How to Use the File Size Converter
This tool instantly converts file sizes across five units: B, KB, MB, GB, and TB. Enter a value, select its unit, and all conversions appear at once โ no button press needed.
File Size Unit Reference
Computers use binary (base-2) math, so each unit is exactly 1,024 times the previous one โ not 1,000.
| Unit | Symbol | Equal to | Rough example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byte | B | Base unit | One character of text |
| Kilobyte | KB | 1,024 B | Short email |
| Megabyte | MB | 1,024 KB | MP3 song |
| Gigabyte | GB | 1,024 MB | HD movie |
| Terabyte | TB | 1,024 GB | Hundreds of 4K videos |
Common File Size Benchmarks
A typical smartphone photo is around 3โ5 MB. A full HD movie runs 4โ8 GB. Modern PC games often require 50โ100 GB of storage. One minute of 4K footage can reach 400 MB to 1 GB depending on the codec. Keeping these benchmarks in mind helps you judge whether your storage plan or cloud subscription is adequate.
Binary vs. Decimal โ Why Your Drive Shows Less Space
Hard drive manufacturers advertise capacity using decimal prefixes (1 KB = 1,000 B), while operating systems report in binary (1 KB = 1,024 B). A drive labeled 1 TB shows up as roughly 931 GB in Windows or macOS. This calculator uses the binary standard used by file systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 GB = 1,024 MB. Since computers use base-2 arithmetic, each step up multiplies by 1,024 (2ยนโฐ), not 1,000.
GB (gigabyte) technically means 1,000,000,000 bytes (decimal), while GiB (gibibyte) means 1,073,741,824 bytes (binary). Most everyday usage treats GB as the binary unit, which is what this calculator uses.
This tool covers B through TB. For petabytes, note that 1 PB = 1,024 TB. Convert to TB first, then multiply as needed.