Security Camera Hard Drive Capacity: Choose the Right Size

You've just invested in a top-notch security camera system to keep an eye on your property, especially during those unpredictable load-shedding blackouts. But what happens if your storage runs out right before you need to review some crucial footage? 🛡️ Choosing the right security camera hard drive capacity is the single most important decision you'll make after picking your cameras. It’s about ensuring you have a reliable record when it matters most.

Let's break down how to choose the perfect size for your needs.

Kingston Fury Renegade 4TB NVMe SSD / M.2 2280 Form Factor / PCIe Gen5.0 / Up to 14,800MB/s Read / Up to 14,000MB/s Write / SFYR2S/4T0

R9999.00In Stock

ADATA SE920 1TB External Solid State Drive / Up to 2000 MB/s Read Speed / Up to 3,700 MB/s Write Speed(3,200 MB/s with Thunderbolt 4) / USB4 USB-C Interface (Backwards Compatible with USB 3.2/2.0) / SE920-1TCBK

R2999.00In Stock

Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 480GB External SSD | FIPS 197 | XTS-AES 256GB Encrypted | Touch Screen PIN | Secure Data Protection | IKVP80ES/480G

R4199.00In Stock

Orico X7000 2TB NVMe Internal Solid State Drive SSD / Versatile storage for multiple platforms / PCIe Gen 4.0, M.2 2280 / Up to 7100MB/s Read Speed / Up to 6500MB/s Write Speed / ORICO-X7000-2TB-RD-BP

R3599.00In Stock

Crucial P310 2TB NVMe Internal Solid State Drive SSD / Sequential read/write speeds up to 7,100/6,000MB/s / Integrated power loss immunity / Error correction code (ECC) / CT2000P310SSD8

R3799.00In Stock

KLEVV CRAS C930 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 Internal Gaming SSD with Heatsink / Compatible with PS5 / up to 7400MB/s with DRAM Cash / K01TBM2SP0-C93

R2299.00In Stock

Why Drive Capacity is Crucial for Surveillance

Running out of space on your security DVR or NVR isn't like running out of space on your phone. The system doesn't just stop recording; it starts overwriting the oldest footage first. This means if a break-in happens on Monday, but you only realise it on Friday, the evidence might already be gone.

The core challenge is balancing storage cost with retention time—how many days of footage you want to keep. A larger capacity drive gives you a longer history, providing a wider window to detect and save important events. For long-term, reliable recording, purpose-built traditional hard drives are often the most cost-effective solution.

Key Factors That Influence Storage Needs

Calculating the ideal security camera hard drive capacity isn't guesswork. It's a simple equation based on a few key variables. Getting these right will save you money and stress down the line.

Kingston SNV3S 1TB NVMe SSD / Up to 6,000MB/s Read / Up to 4,000MB/s Write / PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe / M.2 2230 Form Factor / SNV3SM3/1T0

R1999.00In Stock

Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SN5000 NVMe Internal Solid State Drive SSD - PCIe Gen 4.0, M.2 2280, Up to 5,150 MB/s / WDS100T4B0E

R1999.00In Stock

Kingston Fury Renegade 2TB PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe M.2 Internal Gaming SSD with Heat Sink | PS5 Ready | Up to 7300MB/s | SFYRDK/2000G

R4199.00In Stock

ADATA XPG 1TB GAMMIX S70 Blade - Works with Playstation 5, PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 Internal Gaming SSD Up to 7,400 MB/s / AGAMMIXS70B-1T-CS

R2599.00In Stock

Dahua C800A 1TB 2.5" SATA 3.0 6 Gb/s 3D NAND Solid State Drive (SSD) / Read Speed Up to 500 MB/s / Write Speed Up to 470 MB/s / DHI-SSD-C800AS1TB

R849.00In Stock

Corsair MP700 PRO with Air Cooler 4TB M.2 PCIe Gen5 x4 NVMe 2.0 SSD – M.2 2280 – Up to 14,000MB/sec Sequential Read – High-Density TLC NAND – Black / CSSD-F4000GBMP700PROS

R13199.00In Stock

Camera Resolution and Frame Rate (FPS)

This is the biggest factor. A 4K camera recording at 30 FPS will consume vastly more space than a 1080p camera at 15 FPS.

