Calculator
What the Data Storage Converter does
Data Storage Converter: 1 GB = 1000 MB, so multiply a gigabyte (1000 MB) value by 1000 to get megabyte (1000 kb), or divide to go back. Example: 1 GB = 1000 MB.
Feed it Value, From and To; it hands back Result, How it was calculated and Reverse conversion. Adjust anything and the figures re-derive on the spot.
Most people who open the Data Storage Converter are students converting units for homework. Unit mistakes are quietly expensive. They have wrecked spacecraft and ruined recipes alike.
The page holds your values in memory and forgets them the moment you close it.
Below the tool you will find the field reference, the method, and an example computed from the values it opens with.
What do the Data Storage Converter fields mean?
The Data Storage Converter uses 3 inputs. The page opens in a usable state: real values in, real answer out, ready to edit.
| Field | What to enter | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Value | required | 1 |
| From | choose from Bit (b), Byte (B), Kilobyte (1000 B) (kB), Megabyte (1000 kB) (MB), Gigabyte (1000 MB) (GB) or Terabyte (1000 GB) (TB) | Gigabyte (1000 MB) (GB) |
| To | choose from Bit (b), Byte (B), Kilobyte (1000 B) (kB), Megabyte (1000 kB) (MB), Gigabyte (1000 MB) (GB) or Terabyte (1000 GB) (TB) | Megabyte (1000 kB) (MB) |
How does the Data Storage Converter work?
Both units are converted through data's base unit (byte), so any of the 11 units in the dropdowns can be paired in either direction without loss of accuracy.
Exact definitions are preferred throughout: the metre, the inch and the pound all have them. Only where a unit depends on a measured constant is an accepted published value substituted.
Worked example
These are the values the Data Storage Converter loads by default, and the result it produces from them. Below is the same computation the tool performs on load, step by step.
| Value | 1 |
|---|---|
| From | Gigabyte (1000 MB) (GB) |
| To | Megabyte (1000 kB) (MB) |
| Result | 1000 MB |
|---|---|
| How it was calculated | 1 GB = 1000 MB, so 1 × 1000 = 1000 MB |
| Reverse conversion | 0.001 GB (if you meant 1 MB) |
Binary vs. decimal data units
Data storage has two competing prefix systems that share the same names: decimal (SI) prefixes where 1 kilobyte = 1,000 bytes, and binary (IEC) prefixes where 1 kibibyte = 1,024 bytes, and for decades, both were commonly called "kilobyte," which is the root of a persistent, genuinely confusing discrepancy.
Worth knowing
- Storage-device manufacturers (hard drives, SSDs, USB sticks) use the decimal definition, so a "1 TB" drive contains exactly 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, but your operating system, using the binary definition, reports that same drive as roughly 931 GiB, which is often mislabelled on-screen as just "GB," making the drive look smaller than advertised even though no data is missing.
- The IEC introduced kibi-, mebi-, gibi- and tebibyte (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) in 1998 specifically to resolve this ambiguity by giving the binary values their own distinct names. Adoption has been inconsistent, and many operating systems (notably Windows) still label true binary values with decimal-style unit names.
- RAM capacity is essentially always specified and manufactured in true binary units, even when labelled "GB". An "8 GB" memory module is 8 GiB (8,589,934,592 bytes), not 8,000,000,000 bytes, unlike the labelling convention used for storage drives.
Definitions: BIPM SI Brochure · NIST reference on units
Read next: Unit Conversion Mistakes That Have Destroyed Real Things
How to use it
- Type Value.
- Pick a value for From: the options are Bit (b), Byte (B), Kilobyte (1000 B) (kB), Megabyte (1000 kB) (MB), Gigabyte (1000 MB) (GB) or Terabyte (1000 GB) (TB).
- Pick a value for To: the options are Bit (b), Byte (B), Kilobyte (1000 B) (kB), Megabyte (1000 kB) (MB), Gigabyte (1000 MB) (GB) or Terabyte (1000 GB) (TB).
- No submit step is needed; the output updates while you edit.
- Look at Result, How it was calculated and Reverse conversion in the output panel.
- Copy Link when you want to return to this exact configuration; Print when someone needs it on paper.
What this tool does not do
- Factors use the internationally agreed definitions; some industries round them differently.
- Repeated conversions compound rounding, so convert once from the original value where you can.
- No allowance is made for local rules, regional variations or house conventions.
- Nothing here can catch a correct number entered in the wrong field.
Frequently asked questions
The form asks for Value, From and To. Every box already holds a working value, so the quickest approach is to replace the one number you actually care about.
With the values loaded when the page opens, result comes out as 1000 MB. Adjust any field to see how much the answer depends on it.
No. There is no account, no session and no storage. The values exist only while the tab is open.
No charge. Everything on the page is available without signing in.
As accurate as the inputs allow. The arithmetic itself introduces no error beyond display rounding.