Data Converter

KB (kilobyte) uses decimal prefixes: 1 KB = 1,000 bytes. KiB (kibibyte) uses binary prefixes: 1 KiB = 1,024 bytes. This distinction matters for accuracy—a 500 GB hard drive actually holds about 465 GiB. The IEC introduced binary prefixes (kibi, mebi, gibi) in 1998 to clarify this.

In decimal (SI) units: divide MB by 1,000 to get GB. In binary units: divide MiB by 1,024 to get GiB. For example, 2,000 MB = 2 GB, or 2,048 MiB = 2 GiB. Most storage manufacturers use decimal units, while operating systems often use binary.

A bit (binary digit) is the smallest unit of data, representing 0 or 1. A byte typically contains 8 bits and can represent values from 0-255. Internet speeds are usually measured in bits (Mbps), while file sizes use bytes (MB). To convert Mbps to MBps, divide by 8.

Drive manufacturers use decimal units (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes), but operating systems often display binary units (1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes). A 500 GB drive contains 500 billion bytes, but Windows shows it as ~465 GB because it uses binary calculation.