TB to GB Converter
Convert terabytes (TB) to gigabytes (GB) easily and accurately.
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Table of Contents
Comprehensive Guide to TB and GB
Understanding Digital Storage Units
Digital storage units measure the amount of data that can be stored on electronic devices. Two common units are terabytes (TB) and gigabytes (GB), which are essential to understand when dealing with modern storage solutions.
What is a Gigabyte (GB)?
A gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to:
- 1,000,000,000 bytes (1 billion bytes) in decimal (SI standard)
- 1,073,741,824 bytes (2^30 bytes) in binary (traditional computing)
Gigabytes are commonly used to measure:
- File sizes for videos, large software applications, and collections of photos
- RAM capacity in computers
- Storage capacity for smaller storage devices like USB flash drives
What is a Terabyte (TB)?
A terabyte (TB) is a larger unit of digital storage equal to:
- 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (1 trillion bytes) in decimal (SI standard)
- 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (2^40 bytes) in binary (traditional computing)
- 1,000 gigabytes (SI standard) or 1,024 gigabytes (binary)
Terabytes are commonly used to measure:
- Storage capacity of modern hard drives and SSDs
- Enterprise-level storage systems and servers
- Cloud storage capacity
- Data center storage requirements
Binary vs. Decimal Measurement Systems
There are two standards for measuring digital storage units:
System | Base | 1 TB equals | Used by |
---|---|---|---|
Binary (IEC) | Powers of 2 (1024) | 1,024 GB | Operating systems, memory calculations |
Decimal (SI) | Powers of 10 (1000) | 1,000 GB | Hard drive manufacturers, marketing |
This difference explains why a 1 TB hard drive shows less than 1 TB of available space when connected to your computer. The manufacturer uses the decimal system (1,000 GB), while your operating system uses the binary system (1,024 GB).
To avoid confusion, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) introduced new terms:
- Gibibyte (GiB) = 1,073,741,824 bytes (2^30)
- Tebibyte (TiB) = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (2^40)
However, these terms are not widely adopted in everyday usage.
Practical Applications
Understanding TB to GB conversion is essential for:
- Purchasing the right size storage device for your needs
- Planning data center storage requirements
- Estimating cloud storage costs
- Understanding data transfer rates and bandwidth requirements
- Calculating backup storage needs
Common Storage Capacities
Device Type | Typical Capacity Range |
---|---|
USB Flash Drive | 8 GB - 256 GB |
SSD (Internal) | 256 GB - 4 TB |
HDD (Internal) | 1 TB - 18 TB |
External Hard Drive | 1 TB - 20 TB |
NAS Storage | 2 TB - 100+ TB |
Historical Context
The evolution of storage units reflects the rapid advancement of technology:
- 1980s: Megabyte-scale storage was standard (floppy disks: 1.44 MB)
- 1990s: Gigabyte-scale hard drives became common
- 2000s: Consumer terabyte drives emerged
- 2010s: Multi-terabyte drives became standard
- 2020s: Petabyte-scale storage for enterprises
Storage Requirements for Common File Types
Content Type | Approximate Size |
---|---|
1 hour of 4K video | 14-20 GB |
1 hour of 1080p video | 3-6 GB |
High-resolution photo (RAW) | 20-60 MB |
MP3 music file (3 minutes) | 3-5 MB |
Modern video game | 50-150 GB |
Future of Storage
As technology advances, we can expect:
- Higher density storage media with multiple terabytes in smaller form factors
- Increased adoption of cloud storage solutions
- More affordable multi-terabyte solutions for consumers
- Emergence of petabyte (1,000 TB) storage for consumer applications
- New storage technologies like DNA storage and holographic storage
1 TB = 1,024 GB (binary) or 1,000 GB (decimal)
2 TB = 2,048 GB (binary) or 2,000 GB (decimal)
5 TB = 5,120 GB (binary) or 5,000 GB (decimal)
10 TB = 10,240 GB (binary) or 10,000 GB (decimal)
How to Convert TB to GB
To convert terabytes (TB) to gigabytes (GB), follow these steps:
-
1Take the number of terabytes (TB)
-
2Multiply by 1024 (1 TB = 1024 GB)
1 TB = 1 × 1024 = 1024 GB
2 TB = 2 × 1024 = 2048 GB
0.5 TB = 0.5 × 1024 = 512 GB
Common Examples
Example 1 1 TB
1 TB = 1024 GB
Example 2 2 TB
2 TB = 2048 GB
Example 3 0.5 TB
0.5 TB = 512 GB
Example 4 1.5 TB
1.5 TB = 1536 GB