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Best way to determine needed HDD size?

DdMac679

DdMac679

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 25, 2009
85
0
United States
When I purchased my Mac I got the smallest HDD possible with the assumption of replacing it with something else down the road. I have been looking at several capacities but I am not sure how much space I really need for future growth. What is a good method of determining the right amount of space one might need for a HDD or is it better to just buy big?
 
With technology, you can never go wrong by buying the best you can afford.
Go with the 500GB 7200RPM (or 5400rpm if speed isn't a concern) it's kind of futureproof til the SSD's come bigger and cheaper :)
 
Bigger is better in most cases. But it's not always necessary. You should set a minimum amount of a space, then a max, and then find out which has the cheapest CPG (cost per Gigabyte).

You should also keep in mind your current download rates. I estimate that I'll download about 50-100GB a year in things that I actually plan on keeping (I have close to 300GB now) for the next 2 or 3 years. Then that number will probably jump to maybe 75-125GB after that. I ended up going with a 1TB mirror raid because it was the most cost effective for my situation (this is a storage drive and only a storage drive).

Personally, I don't trust any full-time use hard drive past 5 years, so you may want to consider that as well.
 
Check out how much space you're using currently. For example the 500 GB drive I have in my Hackintosh has only about 70 GB of stuff on it. This includes OSX, all programs for it, some music, videos, downloads and documents. I'm planning to get a Macbook Pro and since I know I won't have that much more on it, the stock 160 GB drive will be fine, though I plan to install a 160 GB SSD drive instead.

If it's your only computer, you'll probably want as much space as it can take.
 
DdMac679 said:
When I purchased my Mac I got the smallest HDD possible with the assumption of replacing it with something else down the road. I have been looking at several capacities but I am not sure how much space I really need for future growth. What is a good method of determining the right amount of space one might need for a HDD or is it better to just buy big?
Click to expand...

With a hard drive, you pay X dollar for the case + connector + electronics, and a few pennies per Gigabyte. Add the time and inconvenience if you need to swap the hard drive in the future, and I would say that anything less than 320 GB / 5400 RPM is not worth buying today. That's all for laptops; for a desktop I would get a large external drive.
 
Chris Rogers said:
I think that pretty much sums it up for almost any kind of purchase
Click to expand...

I know it sounds kind of a given, but if only everyone understood that. I'm surprised no one has suggested some random ultra expensive product that the OP clearly does not need.
 
id say, get something at least 3 times as big as how much ur files take up now.
example.
you have 100 Gigs worth or files, (or used space on ur current HDD), and multiply by 3. you will probably want a 300 Gig HDD at least..


sorry the example was unnecessary, i was board and it helped explain.:p

but honestly, that is for how much if u need to spend the least possible. buy the biggest u can afford
 
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