With gaining of admission into college comes the need to get resources and material required for a student’s studies. A storage device is needed to save all those files that are available in soft copy, which most student prefer to use a laptop for that. Not all laptops come in the same storage capacity. They come in different storage capacities 128GB, 64GB, 32GB, 256GB, 320GB, 1TB and so on. In this article we shall see if 256 is enough storage for a college student?
For study purpose a 256 SSD (Solid State) storage laptop is enough to store the required documents. Most eBook (PDF, ePub0 comes in a size less than 10 megabytes which a laptop of 256SSD can save as many as those without slowing down the process. Also one might be thinking about media files such as tutorial videos, music. All these files for an average student might not take up more than 70% of the storage capacity. Videos are usually available in number of pixels that determines its quality. With a laptop of 256 SSD storage a pixel of 720p or lower is recommended to reserve space for it to be able to save more.
How to check your laptops or PC storage capacity?
To check your laptop’s or PC storage capacity follow these step.
For windows
- Select the start button
- Then settings.
- Select System > storage
Or
- Press ‘window key + E’ to open the file explorer.
- In the file explorer window, in the left navigation pane, click on ‘This pc’
- After clicking, on the right of This Pc you a section called Devices and Drives.
- Here you will see all the storage devices on the PC or laptop which will include the status of storage capacity of the PC
Is the storage capacity of a laptop/pc expandable?
Yes, the storage capacity of a PC can be increased or expanded by adding some other hardware component.
A computer or laptop usually comes with a primary storage device installed from the manufacturer and there are options available to expand the storage capacity which one can select any of these options.
Replace an existing drive
This done by removing the previous storage drive and putting in a higher storage capacity. To do this a compatible storage drive is gotten from a computer store or can be easily purchase in online stores. To check for a compatible drive check if the existing drive uses SATA(Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) or IDE (Integrated drive electronics) and other compatibility information can be checked using the System Information Utility.
Add up/install an additional drive
This is the widely used option to expand the storage capacity of a computer which is done by purchasing a new drive, therefore making available another storage space. Before purchasing a new drive the compatibility need to be checked whether the existing drive uses IDE or SATA
Other factors that enhance the effectiveness of a storage
- Processor Speed
- RAM storage
RAM storage
RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. It is a short term memory storage device that holds the information that the CPU is currently using in order process information instantly.
RAM comes in various storage capacity ranging from 1GB to 64GB as at present
What RAM storage is required for a 256 storage capacity?
For a low budget laptop, a 4GB RAM is recommended. Some PC apps and games (e.g. 2017 PES) will run well on a 4GB RAM pc. However, there are app which will require higher RAM capacity for it to run smoothly. Always remember to check an app requirement before installation.
How to check the RAM capacity of a Laptop/PC?
To check for the RAM capacity on windows follow these steps:
- Click on windows start menu
- In the search box type in system information, move your cursor and click on it.
- On the system summary scroll to see the install physical memory.
Can the RAM capacity be increased?
Yes, it can be increased. For a 32bit version of windows it cannot be increased to more than 4GB and for a 64bit it can be expanded more than 4GB depending on the system’s specification. To simply check for your system RAM on windows Press the Windows Key and the Pause at the same time. To increase the RAM capacity, it is advised to give a computer expert who can easily know the technical know how about the installation of a new RAM drive.
Processor Speed
Processor speed of computer is measure in Gigahertz(GHz) the higher the Gigahertz, the faster and more effective a computer can run its various processes. The processor is also known as the central processing unit (CPU) which provides the instructions and processing power a computer needs to perform various task. The speed at which CPU or processor does this is known as the processor speed.
For an average student a computer or laptop with a processor speed greater than 2.0 GHz is just sufficient to perform the needed task. Although, to use a laptop to perform harder and massive task such as playing FIFA 2020 a laptop with a processor speed of about 4GHz is required for it to work smoothly.
How to check the processor speed of a laptop?
For windows.
- Click on start
- Select and open control panel.
- Click on system (or system and security then select system on the prompted window)
- Select the general tab which you will see the process speed and type displayed also you can find the RAM capacity here and the operating system.
Can I increase my processor speed?
This is difficult and heavy task as it requires adequate knowledge on how the CPU works. It is done either by purchasing a new one or through overclocking. Overclocking is done by increasing the base clock of motherboard and the entire system which include the RAM, CPU and others. To use any of the options available it is best to give a computer expert.
Conclusion
A 256SSD is sufficient for a college student to carry out all the needed tasks and when choosing a PC of that storage other factors need to considers such as the one discussed earlier.
