Terabyte to Tebibyte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert terabytes to tebibytes with our free online data storage converter.
Terabyte to Tebibyte Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Terabyte).
- The converted value in Tebibyte 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 Terabyte to Tebibyte
Converting Terabyte to Tebibyte involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Terabyte = 0.909495 tebibytesExample Calculation:
Convert 10 terabytes: 10 × 0.909495 = 9.09495 tebibytes
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.
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What is a Terabyte and a Tebibyte?
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).
A tebibyte (TiB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to 240 bytes, which is exactly 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (or 10244 bytes). It uses the binary prefix 'tebi-' established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The tebibyte was created to provide an unambiguous measurement for byte multiples based on powers of 2, distinguishing it from the terabyte (TB), which is based on the decimal prefix 'tera-' (1012 or 1,000,000,000,000 bytes).
Note: The Terabyte is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Tebibyte belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Terabyte and Tebibyte
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.
The prefix 'tebi-' (representing 240) was defined by the IEC in 1998 alongside other binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, etc.). Before this standard, the SI prefix 'tera-' (T) was ambiguously used to represent both 1,000,000,000,000 (1012, as per its SI definition) and 1,099,511,627,776 (240) in computing contexts. This ambiguity became particularly significant at the terabyte scale, leading to noticeable discrepancies between advertised storage capacity (often decimal) and actual capacity reported by operating systems (often binary). The introduction of the tebibyte (TiB) aimed to resolve this by providing a specific term for 240 bytes.
Common Uses for terabytes and tebibytes
Explore the typical applications for both Terabyte (imperial/US) and Tebibyte (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
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.
Common Uses for tebibytes
Tebibytes are used in contexts where precision based on powers of 2 is necessary for very large data quantities:
- Reporting large hard drive capacities, solid-state drive (SSD) sizes, and file system sizes by operating systems (like Windows, macOS, Linux) and file systems that adhere to IEC standards.
- Specifying the capacity of large-scale storage systems, network-attached storage (NAS), and storage area networks (SANs).
- Software development, database management, virtualization, and cloud storage contexts where exact binary multiples are crucial for resource allocation, performance calculations, and capacity planning for massive datasets.
- High-performance computing (HPC), scientific research (e.g., genomics, astrophysics), and big data analytics involving petabyte-scale datasets where tebibyte-level precision is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions 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.
About Tebibyte (TiB)
How many bytes are in a tebibyte (TiB)?
There are exactly 240 bytes in 1 tebibyte (TiB). This equals 1,099,511,627,776 bytes.
How many gibibytes (GiB) are in a tebibyte (TiB)?
There are 1,024 gibibytes (GiB) in 1 tebibyte (TiB). This follows the binary prefix system where 1 TiB = 240 bytes and 1 GiB = 230 bytes, and 240 / 230 = 210 = 1,024.
What is the difference between a tebibyte (TiB) and a terabyte (TB)?
- A tebibyte (TiB) represents 240 bytes (1,099,511,627,776 bytes), using the IEC binary prefix 'tebi-'.
- A terabyte (TB) typically represents 1012 bytes (1,000,000,000,000 bytes), using the SI decimal prefix 'tera-'. A tebibyte is approximately 9.95% larger than a terabyte (1 TiB ≈ 1.0995 TB). Use TiB for precision in binary contexts (like OS reporting of large disks) and TB for decimal contexts (like hard drive marketing) or when the specific definition is clarified.
What is the difference between a tebibyte (TiB) and a tebibit (Tib)?
A tebibyte (TiB) measures information in bytes, while a tebibit (Tib) measures information in bits. Assuming the standard 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 tebibyte (TiB) is equal to 8 tebibits (Tib). Both use the binary prefix 'tebi-' (240).
Why do operating systems often show lower capacity than advertised for large drives?
Storage manufacturers typically market drive capacity using decimal prefixes (TB, GB), where 1 TB = 1012 bytes. However, operating systems often report capacity using binary prefixes (TiB, GiB), where 1 TiB = 240 bytes. Since 1 TiB is about 9.95% larger than 1 TB, a drive marketed as "1 TB" (1,000,000,000,000 bytes) will be reported by the OS as approximately 0.909 TiB (1012 / 240 ≈ 0.909). This difference becomes more pronounced with larger capacities.
Conversion Table: Terabyte to Tebibyte
| Terabyte (TB) | Tebibyte (TiB) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.91 |
| 5 | 4.548 |
| 10 | 9.095 |
| 25 | 22.737 |
| 50 | 45.475 |
| 100 | 90.95 |
| 500 | 454.747 |
| 1,000 | 909.495 |