Features - QOTW: How much storage do you use on your primary PC?

[Lord Midas]

2TB - Docs, media, games, applications
2 x 750GB - Docs, media, games, applications
128 SSD - C: Windows only and the ridiculous winsxs folder
40GB SSD - was Windows but the winsxs folder ate it all (blank at the mo)

Cloud doesn't appeal as I like me "stuff" to be local. But I get how good it is for multi-PC users and access on the go.

[Mpicknett]

Currently just got a 500gb HDD and a 1TB external but have a 240gb SSD to upgrade soon.

[thonidy]

60 GB SSD (Cache) + 250 GB HDD (System) + 4 TB HDD (Storage)

[Brian224]

512GB SSD + 2TB HDD. The HDD holds less commonly used programs and local copies of the data on the 2 x 1TB NAS.

[Noxvayl]

I'm going to go with the question is flawed. Let me explain...

The question mentions the change in usage habits but doesn't consider this change as part of the question because all it asks is how much storage is on your "primary PC." So the question is flawed because it seems to equate "primary PC" with the only machine in the house that stores our data. Back in the 90s this might of been an appropriate way in which understand how people store and need data, hence the focus back then on personal PC storage space.

In the modern day we have multiple devices that we want to have access to the same data, no point wasting space storing the same data on multiple devices because that would be far more costly than using a centralised storage place. So it naturally follows that people either use cloud storage technology or they keep it local but sort out a way to access it on multiple devices so they use a second machine as a server or pay for Networked Attached Storage (NAS).

You can see in the responses that people are using Terra-bytes (TB) of data but they are doing so on multiple devices. As part of the question there was mention of the future needs of people would be in the TB rather than GB and it was correct. What wasn't taken into account was the use of multiple devices; so instead of having those TB of data on one device it would be on multiple devices so therefore the storage of one device could be less.

Just like the HEXUS office I use an SSD because it performs better. In order to achieve that, with the cost of SSD's, my storage habits had to change. I decided that I would use extra hard drives to store my documents and other files instead of using my C-Drive. Unfortunately Microsoft seems to think that most people still store information on their C-Drive by default; that used to be the case but isn't any longer, not even an office environment does that; the offices I have been to, and all my friends work in, now use servers for better data integrity and allowing staff to work collaboratively. Microsoft still haven't figured that out which is why I'm learning to alter Windows 8.1 to better suit my needs; Microsoft decided that Libraries, which allow you to bring data in from multiple places, was bad enough to turn it off by default and then replace that with OneDrive which does not achieve the same thing. I can understand why they did it, but as Saracen continually points out it isn't good to be forcing your customers to do something they don't want to; you end up annoying them by doing that, especially when the replacement you propose can't do what the previous technology was doing perfectly. While I'm on this tangent I may as well mention that I can't wait to have Linux provide an alternative that meets all my needs, I get more and more annoyed with Microsoft each year and this last 12 months has seemed like everything they do I dislike... perhaps I am getting old, or perhaps Microsoft is getting old and is unable to keep up with user habits...

I apologise for the digression, back to topic.

I use an SSD, it has 256GB of space and I put my Operating System and games on it. Everything else goes on my other 2.5" HDDs which currently are configured in a storage space that has 695GB of space; but that isn't all my storage space, I also have 2x 1TB HDDs and 1x 800GB HDD that I connect with my IcyDock via eSATA. So my main PC only has 951GB of storage but I have access to 2.8TB of storage externally. I am currently re-installing programs and games on my machine so I can't say how much space I use up just yet. I can say that it changes based on the games I play, I only install the games I am playing. My documents folder, on the other hand, keeps getting larger so it has permanently moved to another HDD. My media gets stored in the storage space and moved to my external drives. The last consideration I have is my sensitive data which gets encrypted on a separate HDD that is kept externally, I also have an encrypted USB drive with the same information.

I would of asked a different question. My question would of been: How much storage space do you have available?

