1TB (256GB, 512GB) or above 4TB have lower cost performance, so 1TB or 2TB is a natural choice for most people.

≫ Related article: Popular SSD Rankings and Selection Rates by Specs [Statistics]

HDD Capacities

1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB are the most common HDD sizes, with 8TB being the most popular.

1TB and 2TB HDDs are relatively expensive per GB, so 8TB is a popular choice for cost performance.

≫ Related article: Popular HDD Rankings and Selection Rates by Specs [Statistics]

Storage Capacity Guidelines by Usage

This section explains storage capacity guidelines for various uses, from everyday tasks to gaming, video editing, and programming.

Here is a simple summary of typical file sizes:

The capacities explained here are the minimum recommended based on file types and personal experience.

If you have a bigger budget or expect to use more, choose a larger storage size.

The calculations for each use case include some extra space for safety. In reality, you may need less, but it is better to have extra storage space based on experience.

About OS Storage

Before looking at each use case, let’s check the storage needed for Windows OS, which is common to all uses.

Consider these two points:

• Windows OS itself
• Space that increases during use

Windows OS Itself

The required space varies by version, but here are some guidelines:

If building a custom PC now, Windows 11 will likely be used. The official requirement is 64GB.

After a fresh install, the actual usage is about 35GB.

Actual usage is about half the requirement, but the requirement allows for growth as the PC is used.

Space That Increases During Use

Windows OS uses more storage over time for the following reasons:

These do not include user files like documents, apps, photos, or games—only system files.

Depending on settings and RAM, an extra 27GB–75GB is needed.

Adding the OS itself (about 35GB), 62GB–110GB is needed.

If space is tight, some features may not work properly, and apps will also use space.

So, it is best to reserve 100GB–150GB just for Windows 11.

Everyday Use

For web browsing or watching videos, you probably won’t save many files, so a large storage size is not needed.

If you hardly save any files, 256GB is enough. If you might save some, 512GB is safer.

Gaming

For gaming, two factors affect storage needs:

• Whether you mainly play 3D or 2D games
• Whether you play a few games for a long time or many games

3D and 2D games require very different storage sizes:

• 3D games: 5GB–150GB (AAA games average about 80GB)
• 2D games: a few MB–10GB

You can estimate roughly based on which type you play more.

For mainly 2D games, 512GB is enough.

Even rich 2D games with full voice and movies are about 10GB each, so you can store about 30 games after accounting for the OS.

Consider whether you will save other data or play some 3D games to estimate your needs.

For 3D games, each game is large, so whether you play a few or many makes a big difference.

AAA 3D games like Fortnite or Apex Legends average about 80GB each.

If you play 1–2 games for a long time, assume 3 games installed plus 1 more for trying new games: 80GB × 4 = 320GB.

In this case, 512GB (362GB) is enough, but it is a bit tight.

If you play many games, 512GB is not enough. Here is how many games you can install based on storage size:

• 1TB: 850GB (after OS) ÷ 80GB = 10 games
• 2TB: 1.85TB (after OS) ÷ 80GB = 23 games

So, 1TB or 2TB is recommended for those who mainly play 3D games.

Photo Editing and Storage

Image and photo files are larger than documents but smaller than 3D games or videos.

The required storage depends on the resolution and number of photos, but generally, not much space is needed.

Here are typical photo file sizes by device:

Based on these sizes, here is how many photos can be stored:

If you edit photos, remember to account for both original and edited versions, and possibly multiple edits per photo.

Check the actual file sizes from your own camera and estimate how many photos you take and edit to get a good idea of the storage you need.

Video Editing

Video files are among the largest, so a large storage size is needed.

Also, for smooth editing, a fast drive is recommended—at least a SATA SSD, ideally an NVMe SSD.

Here are some example file sizes for FHD video editing:

These are based on my own experience editing videos for YouTube.

For talking videos, about 20 minutes of source is needed for a 10-minute video. For work videos, about 40 minutes of source is needed.

The average file size per video is about 6GB.

Based on this, here is how many videos can be stored at FHD and 4K:

4K is four times the resolution, so the file size is roughly four times larger.

For occasional hobby editing, 512GB is enough. For regular FHD editing and uploading (like to YouTube), 1TB or more is recommended.

1TB can store 141 videos, which is enough for about a year of three uploads per week.

If you want a more accurate estimate, try editing a few videos yourself and check the file sizes.

