256GB or 512GB - How much space does vanilla Big Sur use on your M1?

[daveb99]

I'm about to pull the trigger on an Air M1, probably 256GB / 16GB, but I'm still considering 512GB. I'm going to need to install Windows 10 on it when it's supported, so hence possibly needing the extra space (I have large video/photo libraries but equally could store them on my 3TB Mac mini instead).

So - how much space does the clean install of Big Sur take up, on the Air/Pro (or anything else for that matter I guess!) ? I know it requires a partition / volume of at least 52GB, but how much space does it actually use?

 

[synonys]

I’d prioritize ram over the ssd as you can plug in external storage as needed.

 

[daveb99]

Thanks - I've just done exactly that and ordered the 256GB/16GB Air. Now the long wait begins....!

 

[trailmonkey]

I ordered a 16Gb 512Gb MBA because i) I'm hoping to test out Win 10 via Parallels or whatever the future may bring, and ii) I sync most of my work files via GDrive across all devices, some of which are 1-3Gb videos that eat up space over time. One day I might opt to archive them off but for now I'm syncing some of them down. Giving myself a 30% storage buffer means 256Gb is not a realistic option. 512Gb is fine for me.