Is 128GB Enough Storage for a Laptop? (Detailed Guide)

You probably looking for the answer is 128 GB Enough Storage for a Laptop? Then you are on the right guide.

Yes, 128 GB is enough storage for a normal user, if you do normal tasks or regular office work. But if you are into graphics and videos, as it requires more storage to work flawlessly and efficiently.

In this post, you will learn more about 128GB storage which is good for your regular office work with the type of Windows you use. Without further delay, let’s have a detailed discussion on 128GB storage and whether it is sufficient for a regular user like you! 

Is 128GB storage Big Enough? 

Like we discussed earlier, 128GB storage is Big Enough storage for normal tasks whether Windows or MAC.

After installing the operating system, the usable storage is around 80-90 GBs which is good for a regular office user. However, Windows 7 or 8 takes less space in contrast to Windows 10. But, Windows 11 takes up to 30GBs. 

Whereas for a person who uses MAC, 128GB is sufficient if the only use is simple like document creation, typing, surfing web browsers, and replying to emails, considering that redundant or unused files are timely deleted or uploaded on the cloud. But if you have to do extensive work, including video editing, photo editing, etc., then you can opt for 512 or 256 GB storage to keep your operations smooth and flawless. 

Let us help you understand better How to decide if 128 GB is Enough for you or not.

How to decide if 128 GB is Enough for you?

Here is the list of following questions you should ask yourself, in order to decide whether 128 GB storage space is enough for you or not:

1- How Much Space does the MacOS and Windows Operating System Take?

The first question you should ask yourself is which operating system you will be using and how much space does windows or macos take space.

Typically 32-bit version of Windows 10 takes space of around 16GBs, whereas a 64-bit version takes the storage of around 20GBs. Similar to windows 10, the MacOS takes around 20 GBs of space.

2- How Much Space do you need to work?

Now the next question you should ask yourself is how much space you need:

• What type of files are you planning to work with?
• How much space do you think would suit your work?
• What work will you do on your laptop with 128GB storage?

For instance, if you are a graphic designer or video editor then you would definitely require a large storage for your data. 

But if you are a regular user, who watches movies, checks emails, do browsing on the internet and stores documents, then 128 GB is Enough space for you.

3- How to decide between SSD VS HDD?

The third question you should ask yourself if you haven’t purchased the Storage is whether you should go with the SSD or HDD.

An SSD (Solid State Drive) is expensive compared to an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). According to the Statista report, the worldwide shipments of HDD dropped to 258.9 million units compared to the previous year, which was 260.3 million units. The highest shipment globally recorded in 2010 was 650 million units. In addition, SSDs are the preferred storage.  

Many users have an HDD with an SDD in combination to escape the purchase of the expensive SSD. However, it’s quite difficult now to avoid this purchase as it has become essential to buy SDD to get the most out of your work and keep the operations smooth and error-free. 

How Much Free Space Do You Get With A 128GB Storage? 

After Installing the Operating System, the Free Space you get with 128 GB Storage is around 80-90 GBs.

On the windows side, top of that some extra space might get used to store Windows files, hibernation, quick startup, updates on Windows, patches, non-permanent files, headroom for applications, etc.

While on the side of Mac, overall it takes around 15-22 GB of the Operating system.

Here is a chart for storage occupied by different Operating system. It helps you assess how much free storage you have left with 128GB. 

Is 128GB Storage Enough For Office Work And Regular Use? 

Yes, of course. 128GB storage is good for regular use and office work because, normally, office work includes word and excel files and ppt files. Microsoft word usually takes up less space in storage. Hence, it’s enough for office work and regular use.  

On average, it fills up to 5GB after persistent storage of word documents, Excel sheets, or PowerPoint presentations in a 128GB storage. 

How do we calculate it? It’s very simple. The average office file is around 321 KB. Ten thousand files like these would be 3.16 GBs in total. Do you get me? 

