Bytes Converter

Understand Digital Storage Sizes

This data storage converter helps you understand the scale of digital information. It converts between bytes, kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), and terabytes (TB). All calculations use the binary standard (1 KB = 1024 bytes), which is the standard used by operating systems to measure memory and storage capacity.

The Formulas Explained

In computing, storage units are based on powers of 2.

• 1 Kilobyte (KB) = 1024 Bytes (2¹⁰)
• 1 Megabyte (MB) = 1024 KB (2²⁰ Bytes)
• 1 Gigabyte (GB) = 1024 MB (2³⁰ Bytes)
• 1 Terabyte (TB) = 1024 GB (2⁴⁰ Bytes)

How to Use the Calculator

This is a real-time converter. Enter a value into any of the fields (e.g., enter 5 in the Gigabytes field), and all other fields will automatically update with the equivalent converted values.

Real-World Example

You have a file that is 2,500,000 Kilobytes.

• Enter 2500000 into the Kilobytes field.
• The Megabytes field will automatically update to 2441.4 (2,500,000 / 1024).
• The Gigabytes field will update to 2.38 (2441.4 / 1024).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Why is my 1TB hard drive showing up as 931GB on my computer? This is because hard drive manufacturers often market their drives using the decimal system (1 TB = 1 trillion bytes), while your operating system reports capacity using the binary system (1 TB = 2⁴⁰ bytes). The calculator uses the binary system that your OS uses.
• What's the difference between a kilobyte (KB) and a kibibyte (KiB)? To reduce confusion, official standards bodies introduced new prefixes. A kilobyte (KB) is 1000 bytes. A kibibyte (KiB) is 1024 bytes. While technically more correct, these new prefixes are not widely used in common language, so this calculator uses the conventional terms (KB, MB, GB) with their binary (1024) values.
• How big is a Petabyte (PB)? A Petabyte is 1024 Terabytes. It's an immense amount of data, enough to store millions of HD movies.