CONVERSIONS

Convert between bits, bytes, KB, MB, GB, and TB. Enter a value and pick the units.

Value

From

Converted

—

In the target unit.

Usage Tip

Rough feel: a photo is a few MB, an HD movie a few GB, 1 TB holds hundreds of movies. Remember 8 bits = 1 byte when comparing network speed to file size.

THE MATH

Convert to a base unit, then to the target:
result = value × (from factor ÷ to factor)

Digital storage is measured in bytes; each step up is 1024 of the previous in binary units, as operating systems report.
8 bits make a byte. Drive makers use decimal (1000-based) units, so advertised capacity looks larger than what the OS shows.

Binary versus decimal: this tool uses 1024-based units, matching how Windows reports sizes.
Drive makers use 1000-based units, so a 1 TB drive shows as roughly 931 GB in the OS.
8 bits = 1 byte; network speeds are usually in bits per second, storage in bytes.

Practical Notes

A bit is a single binary digit, and a byte is eight bits. Storage sizes are built on the byte, with kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes each a thousand times larger than the one before in the decimal system used by drive makers, or 1,024 times larger in the binary system used by many operating systems.

The two conventions explain why a drive sold as 1 terabyte can show up as roughly 931 gigabytes on a computer: the maker counts in thousands while the system counts in 1,024s. The standard names for the binary units are kibibyte, mebibyte, and gibibyte. Network speeds are usually quoted in bits per second rather than bytes, so divide by eight to estimate download speed in bytes.

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