What is a data storage converter?
A data storage converter is an online tool that lets you quickly and accurately convert between digital storage units. It supports bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes using the binary system where each step is a factor of 1024.
How to convert data storage units?
Select the source unit, enter a value and choose the target unit. The converter instantly calculates the result using the binary conversion factor of 1024.
What are the data storage conversion formulas?
Key data storage conversion formulas (binary):
- 1 kilobyte (KB) = 1024 bytes
- 1 megabyte (MB) = 1024 kilobytes = 1,048,576 bytes
- 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1024 megabytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes
- 1 terabyte (TB) = 1024 gigabytes = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
Binary vs decimal systems
Storage manufacturers often use the decimal system where 1 KB = 1000 bytes, while operating systems use the binary system where 1 KB = 1024 bytes. This is why a 500 GB hard drive may show approximately 465 GB in your operating system. This converter uses the binary system to match how computers actually measure storage.
Data storage conversion examples
Photo file: 5 MB = 5120 KB. A typical high-resolution photo from a smartphone.
Hard drive: 2 TB = 2048 GB. A common external hard drive capacity for backups.
Document: 250 KB = 256,000 bytes. A typical text document or spreadsheet file.
When to use a data storage converter?
A data storage converter is useful when comparing file sizes, shopping for storage devices, managing cloud storage quotas or estimating how much space files will take on a drive.