Video games are becoming more demanding in terms of requirements due, among other things, to richer textures. Many games already recommend at least 16 GB of RAM in order to function correctly. Something that also increases is the weight of the games and that is making it very It is recommended to install an SSD of at least 1 TB.
The price of SSDs, in general, has plummeted due to the huge reduction in demand. We can buy a 1 TB SATA SSD for 60-70 euros and 1 TB M.2 PCIe SSDs for 60-90 euros. While 2 TB SATA SSDs are around 100-130 euros and 2 TB M.2 PCIe SSDs are between 120-170 euros.
Games getting fatter
Just as it has been established that the minimum RAM is 8 GB and the ideal is already 16 GB, the same happens with storage. The minimum capacity of an SSD is currently 512 GB, but the ideal is to have a 1 TB drive.
Increasing capacities of SSDs are required, mainly, the weight of video games. The configurations that the developers show show how they occupy more and more. Reasons include richer textures and lack of optimization.
Let’s go with some interesting examples. Far Cry 6 requires at least 170GB, STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor what occupies 155GB and final fantasy xv occupies more than 110GB. These three games alone occupy almost 450 GB, something that would make it “impossible” to install them on a 512 GB SSD.
Logically, hardly anyone will have these three games installed, but there are many other heavy games. FIFA 23 requires of 100GB Of space, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has a weight of more than 125GB either Read Dead Redemption 2 occupies more than 120GB.
We have to know that from a 512 GB SSD we can use about 480 GB. You have to discount the partition and the Windows 10 installation already occupies about 30GBbetween installation, updates and cache.
It is evident that, currently, it is becoming a requirement to have an SSD of at least 1 TB. Considering the current price, they are a very attractive option.
Very interesting 1 TB and more SSD drives
Among all the possible options, the most basic and interesting is the Crucial BX500, an economical solution that is now around 60 euros. It is imposed as a solution for economic systems or to give a second life to an old laptop. As an alternative we have the Samsung 870 QVO, which offers a little more features.
Maybe you are not interested in a SATA type SSD and you are looking for an M.2 drive and one that is based on the PCIe 4.0 interface. The drive that stands out to us the most is the WD_Black SN770, which offers speeds of 5000 MB/s. Another option is the Seagate FireCuda 520, which is more or less similar to the WD_Black model, but a bit more expensive.
You may already be interested in moving to the 2 TB capacity. The Crucial MX500 unit which is a very good solution. Then you have the WD Green SN350 drive which is PCIe 3.0 and the Kingston NV2 drive which is PCIe 4.0. There are three high-quality solutions at a fairly moderate price.