If you expect to continue longer than planned, consider these two points:

• Adding more storage
• Managing and organizing data

Choose a motherboard with extra M.2 slots or a PC case with extra 2.5/3.5-inch bays for future upgrades.

For data management, consider moving finished videos to an HDD or deleting raw and edited files after uploading, depending on your needs.

Programming

“Isn’t programming just writing code, so it doesn’t need much space?” you might think.

The code itself is small, but two things can take up a lot of space:

• Development environment
• Prepared and generated data

A development environment is the set of tools and systems used to write, debug, compile, and test software.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is commonly used.

Depending on what you develop, the development environment alone can need several hundred MB to 10GB.

Here are some examples from my own setup:

• Microsoft Visual Studio: about 5GB
• Microsoft Visual Studio Code: about 500MB
• XAMPP: about 1GB
• Anaconda environment: about 1–5GB (average 2GB)

The size varies by features and libraries installed, but this is the general range.

Anaconda is a Python development environment and package manager. Each project may need a different environment, so storage needs increase.

For example, for image recognition tools, you need image libraries; for AI, you need AI libraries.

So, 50–100GB of free space is desirable.

Next, prepared and generated data. Some tools require large datasets or generate large results.

If you know roughly how much data will be used, calculate based on that. If not, choose a storage size with extra space.

If you do not handle large datasets, 512GB is enough. If you expect several GB to tens of GB per project, 1TB or 2TB is better.

If you have just one project with large data, 512GB is fine, but if you do more, extra space is needed.

Preparing for Storage Shortages

This section explains how to deal with storage shortages and what to consider when planning your PC build.

Adding More Storage

Although this article provides guidelines, actual needs vary by person. If you need less, that’s fine, but if you need more, it becomes a problem.

To prepare for running out of space, plan your build so you can add more storage later.

The key is to choose parts with empty storage slots.

As mentioned, choose a motherboard with multiple M.2 slots or a PC case with 2.5/3.5-inch bays for SATA SSDs or HDDs.

The most common setup is one NVMe SSD, so at least one extra M.2 slot is recommended.

If the case has extra 2.5/3.5-inch bays, you can add even more drives.

External SSDs and HDDs

If there are no empty M.2 slots or 2.5/3.5-inch bays, use external SSDs or HDDs.

However, data transfer speed will depend on the USB connection, so it is not recommended to work directly from external drives.

Instead, use them as storage for infrequently accessed data. Move less-used files from the main storage to the external drive, and do active work on the faster main storage.

Frequently Asked Questions About Storage Capacity

Here are some common questions about storage capacity.

Why is the Displayed Capacity Different from the Labeled Capacity?

The displayed storage capacity differs from the labeled capacity because manufacturers (HDD/SSD) and computers (OS) use different standards.

Computers use binary (base 2), so 1KB = 1024B, 1MB = 1024KB. This is defined by the IEC and used by Windows OS.

Manufacturers use decimal (base 10), so 1KB = 1000B, 1MB = 1000KB, matching standard units like meters and kilograms.

This difference causes the following discrepancies:

For example, a “1TB” drive (1,000,000MB) is recognized by the OS as 1TB = 1024GB, so it displays as about 931GB.

This is just a display issue; the actual capacity is not lost, so don’t worry.

Summary: Estimate Your Storage Needs in Advance!

This article explained the basics of storage capacity and provided guidelines for different uses.

Here are the key points again:

File sizes vary greatly by type, and the types of files handled depend on usage.

So, to estimate how much storage is needed, first clarify the intended use.

Even for the same use, the way the PC is used will change the required capacity, so try to imagine your usage as much as possible.

This article explained data size guidelines for various uses like 2D/3D games, photos, videos, and programming. Use these as a reference to estimate your needs.

From experience, storage tends to get used up, so it is better to have 1.5 to 2 times the estimated capacity.

If budget makes it hard to get enough storage, choose a motherboard with extra M.2 slots or a PC case with extra 2.5/3.5-inch bays for future upgrades.

This article also explains the basics of storage types, common storage setups, and how to choose based on performance and compatibility.

≫ Related article: How to Choose Storage (SSD/HDD) for Custom PCs [Performance / Features / Compatibility]

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PC Parts Estimation & Compatibility Check Tool

Automatically checks each component you need when selecting parts for a custom-built PC—perfect for beginners.