Upgraded MPB internal SSD vs Buying external SSD

[itschris93]

I'll be buying a new MBP (2017) soon and I faced a dilemma. I need at least 750gb of storage, preferable a little more so I've got two options;
1: Upgrade the internal SSD to 512gb and buy a 500gb Samsung T5
2: Safe some money and go for the 265gb storage and buy a 1TB Samsung T5

Option 1 will cost me €439,- extra for roughly 1000gb storage, Option 2 will cost me €349,- extra for a total of 1265gb storage. So yeah, option 2 will deliver more bang for the buck but comes with the downside that ALL my documents will be on the external SSD where option 1 will have the most used files on the internal SSD and lesser used files on the external SSD.

So yeah, convenience vs bang for the buck. What should I buy?

 

[New_Mac_Smell]

You can't upgrade the internal SSD in the newest MBPs. And the internal SSD is a premium high speed storage device, so don't spend the hundreds they cost just to store your movies and nonsense.

Just get what you need, always get what you need. Try not to buy a new computer which you immediately have to use external storage with. If you can't afford it then save up or consider other options. External drives are an option, but they are small and easily damaged or lost, so you really want a dedicated system if it's critical data. Something like a NAS if it's for office storage.

 

[ahmedouvix]

I'll be buying a new MBP (2017) soon and I faced a dilemma. I need at least 750gb of storage, preferable a little more so I've got two options;
1: Upgrade the internal SSD to 512gb and buy a 500gb Samsung T5
2: Safe some money and go for the 265gb storage and buy a 1TB Samsung T5

Option 1 will cost me €439,- extra for roughly 1000gb storage, Option 2 will cost me €349,- extra for a total of 1265gb storage. So yeah, option 2 will deliver more bang for the buck but comes with the downside that ALL my documents will be on the external SSD where option 1 will have the most used files on the internal SSD and lesser used files on the external SSD.

So yeah, convenience vs bang for the buck. What should I buy?

I am using your second option but with 2tb external instead. It's a pain in the ass that i always need my external hard drive connected as 256 isn't enough for my games so i wish i got 512gb

 

[Glmnet1]

Are you going to be carrying it around a lot? How much of your files do you need to have with you when on the road?

If upgrading to 512gb can prevent you from having to carry the external storage all the time then go for it. If not then go with the 256gb.

 

[jerryk]

I would get the bigger drive. And only use an external when necessary.

 

[Fishrrman]

Pay attention to what NewMacSmell wrote in post 2 above.

Don't pay too much for the 1tb of SSD that you really don't need.
Save some money -- get the 512gb and "move off" stuff you really don't need on the internal drive to an EXTERNAL USB3 drive...

 

[itschris93]

Okay thanks! Guess I’ll go with the 512GB model.

 

[alphaod]

I would also go for as much internal storage as I can get.

For your external options, look out for open box SSDs. I got a 2TB Samsung T3 for $400 at Microcenter. Formatted it and ran TRIM. It's good as new; I use it to keep my current working Lightroom library.

 

[mvtm]

Go for the internal. Option 1 is what i use. I have exactly the same configuration and I'm happy with it. Option 2 wouldn't make much sense if you're having an external drive much larger than your internal. Imho, it just feels pretty unbalanced. 256GB internal + 1TB ext. Prioritize the internal. Running a machine in a disk so small can be a pain, while having a smaller capacity external drive is a fixable situation.

Imho 256GB is the absolute minimum i can go live with. Do the more balanced thing that i did 500+500 it feels good. I rather have a smaller external that i can always replace instead to be stuck with an internal drive that somehow got too little for me.

The thing is i KNOW i don't fill more than 500 GB in my pc. So I'm confident 500 internal would be enough, and for redudency and Virtual Machines i got a 500GB T5.

Go for Option 1 it will be more balanced. If you're pairing 256GB with 1 TB you might feel cramped faster. I use about 128Gb on my previous mac, as almost on the edge of getting 256GB on the new MBP, but decided for the 512GB one to have storage a plenty, even i that use very little wanted the larger internal, it is as you said more convenient and faster than a connecting a cable, carrying a thing and usb 3.1 gen 2.