• 1080p (Full HD): The sweet spot for most homes, offering clear detail without massive file sizes.
• 4K (Ultra HD): Amazing clarity, ideal for businesses or identifying faces and license plates from a distance, but requires at least four times the storage of 1080p.

Video Compression Technology

Modern cameras use compression codecs to shrink video file sizes.

• H.264: An older, widely used standard.
• H.265 (HEVC): A newer, more efficient standard that can reduce file sizes by up to 50% compared to H.264 with no loss in quality. If your system supports it, use it!

KLEVV CRAS C930 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4x4 Internal Gaming SSD with Heatsink, Compatible with PS5, up to 7400MB/s with DRAM Cash / K02TBM2SP0-C93

R2299.00In Stock

XPG 4TB GAMMIX S70 Blade PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 Internal Gaming SSD Up to 7,400 MB/s - Works with Playstation 5 / AGAMMIXS70B-4T-CS

R6999.00In Stock

Kingston XS1000 1TB SSD | Pocket-Sized | USB 3.2 Gen 2 | External Solid State Drive | Up to 1050MB/s | SXS1000/1000G

R1799.00In Stock

Corsair MP600 PRO NH 4TB PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 SSD – High-Density TLC NAND – M.2 2280 – DirectStorage Compatible - Up to 7,000MB/sec - No Heatsink - Black / CSSD-F4000GBMP600PNH

R7499.00In Stock

ADATA XPG 1TB GAMMIX S70 Blade - Works with Playstation 5, PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 Internal Gaming SSD Up to 7,400 MB/s / AGAMMIXS70B-1T-CS

R2599.00In Stock

Western Digital SN850X NVMe Internal Solid State Drive - 8TB / Sequential Read, Write Performance - 7200MB/s, 6600MB/s / PCIe Gen 4 / WDS800T2X0E

R12499.00In Stock

Number of Cameras and Recording Schedule

The more cameras you have, the more data you're generating simultaneously. Your recording schedule also plays a massive role. Continuous 24/7 recording uses far more space than motion-activated recording, which only saves clips when movement is detected. For systems that need to access and write data quickly, high-performance internal SSDs can be a great, albeit more expensive, option for the operating system drive.

Calculating Your Ideal Storage Size

So, how much do you actually need? Here’s a quick reference guide for a typical H.265 system to help you estimate your security camera hard drive capacity.

These are estimates, but they provide a solid starting point. If your needs grow, you can always expand your setup with high-capacity external hard drives for archiving important footage.

KingSpec XG7000 1TB NVMe Internal Solid State Drive SSD / TLC NAND flash memory / PCIe Gen 4.0, M.2 2280, Up to 7400MB/s/6600MB/s Read/Write Speeds / XG7000-2280-1TB

R1999.00In Stock

Teamgroup CX2 2TB SATA Internal Solid State Drive / Up to 540 Read Speed / Up to 490 Write Speed / Advanced SLC Caching technology / T253X6002T0C101

R2199.00In Stock

ADATA SU650 1TB 3D-NAND SATA 2.5 inch Internal SSD / ASU650SS-1TT-R

R1399.00In Stock

Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SN5000 NVMe Internal Solid State Drive SSD - PCIe Gen 4.0, M.2 2280, Up to 5,150 MB/s / WDS100T4B0E

R1999.00In Stock

Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 1.92TB External SSD | FIPS 197 | XTS-AES 256GB Encrypted | Touch Screen PIN | Secure Data Protection | IKVP80ES/1920G

R6999.00In Stock

Western Digital SN8100 NVMe Internal Solid State Drive - 1TB / Sequential Read, Write Performance - 14900MB/s, 11000MB/s / PCIe Gen 5 / WDS100T1X0M

R3999.00In Stock

HDD vs. SSD for Surveillance: What's the Right Choice?

For pure video storage, traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) are the undisputed champions. They offer massive capacities (up to 20TB and beyond) at a much lower price per gigabyte than Solid State Drives. Look for "surveillance-grade" or "NAS" drives, as they are built for 24/7 write operations.

While the speed of our range of solid-state drives is incredible for gaming PCs, their higher cost makes them less practical for storing weeks of video. However, for portable backup or quickly transferring footage, rugged and fast external SSDs are an excellent tool to have. 💾

Ultimately, the goal is reliability and sufficient retention. Don't skimp on your storage—it's the heart of your security system.