SSD stands for Solid State Drive and has taken over the gaming industry by replacing HHDs in almost every modern gaming laptop within the past few years. SSDs offer lower load times while also helping your laptop with additional storage. However, as you browse through the high prices of different SSD cards, you may start questioning, is 512 GB SSD enough for gaming?
Usually, a 512 GB SSD is the bare minimum requirement for a good gaming experience. Any SSD under 512 GB will be insufficient to store all the games you might end up playing at a given time. However, 512 GB is only the bare minimum requirement. Getting an SSD with a larger memory than 512 GB will make a bigger difference in your gaming experience.
Since their invention in 1978, SSDs have been a significant tool in deciding how well computers work. However, SSDs in gaming are still a matter of debate and conflict.
While SSDs significantly improve load times, they can be expensive and do not offer much storage as HDDs or HHDs. If you are confused about whether your SSD is sufficient to let you play games, this article is here to help.
How Big Of An SSD Do I Need For Gaming?
If you are a hardcore gamer, you need an SSD of at least 512 GB to 1 TB to play games with ease. However, if you are a casual gamer and do not play games with high-quality graphics, then a 256 GB SSD card is fine as well. SSD cards help games load faster. So, if you play large games with a long load time, you will want a larger SSD card to speed things up.
A traditional laptop has a 128 GB SSD. These laptops are suitable for general use. For instance, if you want to type a document, browse the internet, or watch a movie, a 128 GB SSD is sufficient to get the job done.
You can still technically play games on a 128 GB SSD. However, the computer may crash several times throughout and leave you with a terrible gaming experience. It’s important to get a computer that can handle all the computing power of popular games like Fortnite..
A 256 GB SSD is slightly better than a 128 GB SSD for gaming. However, a 256 will only get you through simple games that do not use high-quality graphics. If you are a gaming enthusiast and regularly play more than three AAA games, consider investing in something better than a 256 GB SSD card.
Just think about it. Just having Grand Theft Auto 5 on your PC eats up well over 100 GB of space. Even recent online titles like Rainbow 6 Siege take up 60 GB of your storage space. 50 GB+ games are already becoming the norm. And with graphical fidelity ever on the rise, games are expected only to get larger.
So, if you are a hardcore gamer, get an SSD card with 512 GB of storage space or more. A 256 GB SSD might also slow down your SSD performance. SSDs tend to get slower as you store more and more applications in them. An SSD needs to have at least 25% space empty to perform at an optimal level.
Importance Of Larger SSD Storage
A 512 SSD card will do the job when it comes to hardcore gaming. However, you need to get a larger SSD card, such as a 1 TB or 2 TB SSD card, if you want the best gaming experience possible. SSD cards improve your gaming experience exponentially.
So, the larger your SSD card, the smoother your gaming experience will be. Getting an SSD larger than 512 GB is essential if you are a professional gamer or streamer.
An SSD card helps with more than just gaming. A large SSD card improves the overall performance of your computer.
For instance, if you get a large SSD card, your computer will start and shut down faster. Transferring files from one drive to another will also be faster and smoother.
Additionally, your laptop will crash less often and have more storage. A larger SSD card can also prevent physical damage to your SSD card. Since SSD cards improve the overall performance of your laptop, there is a lower risk of your laptop heating up or producing loud fan noises.
If you use your laptop extensively for applications that take up a lot of storage, consider getting a large SSD card.
For instance, if you are a graphics designer or photo editor and enjoy playing games, a typical 128 GB or 256 GB will put too much pressure on your computer. Getting a 512 GB or 1 TB SSD card can extensively increase your laptop’s efficiency.
However, if you want your SSD card to improve the performance of your PC, make sure you are buying a good SSD card. SSD cards can be relatively expensive. However, do not let price cloud your judgment when you purchase.
A good quality 256 GB SSD card is still much better than a low quality 512 GB SSD card. Do not rush through the purchase. Research products carefully and find the best SD card for your computer.
When Is 512 GB Sufficient For Gaming?
If you are a casual gamer or do not play games often, you can get away with a 256 GB or 512 GB SSD card. You can also consider the type of games you play while deciding which SSD card to buy. If you play low graphic games or single-A or double-A games, you can get along well with a 500 GB SSD card.
You won’t get the optimal experience with a 512 GB SSD card, but it will be sufficient to let you play games comfortably. Games like Dota 2, Warzone, souls games before 2022, etc., do not take up much space. So, if these are your go-to games, you don’t have to worry about space with a 512 GB SSD.
And if you are one of those gamers who play a single type of game and don’t play much of anything else, 512 GB is more than sufficient.
A 512 GB SSD is much better than no SSD at all. So, if you can’t afford an SSD with more space, it’s not the end of the world. Here are some tips on making things work with a 512 GB SSD.
My first advice would be to finish games before installing new ones. I have made a habit of hoarding games and never actually playing them. And with more and more platforms like Epic giving away free games every other day, it’s tempting to fill up your SSD to the last GB.
Skipping between games way too often before finishing any of them is not suitable for you—it kind of ruins your gaming experience. I almost ruined mine back in 2017.
Skipping between games and not finishing even one of them prevented me from getting a feeling of completion. Gaming just stopped seeming fun for a while.
Pick One or Two Multiplayer Games
Multiplayer games are those that you are least likely to uninstall. Not everybody can install a game within minutes to suddenly join their mates in the game.
So, pick one or two and stick to them. Play those to your heart’s content, and then move on to new ones.
Not all games require lighting speed SSDs. Some games don’t have high load times, to begin with.
For example, games like Rocket League, Among Us, and older titles load relatively fast on a good HDD or HHD. So, keep these games on those drives to conserve space on your SSD. Also, keep your movies and downloaded files on them as well. Only keep games with long load times like GTA 5, PUBG, Rust, etc., on your SSD storage.
Conclusion
So, to sum it all up, is 512 GB SSD enough for gaming? Yes, it is. However, a 512 GB card is the bare minimum requirement for an SSD card. If you are a hardcore gamer, try to get a larger SSD card, such as a 1 TB or 2 TB SSD card.
I hope this article helped you learn more about SSD cards and what size SSD cards you need for gaming. Now that you know the basics, I’m sure you won’t have any trouble picking the best SSD card for you. Thank you for reading, and happy gaming!