Data Storage Converter
Convert between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes — using both decimal (1000) and binary (1024) bases.
What is Data Storage Converter?
The data storage converter handles the size unit conversions every developer and IT person needs daily.
Formula
Two conventions exist: binary (1 KB = 1024 bytes) for files/RAM/CPU memory, and decimal (1 KB = 1000 bytes) for disk advertising. They differ by 2.4% per step (about 7% at GB scale).
Worked example
5 GB binary = 5 × 1024 × 1024 × 1024 = 5,368,709,120 bytes. 5 GB decimal = 5,000,000,000 bytes.
How to use this calculator
- Enter amount and unit.
- Pick base (1024 for files, 1000 for disk).
- Equivalent values across all units appear.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my 1TB drive showing 931 GB in Windows?
The drive manufacturer used decimal (1 TB = 10¹² bytes = 1,000,000,000,000). Windows reports in binary (1 TB = 2⁴⁰ = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes). 10¹² bytes / 2⁴⁰ ≈ 0.909, so a 1 TB decimal drive shows as ~931 GB binary.
What are KiB, MiB, GiB?
The IEC standard binary units: 1 KiB = 1024 bytes, 1 MiB = 1024 KiB, 1 GiB = 1024 MiB. They're unambiguous, but most consumer software still uses "KB", "MB", "GB" colloquially.
Which base does network speed use?
Networks (Mbps, Gbps) use decimal (1000). So 1 Gbps Ethernet = 1,000,000,000 bits/sec = 125 MB/s (binary). Always treat network rates as base 1000.
How big is "a million bytes"?
About 1 MB. Specifically: 1,000,000 bytes = 0.954 MB binary or 1 MB decimal. So "a million bytes" is essentially a megabyte.