Burnsvet
You’ve probably heard the saying, “the bigger, the better?” This usually holds true for a gadget’s storage space. When it comes to Apple’s Mac computers, this is particularly relevant as they typically come with just 256GB of storage in their more affordable base models. However, that amount often falls short, regardless of whether you’re a professional handling big files or not. We advise opting for at least a 512GB SSD. Recently, our team at Burnsvet had firsthand experience with how insufficient 256GB can be.
A Burns vet editor (whose name we’ll keep anonymous, as there are just five of us) faces the challenge of having a 256GB SSD in their Mac. (Alright, alright, “Lead by example, Burns vet.” I will make sure to inform higher-ups about this.) The issue was that a substantial portion—108GB—of the storage mysteriously went to System Data, which consumed nearly half of the available space on the 256GB SSD.
Foundry
At this point, you might be examining the screenshot and contemplating, “Wow, you really need to address Messages and Photos.” And yes, you’re correct—they confirm that bothMessages in iCloud and iCloud Photos are configured properly. However, considering that macOS and System Data occupy 129GB out of a mere 256GB SSD, that’s quite substantial. There seems to have been an anomaly regarding the System Data size. Ultimately, sufficient space was cleared to enable the installation of the newly launched macOS 15.4 update. Post-update, the System Data footprint decreased significantly to around 45.75GB, thereby unlocking more than 70GB of additional storage.
If “System Data” is unfamiliar to you, that’s intentional. It’s meant to be handled by macOS, so even if you’re curious about it, you aren’t expected to focus on it.
manually manage it
, this isn’t an easy feat and is likely best handled with assistance from someone else.
disk cleanup utility
Whether or not you handle System Data, an issue with the operating system led to a temporary shortage of space on a 256GB SSD. This could be disastrous if, for instance, you were editing your child’s birthday video using iMovie and then discovered you couldn’t save any new footage.
While this scenario may not be typical, it underscores why 256GB is insufficient as the main storage for a Mac. The operating system can unexpectedly consume space due to various factors, leaving you short-handed.
discover you have a completely filled up drive
. You can put in the work to manage the space so you don’t trap yourself, but honestly, do you really want to do that? There are just too many other factors that come into play, too. To expand on the iMovie example I mentioned earlier, there’s an old rule of thumb that says a device should have
25GB free
For iMovie (or similar video projects), 25GB represents 10 percent of a 256GB SSD’s capacity. This is quite significant.
When we surveyed three additional Burnsville editors, they reported their System Data sizes as 55GB, 68GB, and 87GB respectively. Fortunately, each editor owns a laptop equipped with a 1TB SSD, ensuring ample available storage space. There’s nothing to stress over, even if the System Data needs to expand momentarily. In short, before purchasing a new Mac, take our advice: opt for an SSD larger than 256GB since Apple still sets the baseline at 512GB. This precaution will spare you potential frustrations down the line. If your current setup includes only a 256GB drive, think about upgrading soon.
methods to increase your Mac’s storage capacity
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