Dropbox: The Ultimate Tool for PC Builders
In 2018, I took a leap of faith with a massive crowdfunded game design project, putting my reputation and self-worth on the line. The potential for failure loomed large, but my biggest concern was the risk of losing all the work stored on my custom-built PC. That would have been a nightmare for me and my collaborators. While I had local backups, the sheer volume of important files I was managing became overwhelming. I realized that no matter how many backups I created at home, they were all in one place—a risky gamble. So, I decided to subscribe to a cloud service. Years later, I still consider it one of the best investments I’ve made.
Having my work backed up in the cloud not only eased my mind but also streamlined collaboration. It allowed my team to upload files directly to my drive and enabled me to transfer files up to 50GB without a hitch. Before long, I had amassed a treasure trove of stunning artwork and complex files from InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. My initial goal with the cloud setup was to safeguard against data loss in a worst-case scenario, so I configured it to mirror everything on my work partition. Little did I know, I would face that worst-case scenario—not once, but twice.
For reasons I still can’t pinpoint, my latest custom PC went through two separate 2TB Samsung 970 Evo SSDs. Each time, I woke up to find that my system couldn’t detect the drive when I tried to boot up. The anxiety of pressing that power button, unsure if my drive had failed overnight, was gut-wrenching. Thankfully, after some troubleshooting, I discovered that only the drive had failed, and the rest of my system was intact. I probably should have switched brands after the second incident, but I’m now using a 2TB 990 Evo Plus. Fingers crossed, this one holds up. It’s worth noting that this drive now costs nearly double what I originally paid due to the skyrocketing prices of components.
My cloud subscription runs about $204 a year for a family plan, which accommodates up to six users. If you’re flying solo, you can opt for a plan at $9.99 a month, billed annually (around $120 a year), which provides 2TB of storage. There’s also an option to upgrade to 3TB for about $143 a year. While that might seem steep for those juggling multiple subscriptions, I find it a reasonable price for solid digital insurance.
There are other robust options out there, especially for professionals dealing with large files or complex workflows. For instance, Backblaze offers a personal backup plan with unlimited data for $99 a year and no file size restrictions. If you’re an Apple user, iCloud Plus is a decent choice, especially if you already have an Apple One subscription. Adobe also provides file backups through Creative Cloud, but I wouldn’t recommend using that cumbersome suite for anything beyond its intended purpose.
I lean towards Dropbox because it consistently performs well across various operating systems and operates quietly in the background. The Windows client is responsive, and with a fast internet connection, its real-time syncing is seamless. Whenever I modify a file in my mirrored partition, Dropbox quietly uploads it and updates the cloud version. After eight years of use, I can’t recall a single instance where the service faltered. It’s so efficient that I often forget it’s even running.
However, a crucial caveat: this setup may not be ideal for everyone, especially if you have slow internet speeds. Your experience will depend on how much data you regularly transfer and how quickly you make changes. This can be particularly problematic with asymmetrical data plans that offer fast download speeds but sluggish uploads. I’ve managed fine with an average upload speed of about 20Mbps, but if yours is lower, consider trying a free trial of a backup service before committing. There are also online calculators to estimate download times; at my gigabit download speed, it typically takes around two hours to sync 1TB of files to the cloud.
Another important point: not everyone is comfortable putting all their data in the cloud, and I completely understand why some might avoid it for sensitive files. I’ve built local RAID drives and even air-gapped storage systems to keep my data offline. While these options are still available, they’re becoming increasingly expensive as storage costs rise. Ultimately, you’re the best judge of how to protect your data.
That sinking feeling of potentially losing my entire PC? It was quickly followed by the relief of knowing I’d only lost the hardware, not the data. When I got my PC back up and running with new storage, it took less time to resync all my files than it did to troubleshoot and install the new components. I can almost hear a voiceover in my head: New solid-state drive, $389. Yearly cloud subscription, $203. Never worrying about losing your data? Priceless.
