What is a Data Storage Converter?
A data storage converter transforms digital storage measurements between different units. Data storage measures the capacity to store digital information in bytes and their multiples.
This converter supports both binary (IEC standard: KiB, MiB, GiB) and decimal (SI standard: kB, MB, GB) units, addressing the confusion between the two systems used in computing.
Binary vs Decimal Units
Binary (IEC): Uses 1024-based system (2^10). KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB. This is how computers actually work with memory addresses and how most operating systems report storage.
Decimal (SI): Uses 1000-based system (10^3). kB, MB, GB, TB. This is used by hard drive manufacturers and is simpler for marketing (makes drives appear larger).
Conversion Formulas
1 KiB = 1,024 B
1 MiB = 1,024 KiB = 1,048,576 B
1 GiB = 1,024 MiB = 1,073,741,824 B
1 TiB = 1,024 GiB = 1,099,511,627,776 B
Decimal (SI) - Powers of 1000:
1 kB = 1,000 B
1 MB = 1,000 kB = 1,000,000 B
1 GB = 1,000 MB = 1,000,000,000 B
1 TB = 1,000 GB = 1,000,000,000,000 B
Bits and Bytes:
1 Byte (B) = 8 bits (b)
1 Kilobit (Kib) = 1,000 bits = 125 Bytes
Common Storage Sizes
- Text file: ~10 KB
- High-res photo: ~5 MB
- MP3 song: ~4 MB
- HD movie: ~4 GB
- 4K movie: ~15 GB
- Game (modern): ~50-100 GB
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between GB and GiB?
GB (gigabyte) uses the decimal system: 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. GiB (gibibyte) uses the binary system: 1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes. 1 GiB is about 7.4% larger than 1 GB.
Why is my 1TB drive showing as 931GB?
Drive manufacturers use decimal TB (1 TB = 1,000 GB), but operating systems use binary TiB (1 TiB = 1,024 GiB). 1 TB equals 931 GiB, which many OS displays show as "931 GB."
How many MB in a GB?
In decimal (used by drive manufacturers): 1 GB = 1,000 MB. In binary (used by operating systems): 1 GiB = 1,024 MiB. Always check which system is being used to avoid confusion.
What is the difference between Mb and MB?
Mb (megabit) with lowercase 'b' measures bits. MB (megabyte) with uppercase 'B' measures bytes. Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 MB = 8 Mb. Internet speeds are usually measured in Mbps (megabits per second).