From your phone's storage to your external hard drive, understanding digital storage units is essential in today's tech-driven world. Here's everything you need to know about converting between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes.
Binary vs. Decimal
There are two ways to measure digital storage:
- Binary (IEC): Used by computers (1 KB = 1024 bytes)
- Decimal (SI): Used by manufacturers (1 KB = 1000 bytes)
Binary Conversion Factors
| Unit | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Kilobyte | KB | 1024 bytes |
| Megabyte | MB | 1024 KB |
| Gigabyte | GB | 1024 MB |
| Terabyte | TB | 1024 GB |
| Petabyte | PB | 1024 TB |
Why Your Hard Drive Shows Less Space
Ever wondered why your 1TB hard drive only shows 931GB?
- Manufacturer uses decimal: 1TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
- Computer uses binary: 1TB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
- Conversion: 1,000,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 = ~931GB
Common Device Storage
| Device | Common Storage |
|---|---|
| Smartphone | 64GB - 1TB |
| Laptop | 256GB - 2TB SSD |
| External Drive | 1TB - 8TB |
| Cloud Storage | 5GB free - 2TB+ paid |
| USB Flash Drive | 16GB - 512GB |
File Size Guide
- Text document: ~10KB
- Photo (JPEG): ~2-5MB
- MP3 song: ~3-5MB
- HD video (1 min): ~100MB
- 4K video (1 min): ~500MB
Quick Tips
- Understand the difference: Binary vs decimal explains "missing" storage
- Plan your needs: Calculate storage requirements before buying
- Use our converter: For precise results, use UnitFig's digital storage converter
- Backup regularly: External drives and cloud storage are essential
Related Tools
FAQ
Why do manufacturers use decimal instead of binary?
Decimal is the international standard (SI units) and makes marketing easier—1TB sounds better than 931GB.
What's the difference between GB and GiB?
GB can mean either decimal (10^9) or binary (1024^3). GiB explicitly means binary (2^30 bytes = 1024^3 bytes).
How much storage do I need for photos?
It depends on resolution. A typical smartphone takes ~2-5MB per photo, so 1000 photos = ~2-5GB.