Decimal or binary
Drive, USB stick and phone makers use decimal units: 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Windows counts in powers of 1,024 (1 GiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes) but labels it "GB". That is why a 1 TB drive shows about 931 GB.
Example
A 128 GB phone holds about 32,000 photos of 4 MB, before the space used by the system and apps.
Quick table
- 1 KB = 1,000 bytes
- 1 MB = 1,000 KB
- 1 GB = 1,000 MB
- 1 TB = 1,000 GB
Frequently asked questions
Why does my USB drive have less space than the box says?
Because of the 1,000 vs. 1,024 difference, and formatting takes a small part.
How big is a photo or a video?
A phone photo is usually 2 to 5 MB. A minute of 1080p video is around 100 MB, and 4K can pass 300 MB.
See also
Results are estimates for information only and are not financial, legal or medical advice. Rates, taxes and fees vary — confirm with a professional or your lender.