You’ve got a 2 TB drive and a folder of files totaling 1450 GB. Does it fit? Get both into the same unit and the answer’s obvious. 1 TB = 1000 GB on the decimal standard, so 2 TB is 2000 GB, and yes, 1450 GB slots in with 550 GB to spare. That’s the everyday job here, done the instant you type.
Plain multiplication, no formula. 500 GB is 0.5 TB, 1500 GB is 1.5 TB, and a 4 TB drive is 4000 GB. The factor sits at 1000 by default because that’s how storage and cloud plans are actually sold.
The 1000 vs 1024 split, stated plainly
This is where storage math gets muddy, and most converters quietly pick a side. Two definitions are floating around, and both are valid in their own context:
- Decimal (SI): 1 TB = 1000 GB. The official meaning, used by drive manufacturers, cloud providers, and the capacity printed on the box. This tool’s default.
- Binary: 1 TiB = 1024 GiB. What operating systems usually report while still labeling it “TB.”
For checking files against a drive’s advertised size, decimal is the right basis, since the drive maker counted in decimal too. Multiply by 1000 and your numbers line up with the label. The tool has a toggle for the 1024 basis if you specifically need to mirror what your OS shows, but for buying decisions and capacity planning, stick with 1000.
Why your “2 TB” drive shows less
Here’s the classic complaint. You buy a 2 TB drive, plug it in, and the OS reports something like 1.82 TB. Nothing’s wrong, and you weren’t shortchanged. The manufacturer counted 2,000,000,000,000 bytes (decimal, 1000-based). Your operating system divides by 1024 four times to reach “TB” but keeps the same label, so the number shrinks to about 1.82. It’s two unit systems clashing over the same word, not missing space.
The gap widens as drives get bigger. At the gigabyte level it’s around 7%, but a terabyte versus a tebibyte differs by roughly 10%, which is why a 1 TB drive shows as about 931 GiB (labeled GB by the OS).
Where GB-to-TB shows up
- Drives. A 512 GB SSD is 0.512 TB, and an 8 TB archive drive is 8000 GB.
- Cloud plans. A 2 TB plan is 2000 GB of quota, billed in decimal, so the 1000 basis matches your dashboard.
- NAS and backups. Tallying GB-sized folders against a TB-sized array stays honest with decimal math.
How to use it
Type a gigabyte value, read the terabytes. It updates live, no button. Keep the toggle on decimal (1000) for drives, cloud plans, and quotas. Switch to binary (1024) only when you’re matching an OS readout. The reference table shows common GB values both ways so the gap is visible at a glance. Everything runs in your browser with the factor built in, so nothing you enter gets uploaded and it works offline once loaded.
Common questions
How many GB in a TB?
1000 GB in the decimal (SI) standard, which is what drive makers and cloud providers use. In binary terms, 1 TiB is 1024 GiB. The tool defaults to 1000 and lets you switch.
Should I use 1000 or 1024?
For drive capacity, cloud plans, and storage you’re buying, use 1000 (decimal), since that’s how it’s sold and billed. Use 1024 only to match what your operating system displays in file properties.
Why does my 2 TB drive show as 1.82 TB?
Your OS divides by 1024 four times and labels the result “TB,” while the manufacturer counted in decimal (1000). The bytes are all present; it’s a labeling mismatch, not lost capacity.
What’s the difference between TB and TiB?
TB (terabyte) is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. TiB (tebibyte) is 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (1024 to the fourth). They differ by about 10%, and that’s the gap behind the “missing space” confusion.
Does this calculate locally?
Yes. It’s browser-side math with both factors built in, so nothing you type leaves your device and it runs without internet after loading.