512gb storage enough? (macbook pro, photo editing)

[Kaitlyn2004]

Just trying to get some final validation or challenge to deciding on the 512gb storage option, which is the base, for a 14" MacBook Pro purchase.

I plan to use it partially just casually, but also mainly for photo editing. I already use a windows PC, but have never used Mac as a desktop/laptop.

Thinking about my current usage...
- My Lightroom+"recent" photos will be on an external SSD, as they are now. Currently 2TB.
- I store the rest of my photos on a separate internal (but in this case would intend to be external) 8TB hard drive which is also backed up externally+offsite. It's thousands of RAW files and I see no way imaginable that it would end up being stored internally.
- Random other apps/etc. but I can't really think of anything significant outside of my 25GB Dropbox.
- Did very little video work before, but that might pop up again. Video files are even bigger than the photos, so I assume that would basically HAVE to be on external drive system?
- Maybe random offline spotify, netflix, etc...?

I don't game. I don't program either, but MIGHT want to consider the idea of app development. Does that end up taking a lot of space? I would think speed is even less of a concern for app code, and could also be worked on off an external SSD?

Are there other things, possibilities, things to consider where 512gb might be too limiting? The upgrade to 1TB is more expensive than a fast 2TB external SSD, plus I'd still have 512gb internal...

 

[AVBeatMan]

I'm also thinking about this. I am a light user and 512 would be plenty, but thinking 1TB?... Like others input?

 

[Nismo73]

I do a little bit of photography and 512 is fine for me since whatever I take, just gets put on a 2tb external. Then skim through what’s decent, then export the keeper to hard drive.
If I was to dump everything all the time to the MacBook hd, then I would start to think even 1tb isn’t enough and then it’s endless.
But if upgrading makes someone feel more comfortable about the longevity of their purchase then I’m all for it.

You can get a 1tb usbc thumb drive for like $75-85 bucks. That’s wild.

 

[Alameda]

Just trying to get some final validation or challenge to deciding on the 512gb storage option, which is the base, for a 14" MacBook Pro purchase.

I plan to use it partially just casually, but also mainly for photo editing. I already use a windows PC, but have never used Mac as a desktop/laptop.

Thinking about my current usage...
- My Lightroom+"recent" photos will be on an external SSD, as they are now. Currently 2TB.
- I store the rest of my photos on a separate internal (but in this case would intend to be external) 8TB hard drive which is also backed up externally+offsite. It's thousands of RAW files and I see no way imaginable that it would end up being stored internally.
- Random other apps/etc. but I can't really think of anything significant outside of my 25GB Dropbox.
- Did very little video work before, but that might pop up again. Video files are even bigger than the photos, so I assume that would basically HAVE to be on external drive system?
- Maybe random offline spotify, netflix, etc...?

I don't game. I don't program either, but MIGHT want to consider the idea of app development. Does that end up taking a lot of space? I would think speed is even less of a concern for app code, and could also be worked on off an external SSD?

Are there other things, possibilities, things to consider where 512gb might be too limiting? The upgrade to 1TB is more expensive than a fast 2TB external SSD, plus I'd still have 512gb internal...

I have the same setup and it’s no problem at all. I shoot with a 45mp camera and do my RAW edits with DxO. I usually copy a 128GB memory card to the internal SSD, do all of my edits, and then move the folder to the external SSD. I do this because the internal SSD is faster than my Thunderbolt SSD, which helps when I browse the thumbnails of 500 RAW photos at once.

To be honest, the 512 imposes the discipline I need to organize my photos onto the SSD. And I backup to a NAS and all that, like you do.

256 GB would be too limiting for me, but 512 is fine.

 

[Kaitlyn2004]

I have the same setup and it’s no problem at all. I shoot with a 45mp camera and do my RAW edits with DxO. I usually copy a 128GB memory card to the internal SSD, do all of my edits, and then move the folder to the external SSD. I do this because the internal SSD is faster than my Thunderbolt SSD, which helps when I browse the thumbnails of 500 RAW photos at once.

To be honest, the 512 imposes the discipline I need to organize my photos onto the SSD. And I backup to a NAS and all that, like you do.

256 GB would be too limiting for me, but 512 is fine.

So like outside of photo workflow, in a typical Mac OS environment… 512 should be just fine overall?

Trying to think what else really consumes a lot of storage and NEEDS to be on the system drive? I’m assuming games but not even sure what else

 

[Alameda]

So like outside of photo workflow, in a typical Mac OS environment… 512 should be just fine overall?

Trying to think what else really consumes a lot of storage and NEEDS to be on the system drive? I’m assuming games but not even sure what else

I’m not a gamer, so I don’t know how much storage games take up. I suppose it can be a lot.

With the OS and a bunch of applications, plus a lot of iCloud Messages and Calendar data, your system can be around 150 to 200 GB. That’s why I think 512 gives you plenty of overhead.

What else can take up a lot of storage? Mail, if you store it locally. I just use gmail so I have no locally stored mail, but that can easily take up a few GB’s. Video, of course and then RAW photos. I shoot about 1 TB per year, but I don’t store that on my laptop. Virtual machines and containers gobble up a lot of storage and RAM, but that’s a specialized use which you aren’t likely to encounter. For my work, I do run a containerized Docker app which does take up a lot of memory and disk space, but it’s not a problem for my 16/512 GB MacBook Pro. My iPhone Messages take up 20 GB on my Mac, so I’ve decided to go through them and weed out about half the photos and the videos.

You’ll see that a 4 TB Thunderbolt drive is extremely fast and very small. It’s inconvenient to attach it if you’re working off your lap or on an airplane, but on a desk at home or on the road, it’s no problem at all. If I were buying new, I might bump the RAM up to 24 GB, but I’d stick with 512 GB of storage. I have well over 100 GB free on my machine. But the only reason I might get more RAM is because of the special software I use for work, which is pretty much only used if you develop software.