[Answered] Should I Get a 500GB or 1TB SSD?

Scenario: Should I get a 500GB or 1TB SSD?

We came across a widely discussed help-seeking post on the popular Quora forum, which poses the question, “Should I get a 500GB or 1TB SSD?” When buying a new SSD, the storage capacity is a matter of paramount concern, as it has a far-reaching impact on both computer storage and performance.

It's not easy to definitively say that 1TB is superior or that 500GB is the more recommended option. Depending on various requirements, we'll explore how to select between a 1TB or 500GB SSD, considering factors such as budget, performance, and suitable cases. Next, we will focus on some widely discussed topics, hoping that can help you make a desirable choice.

Do I need 500GB or 1TB SSD?

1 TB might seem like a lot, but it's a good choice for heavy RAM users. On the other hand, 500 GB can suffice for simple tasks like office work, internet browsing, or streaming. Put simply, if you have only a few large files or you're on a tight budget, the budget-friendly 500GB SSD should work fine.

However, even for everyday use, if you work with a lot of large files like videos or high-res photos, or if you plan to install many apps and games, a 500GB SSD may not be as ideal as expected. This is because pre-installed apps and the operating system take up around 100GB of the hard drive's space. These requirements indicate you'll need to consider an upgrade in the future unless your usage habits change otherwise.

If you're a photography enthusiast who enjoys capturing numerous photos and videos and prefers local storage, a 1 TB drive is the better choice for you. This capacity also works well for gamers who have game collection requirements or prefer AAA titles. If you have the budget and want to ensure you have ample space, we recommend going for a 1 TB SSD.

When it comes to speed and performance, you don't need to be overly concerned about it. Speed variations primarily depend on the SSD brand you select, rather than the storage capacity you require. Regarding performance, if you intend to install the operating system on the SSD, its performance may gradually decrease as you fill up the storage space. Therefore, if you aim to maintain high performance over the years, it's advisable to opt for a larger capacity SSD.

Is 500GB SSD enough for gaming?

If you're a gamer on a tight budget, you might still be wondering, “Is 500GB SSD enough for gaming?” or "How much storage should a gaming PC have?"

For casual gamers, a 500GB SSD is an excellent choice as most casual games are small and won't slow down your computer. However, if you're into AAA titles with large file sizes, 500GB might only accommodate a game or two without affecting performance, making a 1TB SSD a better option.

Enthusiastic gamers seeking a diverse game collection might better find 2TB to 4TB storage to be the best fit for their needs.

How to easily upgrade my SSD?

Once you've decided on the SSD capacity to choose, upgrading your disk can become a challenge if you don't plan to buy a new computer. Generally, disk upgrades involve reinstalling everything, including the operating system, applications, and reconfiguring settings.

However, AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional can assist you in avoiding this hassle. With the feature Disk Clone, you can easily move everything to the new disk under instructions even if you are a beginner.

Note: It offers two cloning methods for your different needs

Clone Disk Quickly only copies the used space on the hard disk. If you are a 1TB HDD users want to move things to a 500GB SSD, this method suits you.

Sector-by-Sector Clone clones all sectors on the hard disk, including bad sectors, which requires your SSD to be the same size or even larger than the HDD.

Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Clone" in the main interface and select "Clone Disk".

Step 2. Choose the hard disk that you need to clone as the source disk and click "Next".

Step 3. Select the destination disk to store the data on the source disk, and then click "Next".

Step 4. Then, you can check the source and destination disk in the next window or change to “Sector to Sector clone”, and click the "Confirm" button to continue if there is no problem.

Here, you can also click the "Settings" button to adjust the partition size on the destination disk or tick "4k alignment" to improve the reading and writing speed of SSD if the target disk is an SSD drive.

Step 5. At last, click "Apply" and "Proceed" in the main interface to start cloning the hard drive.

Notes:
● If you are cloning an MBR HDD to GPT Samsung SSD, you need to change legacy BIOS to UEFI boot mode.
● If the cloned SSD is not booting after the process is done, you can follow the next part to see how to boot from the cloned SSD.

How to boot from the cloned new SSD?

After cloning is complete, you can replace the old hard drive with a Samsung SSD. If you want to keep two disks at the same time, you can wipe the old disk as a data disk, and then set the new disk as the boot device. You can follow the steps below to boot from the cloned SSD.

Step 1. Restart your PC, and press a function key (F2, F3, F5) when you see the logo to enter BIOS. If these keys not work, you can directly run UEFI/BIOS Boot Options Manager of AOMEI Parition Assistant Professional as well.

Step 2. Use the arrow keys to choose “Enter setup” > “Configure boot options” > “change boot oder”

Step 3. Change the cloned SSD to the top of the listed boot device, then save the change and restart your PC.

Summary

Should I get a 500GB or 1TB SSD? In brief, a 500 GB SSD typically suffices for the needs of regular users who don't frequently use resource-intensive applications. 1TB is better for gamers and large-capacity lovers. If you finally choose 500GB, with AOMEI Partition Assistant, you can easily do storage expansion in the future.

Advanced functions such as App Mover, Duplicate Files Finder, Delete Large Files, PC Cleaner, and so on are all beneficial to your storage management. This tool offers AOMEI Partition Assistant Server for Windows Server users as well.