Data Storage Converter
Digital storage is measured in bytes and their multiples. One byte equals exactly 8 bits. There are two competing standards for larger units. The binary (IEC) standard — used by operating systems — defines 1 kilobyte as 1,024 bytes, 1 megabyte as 1,024 kilobytes, and so on. The decimal (SI) standard — used by hard drive and SSD manufacturers — defines 1 kilobyte as 1,000 bytes.
This is why a hard drive marketed as "1 TB" typically shows as approximately 931 GB in Windows or macOS: the manufacturer uses decimal (1 TB = 1,000 GB) while the OS uses binary (1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). Internet speeds are measured in bits per second (bps), not bytes — so a 100 Mbps connection transfers approximately 12.5 megabytes per second.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many GB in a TB?
In binary (as used by operating systems), 1 TB = 1,024 GB. Hard drive manufacturers often use decimal, where 1 TB = 1,000 GB. This is why a 1 TB drive shows as approximately 931 GB in your OS.
What is the difference between bits and bytes?
A bit is the smallest unit of digital information, with a value of either 0 or 1. A byte equals 8 bits and can represent 256 different values. Storage capacity (files, drives, memory) is measured in bytes — KB, MB, GB, TB. Internet and network speeds are measured in bits per second (Mbps, Gbps), so a 100 Mbps connection transfers approximately 12.5 megabytes per second.
How many MB in a GB?
In binary (IEC standard, used by operating systems), 1 GB = 1,024 MB. In decimal (SI standard, used by storage manufacturers), 1 GB = 1,000 MB. The IEC standard also defines gibibytes (GiB) to avoid ambiguity, where 1 GiB = 1,024 MiB exactly.
What is the difference between KB and KiB?
A kilobyte (KB) is 1,000 bytes in the SI decimal standard used by manufacturers. A kibibyte (KiB) is 1,024 bytes in the IEC binary standard used by operating systems. The same ambiguity applies to MB/MiB, GB/GiB, and TB/TiB. Most everyday usage of "KB" and "MB" follows the binary (1,024) definition in practice.