A minimum of 1TB internal SSD is required because sequencing generates a large amount of raw current data which is written to disk in real time. These intermediate files are normally much larger than the final sequencing data. After the sequencing script has finished, these intermediate files will automatically get deleted and only your sequencing data will remain.

This means that the I/O (input/output) performance of the system is key to ensuring no data is lost during the sequencing run. A smaller disk size or other disk types, such as HDD, external SSD, or fusion SSD, tend to lead to sequencing run or computer crashes and data loss.

Please note that the drive on which MinKNOW is installed MUST be a minimum 1 TB internal SSD drive, regardless of where you have set the MinKNOW output location. This FAQ contains instructions for changing the output location after installation.