Data Storage Converter
Convert between bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, and PB using binary (1024) base.
Unit
Data Storage Converter
Generated on April 24, 2026
?What is the Data Storage Converter?
A data-storage converter moves between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes, and petabytes — the units used when buying drives, estimating backup space, or planning cloud storage. This converter uses the binary (1,024-based) scale that operating systems use internally for RAM and files. Disk manufacturers, by contrast, use decimal (1,000-based) scale on the label — which is why a '1 TB' drive shows up in your operating system as about 931 GB. The physical bytes are the same; only the counting convention differs.
The Formula
The binary scale is used because computer memory is addressed in powers of two. 1 KiB (strictly: kibibyte) = 1,024 bytes, and this factor repeats all the way up the ladder. Manufacturers quote disk capacity in decimal (1,000-based) gigabytes to produce larger-looking numbers. Both conventions are technically valid, but mixing them causes visible confusion — such as a '1 TB' drive reporting as 931 GiB in Windows or macOS.
Practical Examples
1 GB equals exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes in binary terms — used by operating systems when reporting file sizes.
1 TB equals 1,024 GB in binary (or 1,000 GB in decimal) — the difference explains why advertised drive capacity and reported OS capacity never match.
A 4K Blu-ray movie takes approximately 20 GB — a useful reference for sizing a travel drive.
1 PB equals 1,024 TB — the scale at which large enterprises and data centers plan storage growth.
A smartphone photo typically ranges 2–5 MB, so 1 GB holds roughly 200–500 photos depending on resolution.
A 30-minute 1080p video at 10 Mbps is approximately 2.25 GB — important when estimating upload time and storage.