Data Size Converter
Convert between bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes, in decimal units (1,000) and binary units (1,024).
Result
500 GB = 465.661 GiB
In every data size unit
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Bits (bit) | 4,000,000,000,000 |
| Bytes (B) | 500,000,000,000 |
| Kilobytes (kB) | 500,000,000 |
| Megabytes (MB) | 500,000 |
| Gigabytes (GB) | 500 |
| Terabytes (TB) | 0.5 |
| Kibibytes (KiB) | 488,281,250 |
| Mebibytes (MiB) | 476,837 |
| Gibibytes (GiB) | 465.661 |
| Tebibytes (TiB) | 0.454747 |
Two ways of counting bytes
Data sizes are the only everyday measurements where the same word can mean two different amounts. “Megabyte” is used for 1,000,000 bytes and for 1,048,576 bytes, and which one you get depends on who is counting.
In the SI, the prefixes kilo, mega, giga and tera mean 1,000, a million, a billion and a trillion, with no exceptions. A kilobyte is therefore 1,000 bytes and a gigabyte 1,000,000,000. Storage devices are sold this way.
Computer memory is built in powers of two, and early on “kilo” was borrowed for 1,024 (2¹⁰) because it is close to 1,000. To end the ambiguity the IEC introduced separate names in 1998: kibibyte (KiB) for 1,024 bytes, mebibyte (MiB) for 1,048,576 and gibibyte (GiB) for 1,073,741,824. Many programs still show binary amounts under the decimal names.
The gap grows with each step: 1.024 for kilo, 1.049 for mega, 1.074 for giga and 1.100 for tera. That is why a 500 GB drive is reported as about 466 “GB”, and a 1 TB drive as about 931.
The converter above keeps the two families apart: pick GB for the decimal unit and GiB for the binary one. The pair pages below have a switch for the same choice. A bit is one eighth of a byte; network speeds are quoted in bits per second, file sizes in bytes. For screen and print dimensions, see pixels to inches.
All data size tools
- Kilobytes to Megabytes Converter1 kB = 0.001 MB. Converter, formula and chart.
- Megabytes to Gigabytes Converter1 MB = 0.001 GB. Converter, formula and chart.
- Megabytes to Kilobytes Converter1 MB = 1,000 kB. Converter, formula and chart.
- Pixels to Inches ConverterPixels to inches and back at any resolution (PPI).
Popular questions
How many megabytes are in a gigabyte?
1,000 in decimal (SI) units: 1 GB = 1,000 MB. In binary units 1 GiB = 1,024 MiB. Many programs show binary sizes but label them “GB”.
Why does a 500 GB drive show about 465 GB?
The drive holds 500,000,000,000 bytes. Counted in units of 1,024 that is 465.66 GiB, and many systems print that number with the label “GB”.
What is the difference between a bit and a byte?
A byte is 8 bits. Storage is counted in bytes (B) and connection speed usually in bits per second (b), so a 100 megabit per second line moves at most 12.5 megabytes per second.
Sources
- BIPM, The International System of Units (SI Brochure), 9th edition — defines the SI units, the prefixes and the units accepted for use with the SI
- NIST Reference on Constants, Units and Uncertainty: Prefixes for binary multiples (IEC 60027-2) — kibi, mebi, gibi, tebi and how they differ from kilo, mega, giga, tera (checked October 12, 2026)