Computer storage has come a long way in the last few years. Traditional Hard drives are slower but have larger capacities. Modern m.2 and SSD drives have no moving parts and are much faster and more responsive.

Don't worry, many computers have upgradeable storage. If you need more space we can fit a larger drive, test it and transfer all your data to the new drive.

First let's look at the operating system. A standard installation of Windows and Office with standard software such as Chrome and Adobe may take 70 Gb of storage just for system files. Most computers today should have a minimum of 240 Gb of storage.

If using Chrome OS or linux 64 Gb or 128 Gb may suffice. Files which are not needed every day can be archived to a NAS, a Server or the cloud.

For Gaming you need a minimum of 480 Gb, and there is very little price difference between a 500 Gb drive and a 1 Tb model. For professional use it can be good to purchase a higher speed model such as the Samsung 990 Pro series.

Once you have selected your main drive it can often be beneficial to add a second drive for project work, the temp folder and additional swap space.

Most laptops can take one drive. Our standard ACL PCs can take one or two m.2 drives and 4 or more SSD or HDD drives. Additional drives can be configured into an array which can keep your information safe should one drive fail.

Lastly always ensure that SSD and HDD models are near a system fan for cooling performance and longevity. High speed m.2 drives will slow down if not passively cooled by a heatsink.