Data Storage Converter
A data storage converter converts digital storage volumes between bytes, kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), and terabytes (TB) in decimal and binary. By distinguishing between 1,000-byte metric units and 1,024-byte binary kibibytes (KiB), it resolves file size discrepancies on hard drives and cloud storage.
By Daniel Okoro (Mathematics Editor) · Reviewed by Maya ChenUpdated · Published
From:
Length in FT
0ft
METERS
INCHES
CENTIMETERS
How Does the Data Storage Calculator Work?
- Enter the file or disk size.
- Select origin unit (MB, GB, TB, etc.).
- Outputs exact sizes in both binary (base 2) and decimal (base 10).
What Is the Data Storage Formula?
1 GB = 1,024 MB (binary) or 1,000 MB (decimal)
Operating systems generally report binary (GiB/MiB), while drive makers advertise decimal.
Variables
Bytes:Digital information unit
How Do You Calculate Data Storage Step by Step?
Convert 500 Gigabytes to Megabytes and TerabytesValue: 500
Unit: GB
In decimal: 500 GB = 500,000 MB = 0.5 TB
In binary: 500 × 1,024 = 512,000 MB = ~0.488 TB
Final Solution:500,000 MB (0.5 TB)
Decimal (SI) vs binary (IEC) storage units
| Unit | Bytes (decimal) | Bytes (binary) |
|---|---|---|
| Kilobyte | 1,000 B (KB) | 1,024 B (KiB) |
| Megabyte | 1,000,000 B (MB) | 1,048,576 B (MiB) |
| Gigabyte | 1,000,000,000 B (GB) | 1,073,741,824 B (GiB) |
Data Storage Questions and Answers
Drive manufacturers use decimal (1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes). Windows measures using binary gibibytes (1024³ bytes), resulting in 1,000,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 ≈ 931.3 GB.