Gigabyte to Terabyte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert gigabytes to terabytes with our free online data storage converter.
Gigabyte to Terabyte Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Gigabyte).
- The converted value in Terabyte will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Data Storage category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Gigabyte to Terabyte
Converting Gigabyte to Terabyte involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Gigabyte = 0.001 terabytesExample Calculation:
Convert 10 gigabytes: 10 × 0.001 = 0.01 terabytes
Common Conversion Scenarios:
- Backup Size: A 500 GB backup uses 0.5 TB of space.
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
What is a Gigabyte and a Terabyte?
A gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to 109 bytes (one billion bytes). It uses the standard SI decimal prefix 'giga-'. One gigabyte is equivalent to 1,000 megabytes (MB).
A terabyte (TB) is a multiple of the byte unit for digital information storage. The prefix tera- (symbol T) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 1012 (1 trillion, or 1 followed by 12 zeros). Therefore, 1 terabyte = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. This is equivalent to 1,000 gigabytes (GB).
Note: The Gigabyte is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Terabyte belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Gigabyte and Terabyte
The prefix 'giga-' (meaning billion) was adopted as an SI prefix in 1960. Its application to the byte (gigabyte) became widespread with the increasing capacity of computer storage media like hard drives in the 1980s and 1990s. Historically, 'gigabyte' was sometimes ambiguously used to mean 10243 (230) bytes, leading to confusion. This ambiguity prompted the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to introduce the distinct binary prefix 'gibi-' (Gi) for 230 bytes (gibibyte, GiB), clarifying that gigabyte (GB) strictly refers to 109 bytes according to SI standards.
The SI prefix 'tera-' (meaning 1012) was adopted for use in computing as storage capacities reached trillions of bytes. Historically, the term 'terabyte' was often used ambiguously to refer to either 1012 bytes (the strict SI definition) or 240 bytes (1,099,511,627,776 bytes), which is the power of 2 closest to a trillion. This ambiguity, particularly noticeable in how operating systems reported disk sizes versus how manufacturers advertised them, led the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to introduce the distinct binary prefix 'tebi-' (Ti) for 240. Thus, tebibyte (TiB) specifically denotes 240 bytes, while terabyte (TB) formally refers to 1012 bytes.
Common Uses for gigabytes and terabytes
Explore the typical applications for both Gigabyte (imperial/US) and Terabyte (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for gigabytes
Gigabytes are one of the most common units for measuring digital storage capacity and file sizes today:
- Capacity of hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), USB flash drives, and memory cards.
- Size of large files like high-definition movies, software applications, operating systems, and game installations.
- Measuring Random Access Memory (RAM) capacity (though gibibyte, GiB, is technically more precise and often used by OS reporting).
- Quantifying data usage in mobile data plans or internet bandwidth caps.
- Cloud storage service allocations and usage.
Common Uses for terabytes
Terabytes are widely used to measure large amounts of digital data storage capacity:
- Specifying the capacity of consumer and enterprise hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs).
- Measuring the size of large files, databases, archives, and backups.
- Quantifying the storage space available in cloud storage plans and data centers.
- Describing the amount of data transferred over networks or used in monthly internet data caps.
- Indicating the capacity of personal computers, laptops, external drives, and network-attached storage (NAS) devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Gigabyte (GB)
How many bytes are in a gigabyte (GB)?
There are exactly 1,000,000,000 (one billion or 109) bytes in 1 gigabyte (GB).
How many megabytes (MB) are in a gigabyte (GB)?
There are 1,000 megabytes (MB) in 1 gigabyte (GB), following the SI decimal standard.
What is the difference between a gigabyte (GB) and a gibibyte (GiB)?
A gigabyte (GB) uses the decimal prefix 'giga-' and equals 109 (1,000,000,000) bytes. A gibibyte (GiB) uses the binary prefix 'gibi-' and equals 230 (1,073,741,824) bytes. A gibibyte is approximately 7.37% larger than a gigabyte (1 GiB ≈ 1.074 GB). GB is typically used for storage device marketing and data transfer contexts, while GiB is often used by operating systems (like Windows) for reporting storage capacity and RAM size.
What is the difference between a gigabyte (GB) and a gigabit (Gb)?
A gigabyte (GB) measures data storage in bytes, while a gigabit (Gb) measures data in bits, commonly used for data transfer rates (e.g., Gbps). Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 gigabyte (GB) is equal to 8 gigabits (Gb). File sizes are usually measured in GB, while network speeds are usually measured in Gbps.
About Terabyte (TB)
How many bytes are in a terabyte (TB)?
According to the standard SI definition, there are exactly 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (one trillion bytes, or 1012 bytes) in 1 terabyte (TB).
How many gigabytes (GB) are in a terabyte (TB)?
There are 1,000 gigabytes (GB) in 1 terabyte (TB). This follows the SI prefixes: 1 TB = 1012 bytes and 1 GB = 109 bytes. Therefore, 1 TB / 1 GB = 1012 / 109 = 103 = 1,000.
What is the difference between a terabyte (TB) and a tebibyte (TiB)?
- A terabyte (TB) uses the decimal SI prefix 'tera-' and equals 1012 bytes (1,000,000,000,000 bytes). It's commonly used in storage device marketing.
- A tebibyte (TiB) uses the binary IEC prefix 'tebi-' and equals 240 bytes (1,099,511,627,776 bytes). It's often used by operating systems to report storage capacity based on powers of 2. A tebibyte (TiB) is approximately 9.95% larger than a terabyte (TB) (1 TiB ≈ 1.0995 TB).
What is the difference between a terabyte (TB) and a terabit (Tb)?
- A terabyte (TB) measures data storage capacity in bytes and equals 1012 bytes.
- A terabit (Tb) measures data quantity or data transfer speed in bits and equals 1012 bits. Assuming the standard definition of 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 terabyte (TB) is equal to 8 terabits (Tb). Calculation: 1 TB = 1012 bytes = 1012 * 8 bits = 8 * 1012 bits = 8 Tb. Therefore, a terabyte represents 8 times more data storage capacity than the equivalent number of terabits.
Why is TB often used in marketing instead of TiB?
Storage manufacturers typically market drive capacities using the decimal prefix terabyte (TB) because 1012 bytes yields a larger, rounder number compared to the equivalent value expressed using the binary prefix tebibyte (TiB) (which is 240 bytes). For instance, a hard drive containing exactly 1,000,000,000,000 bytes is advertised as 1 TB. If measured in tebibytes, this same physical capacity would be approximately 0.909 TiB (since 1012 / 240 ≈ 0.909). Using TB allows manufacturers to present higher capacity figures, which is advantageous for marketing, even though operating systems might report the capacity using the smaller TiB value.
Conversion Table: Gigabyte to Terabyte
| Gigabyte (GB) | Terabyte (TB) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.001 |
| 5 | 0.005 |
| 10 | 0.01 |
| 25 | 0.025 |
| 50 | 0.05 |
| 100 | 0.1 |
| 500 | 0.5 |
| 1,000 | 1 |