Solid-state drives (SSD) have become increasingly popular for general use than hard drives (HD). Why? Because they offer quicker boot times, better performance and faster read/write speed. They can access extremely large files really quickly. But the real question here is whether SSDs are good for gaming and whether a 256GB SSD is sufficient for good gaming. The answer to this is not simply a yes or no.
Table of Contents
If you want improvement in the frame rates, then an SSD upgrade isn’t what you need; your GPU and processor are the key components there. Increasing your SSD means you’ll have to wait less for your operating system to load before you can play the game. Also, your games will load much faster. But how much a 256GB SSD impacts your gameplay is still a question. Let’s dive into it.
A solid-state drive (SSD) vs Hard-disk drive for Gaming:
Games do run and are playable on hard-disk drives, but an SSD does improve your gaming experience drastically. You wouldn’t want to wait forever for your windows and the game itself to load before you can play. This is where SSD comes into action. It can cut the loading time of windows and the game by a lot. Having an SSD means you wouldn’t have to stare at the game loading screen for a long time before you can actually start the game.
Here’s a graph comparing the launch times of some popular games on Xbox. It clearly shows the faster loading time of games on SSD than on HDD.
So, SSD is definitely better than an HDD. But how much storage of SSD is required for good gaming? Let’s see.
Factors that Affect Storage Requirements for Gaming
Now that we’ve established the importance of storage for gaming, let’s explore the various factors that affect storage requirements. Understanding these factors will help us determine whether a 500GB SSD is enough for gaming.
Game File Size:
The size of game files is one of the most significant factors affecting storage requirements for gaming. As mentioned earlier, modern games can take up anywhere from 20 GB to 100 GB or more of storage space. For instance, look at Read Dead Redemption (RDR) 2, which has a whopping 150GB file size. On the other hand, GTA 5, released 6-7 years before RDR2 had a 37GB size. In just 6-7 years, a good AAA game generally became thrice as big.
All in all, to try the latest games, you’ll need a lot of storage space. Additionally, many games require regular updates, which can further increase the size of game files.
Number of Games:
The number of games you plan on playing is another factor to consider when it comes to storage requirements for gaming. If you like to play multiple games, you’ll need more storage space than someone who only plays one or two games. If you prefer to keep your games installed on your system, you’ll likely bottleneck your computer’s storage capacity.
Game Settings:
The settings you use when playing games can also affect storage requirements. For instance, game files will be larger and take up more disc space if you play them at higher resolutions or with more sophisticated visual settings. At the same time, if you play games that require high-resolution graphics or consume a lot of RAM, you will need additional storage space.
The quantity of storage required for gaming may also depend on the other applications you run on your computer. For instance, if you use your system for resource-intensive applications like video editing, you’ll need extra storage space to support these programs. Also, you’ll need more storage space if you use your PC to store huge media files, such as movies or music.
Now that we’ve explored the importance of storage for gaming and the various factors that affect storage requirements for gaming, let’s answer the question that many gamers are asking: Is a 500GB SSD enough for gaming?
The short answer is, “It depends”. If you play a few games one at a time and aren’t interested in playing the latest and most graphically demanding games, then a 500GB SSD might be enough. However, if you like to play multiple games, keep all of them installed on your system, and want to enjoy the most graphically demanding games, a 500GB SSD might not be enough.
How many games can be stored in a 256GB SSD:
Many PC/Xbox/PS games today after installation exceed 50GB in size. Some often are more than 80Gb in size. So, if you are playing such games, your 256SSD can only store 4-5 or maybe only 3-4. So, it is recommended to get a hard drive along with an SSD to store your games.
Examples:
There are many modern and graphically exciting games that are really big in size such as the COD: infinite warfare which is 101GB in size, GTA 5 which starts at about 72GB in size, Hitman 2 starts at 111GB etc. If you are planning on playing multiple such games at once, you’ll only be able to store 2 or 3 games at max. But if you play only one game at a time, 256GB will be sufficient.
How will 256GB SSD impact your gaming experience:
SSD won’t give you more frame rates but they can definitely improve your gaming experience. Game launch and load times are much quicker when you load games on SSD. Especially the map-loading games and those that load assets from storage are much faster. In short, the overall gaming experience becomes a lot better.
256GB vs 512GB SSD:
512GB SSD is definitely better than a 256GB one because it allows you to store more games. The following table accurately compares a 256GB SSD with a 512GB SSD.
In fact we have already done an in-depth analysis of using a 500GB SSD as compared to a 256GB SSD for your Gaming PC which you can check out here.
Price:
If you’re thinking of buying a 256GB SSD, you can get it for around $20-30 on Amazon. Some good ones like Samsung are priced higher at around $50. Just search for an SSD on amazon and find the one according to your budget.
Plan for use:
If you’re planning on using your PC as your main machine for gaming as well as other work, getting only 256GB might not be such a good idea since it will fill up really quickly. You should get an HDD of at least 500GB along with it. Install your OS and one or two games you’re currently playing on your SSD and other games and software on your HDD. This will boot your system much faster and games on SSD will launch much quicker.
Conclusion:
The amount of storage depends on your budget and whether you’re planning to play only one or multiple games at once. 256GB might be enough for some but not for others. If you have a higher budget, you should definitely get a higher storage SSD since it will broaden your spectrum of options and you’ll be able to play multiple games at once and do some other things like video editing. But if your budget is a little tight, get a 256GB SSD and follow our plan and you’re good to go.