[scaryjim]

I've recently passed on my desktop to a friend, so I'm now using my laptop as my main PC: according to windows explorer I have 816GB free of 907GB, so I guess I'm using around 91GB

My HTPC has a 500GB HDD partitioned into a 100GB system partition and the rest as storage: The 100GB filled up fairly recently so I moved all the steam games onto the storage partition - which was otherwise mostly empty. So I guess that has > 100GB of stuff on it, but no more than 150GB.

If I start recording again, as is my plan, I guess I'll end up using a lot more than that in Audacity projects and other random bumf, but I do find it staggering when people have several TB of data squirreled away. I've no idea what I'd do with that much storage capacity...

[bdaniel7]

I would of asked a different question. My question would of been: How much storage space do you have available?

Laptop: 120 GB SSD (65 GB with data ) + 750 GB HDD (520 GB with data)
NAS: 2 x 1 TB HDD (80% full)

[bdaniel7]

Wow interesting statistics!

So I've learned that there's quite a few Hexus readers who didn't understand the question.

Or maybe they just wanted to show off...

[hitmancho]

2x Kingston HyperX 3K SSDs: 120+120GBs
1 WD Green Series disk: 2TBs

Obviously I use my SSDs for the OS and all installations, while my HD is for my pirated stuff because I'm a poor eastern European with a cutting edge PC...

[stevie lee]

C: 240gb ssd, 70gb used
D: 640gb games drive, 500gb used.
F: 2TB 'stuff' drive, 1.74TB used - mainly game patches, game save backups, downloaded files and other stuff.
H: 1tb games drive, 560gb used.

E: is the dvd drive, G: is backup drive (when its plugged in)

all my steam/origin/gog games are downloaded and also backed up to another external drive. if I ever feel the need to play a game, I can just launch any of them, don't need to wait for the download to finish.
prior to this install of windows, all my disc copies of game were installed aswell, so I could just play anything whenever I wanted, instead of having to reinstall and mess with the settings and then not bothering playing it anymore because all that took too long

[failquail]

Two 120GB SSD's in RAID0 plus 3x1TB RAID5 HDD storage* In my desktop
120GB SSD in my laptop

The house also shares 6TB of space on a NAS Box (it's nice having everyones DVD/BR movie collection ripped for uber-lazy access )

*This part is overkill admittedly, but these drives were leftovers from my last NAS storage upgrade

[Nikumba]

128Gb SSD (OS) + 2Tb mechanical for games, apps etc, 6Tb NAS for media, 250Gb OneDrive

[edzieba]

256GB SSD + 6.5TB of local spinning rust. Most of that is redundant now and needs to be migrated to the NAS (another 15TB of spinning rust, 9TB usable area after RAIDZ2). Once everything gets moved to an ITX box, I'll probably just keep the SSD and one drive.

[Dareos]

128GB SSD for OS and stuff, 2TB mechanical for storage, steam folder etc.

Saying that, theres 5 desktops in this house atm, including my media machine (Thank again Hexus) and they all run off of central server storage, HP microserver which currently has the original 250MB drive and a further 3TB installed. Theres a 3TB drive sitting in its packaging ready to be installed whenever i feel the need, and various USB sticks for transporting the small stuff (64MB and below) and a 1.5TB Samsung Story portable external drive (needs mains power but its a great little brick).

I don't really like using the cloud for anything other than backup of photos and so on, i like all my data here, on hand, when I want it and not reliant on a broadband connection, even if its not that important. Its here, its mine.

[The Hand]

I only have a 500GB HD on my i5 laptop (my main pc at the moment) and I use all of it..

[Meowdance]

60GB SSD boot drive (Which desperately needs an upgrade, judging by current prices probably a 256 which is now the same price as the 60 when I got it) with a 500GB WD Blue salvaged from an old system used for storage of images, music, films etc and a 1TB WD Black for my steam library and larger programs like Creative Suite etc. There are various other drives lying around. I stumbled upon a very cute 15GB Seagate the other day from my old Mac, bless it. Never short of storage but performance memory is a premium.