Gigabytes (GB) | Terabytes (TB) |
---|---|
0 | 0 |
1 | 0.001 |
2 | 0.002 |
3 | 0.003 |
4 | 0.004 |
5 | 0.005 |
6 | 0.006 |
7 | 0.007 |
8 | 0.008 |
9 | 0.009 |
10 | 0.01 |
20 | 0.02 |
30 | 0.03 |
40 | 0.04 |
50 | 0.05 |
60 | 0.06 |
70 | 0.07 |
80 | 0.08 |
90 | 0.09 |
100 | 0.1 |
1000 | 1 |
Converting between Gigabytes (GB) and Terabytes (TB) involves understanding the relationship between these units in both base 10 (decimal) and base 2 (binary) systems. While both are used to measure digital storage, the underlying scaling is slightly different.
In the decimal system, which is commonly used by storage manufacturers for marketing purposes, the conversion is straightforward:
Converting 1 GB to TB (Base 10):
To convert 1 GB to TB, divide by 1000:
Converting 1 TB to GB (Base 10):
To convert 1 TB to GB, multiply by 1000:
In the binary system, which is often used by operating systems to report storage sizes, the conversion involves powers of 2:
It's also common to use the term "Tebibyte" (TiB) and "Gibibyte" (GiB) to specifically denote binary measurements. In this case,
Converting 1 GB to TB (Base 2):
To convert 1 GiB to TiB, divide by 1024:
Converting 1 TB to GB (Base 2):
To convert 1 TiB to GiB, multiply by 1024:
Here are some examples of quantities commonly converted between GB and TB:
Hard Drives/SSDs: A common SSD size is 500GB. This is 0.5 TB (base 10). Large enterprise storage systems can be several TB in size.
Cloud Storage: Many cloud storage providers offer plans with limits like 1 TB of storage. This is equivalent to 1000 GB (base 10).
Database Sizes: Large databases can grow to be several terabytes in size. Managing storage is a critical consideration for database administrators.
Video Archives: High-resolution video files (e.g., 4K) can quickly consume storage. An archive of several thousand movies can easily reach multiple TB.
While there isn't a specific law associated with GB to TB conversion, Moore's Law is relevant. Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, observed that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles about every two years, while the cost is halved. This has historically driven exponential growth in storage capacity and a continuous need to manage and convert between different units of digital storage like GB and TB.
The confusion between base 10 and base 2 arises because storage manufacturers often use base 10 for marketing, making their drives appear larger, while operating systems often report in base 2. This leads to discrepancies when comparing the advertised size of a drive with the space reported by your computer. For scientific and technical accuracy, base 2 is often preferred, while base 10 is more common in consumer marketing.
See below section for step by step unit conversion with formulas and explanations. Please refer to the table below for a list of all the Terabytes to other unit conversions.
A gigabyte (GB) is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. It is commonly used to quantify computer memory or storage capacity. Understanding gigabytes requires distinguishing between base-10 (decimal) and base-2 (binary) interpretations, as their values differ.
In the decimal or SI (International System of Units) system, a gigabyte is defined as:
This is the definition typically used by storage manufacturers when advertising the capacity of hard drives, SSDs, and other storage devices.
In the binary system, which is fundamental to how computers operate, a gigabyte is closely related to the term gibibyte (GiB). A gibibyte is defined as:
Operating systems like Windows often report storage capacity using the binary definition but label it as "GB," leading to confusion because the value is actually in gibibytes.
The difference between GB (decimal) and GiB (binary) can lead to discrepancies between the advertised storage capacity and what the operating system reports. For example, a 1 TB (terabyte) drive, advertised as 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (decimal), will be reported as approximately 931 GiB by an operating system using the binary definition, because 1 TiB (terabyte binary) is 1,099,511,627,776 bytes.
While there isn't a "law" specifically tied to gigabytes, the ongoing increase in storage capacity and data transfer rates is governed by Moore's Law, which predicted the exponential growth of transistors on integrated circuits. Although Moore's Law is slowing, the trend of increasing data storage and processing power continues, driving the need for larger and faster storage units like gigabytes, terabytes, and beyond.
While no single individual is directly associated with the "invention" of the gigabyte, Claude Shannon's work on information theory laid the foundation for digital information and its measurement. His work helped standardize how we represent and quantify information in the digital age.
A terabyte (TB) is a multiple of the byte, which is the fundamental unit of digital information. It's commonly used to quantify storage capacity of hard drives, solid-state drives, and other storage media. The definition of a terabyte depends on whether we're using a base-10 (decimal) or a base-2 (binary) system.
In the decimal system, a terabyte is defined as:
This is the definition typically used by hard drive manufacturers when advertising the capacity of their drives.
In the binary system, a terabyte is defined as:
To avoid confusion between the base-10 and base-2 definitions, the term "tebibyte" (TiB) was introduced to specifically refer to the binary terabyte. So, 1 TiB = bytes.
The discrepancy between decimal and binary terabytes can lead to confusion. When you purchase a 1 TB hard drive, you're getting 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (decimal). However, your computer interprets storage in binary, so it reports the drive's capacity as approximately 931 GiB. This difference is not due to a fault or misrepresentation, but rather a difference in the way units are defined.
While there isn't a specific law or famous person directly associated with the terabyte definition, the need for standardized units of digital information has been driven by the growth of the computing industry and the increasing volumes of data being generated and stored. Organizations like the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) have played roles in defining and standardizing these units. The introduction of "tebibyte" was specifically intended to address the ambiguity between base-10 and base-2 interpretations.
Always be aware of whether a terabyte is being used in its decimal or binary sense, particularly when dealing with storage capacities and operating systems. Understanding the difference can prevent confusion and ensure accurate interpretation of storage-related information.
Convert 1 GB to other units | Result |
---|---|
Gigabytes to Bits (GB to b) | 8000000000 |
Gigabytes to Kilobits (GB to Kb) | 8000000 |
Gigabytes to Kibibits (GB to Kib) | 7812500 |
Gigabytes to Megabits (GB to Mb) | 8000 |
Gigabytes to Mebibits (GB to Mib) | 7629.39453125 |
Gigabytes to Gigabits (GB to Gb) | 8 |
Gigabytes to Gibibits (GB to Gib) | 7.4505805969238 |
Gigabytes to Terabits (GB to Tb) | 0.008 |
Gigabytes to Tebibits (GB to Tib) | 0.007275957614183 |
Gigabytes to Bytes (GB to B) | 1000000000 |
Gigabytes to Kilobytes (GB to KB) | 1000000 |
Gigabytes to Kibibytes (GB to KiB) | 976562.5 |
Gigabytes to Megabytes (GB to MB) | 1000 |
Gigabytes to Mebibytes (GB to MiB) | 953.67431640625 |
Gigabytes to Gibibytes (GB to GiB) | 0.9313225746155 |
Gigabytes to Terabytes (GB to TB) | 0.001 |
Gigabytes to Tebibytes (GB to TiB) | 0.0009094947017729 |