Hard drive space is essential when picking out the components for your gaming PCs. There’s a big question, what size of HDD should you get? SSDs are replacing HDDs, offering faster loading times, but HDDs still have their place in the market and remain a viable option. Read on to learn what size HDD you should consider for your gaming PC.
Firstly, when choosing a hard drive size for gaming, consider your usage. If you plan to install and play large titles, such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Outer Worlds, you’ll need plenty of storage. These games can weigh in at around 70GB for just the core game. Then add DLCs, mods and other add-ons, and you can see why it’s important to have plenty of hard drive space.
Secondly, HDD capacity can range from 1TB to 14TB. Most standard gaming PCs will come with 1TB or 2TB Hard Drives, but if you want to upgrade, you can get larger capacity. A 4, 6 or 8TB drive can provide more than enough capacity for gaming libraries and HD media.
Thirdly, it’s important to consider the type of hard drive as well. Traditional HDDs are the most cost-effective, but also the slowest and least reliable. An alternative is an SSHD; this combines a traditional HDD with a smaller capacity flash drive for faster load times. There’s also the option of a hybrid drive, which adds a higher performance controller to the equation.
Fourthly, the speed of the HDD is an important consideration. 5400RPM and 7400RPM are standard speeds, but if you opt for a 10,000RPM drive, you’ll have improved performance, but with a cost increase too. If your budget won’t stretch to a 10K RPM drive, look for a 7200 or 7400RPM drive instead.
Finally, the size of the hard drive is only part of the equation. Most gaming PC rigs now use an SSD as the main drive, with a HDD as a secondary. This allows you to use the SSD as the boot drive, or install large games and applications, while saving media files and other data on the HDD.
HDD Types For Gaming PCs
HDDs come in a range of type, from traditional HDDs and SSHDs to hybrid drives, each offering different performance characteristics. When considering the type of HDD for your gaming PC, the choice comes down to the type of performance and capacity you need.
Traditional HDDs are the most cost-effective option, but are also the slowest and least reliable. SSHDs offer slightly improved performance by combining a traditional hard drive with a smaller capacity flash drive, but the cost is also higher. Hybrid drives are a combination of the two and offer high performance, but at a correspondingly high cost.
If you’re looking for a cost-efficient storage solution, traditional HDDs are the best option. However, if you want faster performance, you may want to opt for an SSHD or a hybrid drive. In any case, it’s important to consider your budget and usage when choosing which type of hard drive is right for your gaming PC.
Capacity Of HDD
When choosing the size of HDD for gaming PCs, it’s important to consider your usage. If large games such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Outer Worlds are on your gaming wish list, you’ll need more capacity. These types of titles are among the biggest Game Releases in 2018 and can exceed 70GB for the just the core game alone. When you add in DLC’s and mods, it’s easy to see you’ll need a lot of space.
1TB and 2TB hard drives are the typical capacity found in gaming PCs, but for more space, you can look at 4, 6 or 8TB models. Another point to consider is that these days, most gaming rigs will use an SSD as the primary drive and an HDD as the secondary. This allows you to store HD media and data on the secondary drive while using your SSD as a boot drive or installing large applications.
Speed Of HDD
The speed of the hard drive is an important factor to consider when selecting the size and type of hard drive for your gaming PC. Standard hard drives in gaming PCs come in at either 5400RPM or 7400RPM speeds, however, if you can afford it, a 10,000RPM drive will give you much improved performance. If that is outside of your budget, look for a 7200 or 7400RPM drive instead.
HDD technology has advanced over the last few years, and that means you can get more performance out of a larger capacity drive. In some cases, a larger capacity drive can range from two to three times faster than a smaller capacity one, so consider this when choosing your drive.
It’s also important to understand that while a 7,200rpm or 7,400rpm hard drive will be significantly faster than a 5,400rpm drive, the differences in loading times won’t be overly noticeable. The same is true for 10,000rpm drives, so if you’re looking to save some money, it may be wise to stick with the slower drives and put your budget towards other components.
Advantages Of HDD
The main advantage of a HDD is cost, as they are typically cheaper than an SSD. Though HDDs tend to be slower, they are still a viable option for a gaming PC. HDDs are also great when it comes to storing high-definition media and vast libraries you may have built up over the years. If you upgrade your PC regularly and need more space, you’re likely to find a hard drive with plenty of capacity at a fraction of the price of an SSD.
HDDs are also a great way to store backups and essential files, such as large media collections, as they’re easily replaceable and often come with extended warranties. Other advantages of a HDD include the fact that they don’t require any additional software or drivers to access the data stored on them, and can be easily scaled up or down depending on your capacity requirements.
It’s worth pointing out that the HDD does have its drawbacks, most notably its slow speed when compared to an SSD. This means that you may find yourself waiting longer for games to load, as well as applications, movies and other content. HDDs also tend to be more prone to failure due to the moving parts inside them, however, this can be mitigated with regular maintenance and careful handling of the drives.
