Data Unit Converter: Bits, Bytes, and Binary Precision
Convert between any data storage unit instantly—from basic Bits and Nibbles up to massive Yottabytes.
Unlike standard converters, the Countimator Data Tool solves the biggest headache in computing: The difference between Decimal (Base 10) and Binary (Base 2) units.
Why does my 1TB drive show as 931GB?
You aren't crazy, and the drive isn't broken.
Manufacturers sell drives using Decimal math (1 KB = 1000 Bytes).
Windows reads drives using Binary math (1 KiB = 1024 Bytes).
This tool lets you convert between them accurately so you know exactly how much space you really have.
The Difference: KB vs. KiB
In the early days of computing, "Kilo" meant 1000, but computers count in powers of two (210 = 1024). This created a mess of ambiguous units.
Today, there are two distinct standards, and this tool supports both:
Decimal (Metric / SI)
Base 10 (1000)
- Units: KB, MB, GB, TB
- Math: 1 KB = 1000 Bytes
- Used By: Hard Drive Manufacturers (Samsung, WD), Mac OS, Linux.
Binary (IEC)
Base 2 (1024)
- Units: KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB
- Math: 1 KiB = 1024 Bytes
- Used By: Windows, RAM Manufacturers, Flash Memory.
Features & How to Use
- 🚀 Massive Range Support: Convert everything from a single Bit (0 or 1) or a Nibble (4 bits) all the way up to a Yottabyte.
- 🧪 Scientific Notation Handling:
Dealing with Big Data? If you convert Petabytes to Bits, the number is too big for a normal screen.
Our tool automatically formats it (e.g.,
8.5e+15) so the UI never breaks. - ? Live Formula Display:
Don't just get the number; understand the math.
See the exact conversion factor (e.g.,
1 MiB = 1,048,576 Bytes) displayed dynamically below the result.
Common Data Storage Conversions
| Unit Name | Abbr. | Size (Bytes) | Binary Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bit | b | 0.125 B | - |
| Nibble | - | 0.5 B (4 bits) | - |
| Byte | B | 1 B | 1 B |
| Kilobyte | KB | 1,000 B | 0.97 KiB |
| Megabyte | MB | 1,000,000 B | 0.95 MiB |
| Gigabyte | GB | 10⁹ B | 0.93 GiB |
| Terabyte | TB | 10¹² B | 0.91 TiB |
Frequently Asked Questions
A Nibble is exactly 4 bits, or half of a Byte. It is rarely used in file sizes but is common in hex code (representing one hexadecimal digit).
Precision. "Kilo" strictly means 1000 in science (like Kilometer). Using "KB" to mean 1024 creates a 2.4% error. Using KiB (KibiByte) eliminates ambiguity, ensuring you know it means exactly 1024 bytes.
This is a unit mismatch. Manufacturers sell the drive as 1 Terabyte (1,000,000,000,000 bytes).
However, Windows reads it as Tebibytes (TiB), dividing by 1024 multiple times.
1,000,000,000,000 ÷ 1024^4 ≈ 0.909 TiB (which Windows displays as "931 GB").
Internet providers advertise speeds in Megabits (Mb), but files are stored in Megabytes (MB).
Since 1 Byte = 8 bits, you must divide your internet speed by 8 to get your real download speed.
Example: A "100 Mbps" connection downloads at roughly 12.5 MB/s.
The scale grows rapidly:
- Petabyte (PB): 1,024 TB (Google processes ~20 PB per day).
- Exabyte (EB): 1,024 PB.
- Zettabyte (ZB): 1,024 EB.
- Yottabyte (YB): The largest named unit currently in standard use.
Telecommunications companies almost always use Decimal units (1 GB = 1000 MB) for billing data plans. This makes your data cap run out slightly faster than if it were calculated in binary units.
Disclaimer: Conversions are based on standard IEEE 1541 definitions. "Decimal" refers to Base-10 (SI) units, and "Binary" refers to Base-2 (IEC) units.