Take the Trash Out
When files are deleted, they are moved to what's known as a recycle or trash bin, depending on the OS. This provides a buffer between removing a file from a folder within the OS and permanent deletion. It’s a window to recover any accidentally deleted files, avoiding data loss, and safeguarding against unwanted removal. However, it also takes up space because the files haven’t yet been deleted from the storage drive(s). Unless your OS is configured to automatically clear this bin, all the “deleted” files will remain, taking up space.
Make it a regular habit to clear out the trash every other week. This helps free up space on your drives and keeps everything neat and tidy.
Clear Unwanted Apps and Games
PC games are massive and only continue to grow as higher-resolution textures are used, as well as other new technologies to take visuals to new levels. Although this looks great when playing, it’s not great when you have countless games installed, some requiring 40 GB of space, if not more. Should you not be playing specific titles and won’t for some time, I recommend deleting them from your Steam library (or other storefront). This would free up valuable space for other data, including games you may play more frequently.
Use External or Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
A NAS can be an invaluable upgrade to your home storage needs. If you’re running low on internal storage and only need somewhere to stash some documents, backups, media, and other miscellaneous data, an external drive may be the best bet for expanding storage capacity without reconfiguring your system. This would be direct-attached storage (DAS), allowing for just one connection at a time. If you have more than one system at home, a NAS will be a great purchase, offering storage capacity and the means to run apps and services.
Upgrade to SSDs
If you’re still rolling with mechanical drives, they’ll top out at around 550 MB/s. That’s fine for general storage such as music, documents, and some apps. A SATA SSD will match this speed in a much smaller footprint and draw less power, be it a 2.5-inch or M.2 form factor drive. Move up to NVMe PCIe drives and you can get anywhere up to 14,000 MB/s with the latest generation drives. Depending on your motherboard, you’ll be able to improve performance, reduce power draw, and make your storage more efficient.
