Data Storage Converter
Convert between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes — using both decimal (1000) and binary (1024) bases.
What is a 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.