In addition, many people nowadays work with Google documents and sheets, etc. These are cloud-based platforms, and you don’t have to download the files on your laptop. It has the option to save the document in the drive. Besides, some people may have to work with big data, e.g., graphic design or CAD/CAM, on their laptops. It requires larger storage for smooth operation. 

Is 128GB Storage Enough For Students?

128 GB is a good space for students and their daily tasks, as most students’ tasks require around 30 GB. Unless they work on HD videos or use it as a gaming laptop, it mainly depends on the interest of students considering their disciplines. If someone is from the media department, that student might require more space on their laptops. 

Also, there is no harm in extra storage as it only helps you to work without interruption whenever you require more space for your work or anything you do on your laptop. If you can invest money for more storage and have plan to use the laptop for long-term and heavy work like editing etc., then 512 GB or 256 GB storage is highly recommended! So, choose wisely as per your interest. 

Read our Decdicated Detailed Guide Is 128GB enough storage for a student laptop?

What Can I Do If I Run Out Of Space With A 128GB? 

You can easily utilize several options to free space if you ever run out of it, but the chances of running out of space are quite low in 128 GB storage as office works take less storage. 

If you ever run out of space and want to get out of it, then you can try the following things, which are jotted down below: 

1- Transfer Files into a Flash Drive 

The most common and easiest method to free storage from your laptop is to transfer them into a USB flash drive. We recommend storing those files and data that are not in use or just saved for storing on your laptop. So in that way, you won’t be worried about your data much and will keep your USB in a safe place. 

2- Integrate Hard Disks 

Another alternative for freeing space is incorporating an external hard disk into your laptop, which helps store more data and divides the burden with SSD for storage. Some people also install hard disk drives and SSD cards in the laptop to keep the operations smooth and prevent the laptop from getting stuck randomly or while working.

This method is considered the best way to keep up with your storage and experience the good speed of your SSD and HDD that maintains your files and documents. 

3- Upload your Data on Cloud Platforms 

The third alternate option to free up some space on your laptop is to upload your document to a cloud service. It can be any platform like Google Drive or iCloud. After uploading the files, you can delete them from your device. 

It’s an easy and effective method, but there is one disadvantage of this method the files can only be accessed when you are connected to the internet, whereas if you see the USB flash drive method, you do not have to connect to the internet. You can access your files without it. 

Can I upgrade storage from 128GB to 256GB or 512 GB? 

Before answering to that question, you should be clear that you cannot use all the storage because the operating system will use a good amount of storage to run your laptop and will be completely dedicated to that portion of the system. 

Yes, you can upgrade the storage from 128GB to 256GB or even to 512 GB. Almost in all laptops, storage are designed in a way that you can easily replace with an upgrade one except for the ones in which storage is soldered to the motherboard for example MacBook.

So, if you considering to upgrading your storage from 128GB to 256GB or 512GB. You should Know what you have to do with such storage. If you have work that requires huge spaces, for instance, graphics designing, then investing in the 512 GB or larger is the wise option to go with.

Also, another point you should consider is investing in more SSDs than HDD. SSD provides a good user experience as doesn’t get slow over time like HDD. Its high operating speed would help you keep your work streamlined and get more done. 

It is not expensive if your work requirement demands good speed and high performing system. SSD comes with a lot of convenience for users. You should go for SSD if you want to enhance your work performance, and it’s related to speeding up your laptop! An SSD cuts the loading time, unlike HDD, which takes time to load the files and documents or anything you want to open up and use. 

These factors matter in terms of investing your hard-earned money. 

Conclusion

This article would give you the right direction to opt for an SSD if necessary and required. But 128GB is also a manageable amount of storage if your work is related to word files, excel sheets, and ppts. It is ample space for office and regular use. 

128 GB is a good enough storage capacity for most users. Still, it is highly dependent on the type of work and workload of the individual, especially when you are depending on your laptop storage and want to have it for long-term then it’s good to have more storage on your laptop. Keep your mind in peace, and no frustration of getting notifications for full storage every minute.