New Laptop – Storage problem?

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My long serving Asus laptop is getting slower and slower and so I have been looking for a replacement, possibly a Dell model (XPS?). However, the issue I’m having is with the size of the storage on board. My existing laptop has a 1TB HDD, which was the norm when I bought it but, of course, the faster SSDs are now the norm. But they are more expensive than hard drives and a 500GB SSD seems the best option today.

So my question is how do I get a reasonably priced laptop with 1-2TB of data storage (1-2TB SSDs are available but very expensive and of course although one wants the system running on an SSD for speed, it’s not necessary to store all one’s data on an SSD – an HDD will do).

An external hard drive has been suggested but the whole point of a laptop is transportability so I don’t really want to leave my photos, music and videos etc behind, or have to carry another box!

One possible solution would be a laptop with 2 drives – an SSD for the system and an HDD for data – but Dell don’t seem to do these. I’ve also wondered about an SSHD (Hybrid Drive) but, apart from the fact that Dell don’t seem to offer them, I gather they are a poor compromise between SSD and HDD – slower than a SSD and more expensive and fault prone than the equivalent HDD.

So I would be really interested to hear forum members thoughts on this issue. I’m sure others must have had the same dilemma in the past.

Many thanks.

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You might find more options in the Dell Business section than in the one for Home/Consumers.

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Microfix, WSVictor Delta, Ascaris

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I bought a Dell XPS 13 (9310) with 256 GB of SSD space, but currently it has a 2 TB SSD in there (both NVMe). The SSD on this model is easily replaceable, but not the RAM, so I ordered it with 16GB rather than order it with less and then upgrade it as has been the norm for most of my laptops.

The operation to install the SSD is quite easy, and there are directions in the Dell service manual for the unit, which they make available at their site, if you wish to go this direction.

I bought this unit through the Dell business section as PKCano suggested. The combination of components, warranty, and preinstalled OS I selected was not available on their consumer site.

Dell XPS 13/9310, i5-1135G7/16GB, KDE Neon
XPG Xenia 15, i7-9750H/16GB & GTX1660ti, KDE Neon
Acer Swift Go 14, i5-1335U/16GB, KDE Neon

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Microfix, WSVictor Delta

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If you need 2TB, some brands do have an SSD and hard drive option, ASUS does.  Call or chat with Dell, I think they have some models that have 2 drives.

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WSVictor Delta

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How much space do you need? https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-512GB-Ultra-Flash-Drive/dp/B083ZS4HYD/ref=sr_1_11?crid=348N3JOPL4HSL&keywords=usb+flash+drives&nav_sdd=aps&qid=1647792037&refinements=p_n_size_browse-bin%3A10285020011&rnid=1259751011&s=pc&sprefix=usb+fla&sr=1-11 What about that?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady

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WSVictor Delta

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Many thanks for all the useful comments and suggestions. A lot of food for thought!

I’ve had another look at the Dell website and can’t find any laptops (home or business) with other than single SSD options, but have emailed them in case I’ve missed something. Also Asus certainly had such laptops but I can’t find any now available. Perhaps the dual drive option is becoming a thing of the past right across the industry? So perhaps I need to consider Ascaris’s suggestion of the DIY 2TB SSD upgrade.

Thanks again.

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If your existing laptop is several years old, you will find that the newer ones, especially the slim, touchscreen models will be lacking many things previously considered standard: CD/DVD drive, SD card slot, Ethernet port. Also, you may be faced with little or no update capability for RAM (may be soldered in slim models) or storage, as well as a limited number of USB ports. If you feel constrained by any of this, you may be better served by a gaming machine offering more ports and room for expansion of RAM or storage.

HTH, Regards

Phil

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wavy, WSVictor Delta, OscarCP

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Have you considered upgrading the existing laptop with a large SSD? Should extend the life of the unit by a few years.

cheers, Paul

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Microfix, WSVictor Delta

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Good idea but I won’t be able to update the existing laptop to Windows 11 so probably won’t go down this route

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WSVictor Delta wrote:

Good idea but I won’t be able to update the existing laptop to Windows 11 so probably won’t go down this route

You have at least another 3 years of Windows 10 support and probably more (6 years) with extended support, so no rush for Windows 11 beta.

It is cheaper to replace current HDD with a 2.5″ 4TB SSD. Adding RAM will help too.

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WSVictor Delta

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Alex5723 wrote:

You have at least another 3 years of Windows 10 support and probably more (6 years) with extended support, so no rush for Windows 11 beta.

Is that 6 years of extended support free for windows 10??

Keeping IT Lean, Clean and Mean!

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I am sure Microsoft will add 3 years of ESU to Windows 10 (just like Windows 7).
78% of Enterprise PCs are not Windows 11 compatible.

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The Windows 10 Home and Pro end-of-support date is October 16, 2025. As of now, Microsoft has not announced and extended paid support although most everyone expects them to announce as we get closer to the date.

--Joe

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