Should I Get 2TB or 4TB for Gaming? A Storage Pro‘s Inside Advice

As both a hardcore gamer and YouTube content creator focused on the latest AAA titles, storage capacity is something I have to take seriously. Modern blockbusters like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare require a staggering 175GB of drive space. With install footprints ballooning to over 100GB each, most gaming rigs need at least 1-2TB to hold a decent library.

But is 2TB enough? Or should you future-proof with a more spacious 4TB option? I tested both drive sizes to find the definitive answer.

The Verdict Up Front

• For most gamers, 2TB offers the best balance of capacity versus cost. This leaves ample room to install 25-50 average sized titles depending on the games.
• 4TB is ideal for power users maintaining huge libraries spanning different generations and content creators capturing lots of gameplay footage.

Below I’ll break down the pros and cons of each option in more detail, including real-world examples from my own gaming/workstation build.

Diving Into 2TB Drives: The Value-Focused Pick

A 2TB drive hits the sweet spot for the majority of gamers. The extra terabyte over entry-level 1TB models provides plenty of wiggle room to install tentative triple-A games without compromise:

• Hold approximately 25-50 games depending on individual install sizes
• Budget friendly price between $50-150 depending on form factor
• Upgradeable later by adding a second drive

To give you a sense of how many blockbuster titles fit into 2TB of space, here is a breakdown:

As you can see, you can comfortably fit some of this generation‘s most demanding games in a standard 2TB configuration. Only the most extreme users are likely to exhaust the capacity with everyday gaming and installations.

However, 2TB does require periodically removing older games or those you’ve already completed in order to try out new titles launching at over 100GB per pop. If you play games start-to-finish and don’t revisit them often, this drive size should suit most of your needs.

When to consider 2TB:

• Primarily play the latest released games
• Stream/capture footage occasionally
• Delete older games after completing or becoming bored

All around, 2TB mechanical hard drives or SATA SSD offer an accessible one-size-fits-most solution. They deliver substantial space cushions without breaking the bank. Let’s move onto the reasons power users may want to opt for extra capacity with 4TB models instead.

Why Some Gamers Should Opt for 4TB

While 2TB serves the majority of casual gamers well, hardcore users stand to benefit from upgraded 4TB variants. With some flagship titles passing 200GB after installing all optional high-resolution texture packs and updates, you need wiggle room.

Here are the main perks of choosing these maximalist drives:

• Hold upwards of 50-100 average games
• Create a vast library spanning different generations
• Record gameplay, stream, and edit without worrying about space
• Future proof for 8K content

And to provide comparisons with the same benchmark games from earlier:

As demonstrated above, 4TB configurations support practically limitless installations of today’s most storage hungry applications. You’ll never have to waste time micromanaging disk space or deciding what to uninstall.

This scales well for content creators juggling raw captured footage alongside personal gaming libraries too. I easily store weeks worth of unedited videos while keeping dozens of AAA titles installed for demonstration and enjoyment.

Ultimately 4TB does come at a steeper price ranging $150-300 depending on connectivity and form factor preferences. But for power users building their dream gaming setup or making gaming content, the long-term utility can justify costs.

Think of it as an affordable future-proof insurance policy.

Good fits for 4TB drives:

• Building a massive cross-generation game library
• Recording/streaming hours of high-bit-rate footage
• Maximalists wanting one-and-done storage

Either way you choice goes, I recommend filling about 75% of your total capacity maximum during normal operation. This reserves overhead for capturing videos, game updates, and downloads you may want to transfer over from another computer.

Running drives up to 95%+ capacity long-term also increases the likelihood of performance issues or failures over time. So ensure you leave breathing room even on the most capacious 4TB models.

Closing Advice on Managing Gaming Storage Needs

I hope breaking down suitable use cases for both 2TB and 4TB storage options assists your buying decision process. Whichever size you land on, be sure to leverage tools like Windows Storage Settings or third party software to analyze disk space over time.

Quickly pinpointing games wasting the most capacity unnecessarily cached files or leftover data helps massively. Employing separate drives for personal game libraries versus video captures also keeps things fast and organized.

And for anybody not afraid of opening their case, installing secondary hard drives or SSDs to complement rather than outright replace primary storage is my recommendation. This offers the best total capacity and speed possible.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m always happy to lend my firsthand expertise on fine tuning PC builds specifically for heavy duty gaming.