Data Size Converter
In decimal (SI) units, 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes; in binary (IEC) units, 1 GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes. That is why a 1 TB drive shows about 931 GiB in an operating system that counts in binary. This converter handles bits, bytes, KB to TB and KiB to TiB.
1 GB = 0.9313226 GiB
How to use the Data Size Converter
- Type a size in the From box. It starts at 256 GB.
- Choose the From and To units, for example GB and GiB.
- Read the result in the To box, or type there to convert the other way.
- Use the swap button to reverse the units, and the chips to see the size in every decimal and binary unit.
Formula
result = value × (from-unit in bytes) ÷ (to-unit in bytes)Converts through bytes. Decimal units use powers of 1,000 (1 KB = 1,000 B, 1 MB = 10^6 B, 1 GB = 10^9 B, 1 TB = 10^12 B). Binary units use powers of 1,024 (1 KiB = 1,024 B, 1 MiB = 2^20 B, 1 GiB = 2^30 B, 1 TiB = 2^40 B). 1 bit = 1/8 byte.
Decimal (SI) and binary (IEC) units
Storage makers and network speeds use decimal prefixes based on 1,000. Memory and many operating systems count in binary multiples of 1,024, which the IEC names kibibyte (KiB), mebibyte (MiB), gibibyte (GiB) and tebibyte (TiB). The gap grows with size: about 2.4% at KB, 7.4% at GB and 10% at TB.
Common sizes
- 1 GB = 0.931 GiB
- 1 GiB = 1.074 GB
- 1 TB = 931.3 GiB = 0.909 TiB
- DVD: 4.7 GB
- Blu-ray: 25 to 50 GB
- 1 byte = 8 bits
Data Size Converter questions
How many bytes are in a kilobyte?
A kilobyte (KB) is 1,000 bytes in the decimal SI standard, while a kibibyte (KiB) is 1,024 bytes in the binary IEC standard. Some software still writes KB when it means 1,024 bytes, so check which convention a number uses before comparing sizes.
What is the difference between GB and GiB?
A gigabyte (GB) is 1,000,000,000 bytes and a gibibyte (GiB) is 1,073,741,824 bytes, so 1 GiB is about 7.4% larger. Drive makers advertise in GB, while Windows and many tools report in binary units, which is why a new drive looks smaller than its label.
Why does my 1 TB drive show only 931 GB?
Because the drive is sold in decimal terabytes (10^12 bytes) and the operating system counts in binary units (2^40 bytes) while still labeling them GB or TB. 1,000,000,000,000 bytes divided by 1,073,741,824 gives 931.3 GiB. No space is missing; formatting overhead takes a little more.
Should I use KB or KiB for cloud storage planning?
Use the units your provider bills in, which are usually decimal GB and TB. Use binary units (KiB, MiB, GiB) for RAM, file systems and memory limits. Keep one convention throughout a calculation so the numbers stay comparable. When a provider shows GiB, multiply by 1.074 to get GB.
How do I calculate download time from file size and speed?
Convert the file size to bits (multiply bytes by 8) and divide by the connection speed in bits per second. A 100 MB file is 800 megabits, so at 10 Mbps it takes about 80 seconds. Real transfers take 5 to 15% longer because of protocol overhead.
What is the difference between a bit and a byte?
A byte is 8 bits. Storage is measured in bytes (B) and network speed in bits per second (b/s), so a 100 Mbps connection moves at most 12.5 MB per second. Watch the capital B: MB is megabytes, Mb is megabits.
How do I estimate database or server storage needs?
Start from the raw data size, then add indexes (often 20 to 100% extra), backups, replication and growth. Many teams plan for two to three times the raw size and review usage regularly. Compression can reduce the total, so measure real data where you can.