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Computer (Digital) Storage Units Converter

Digital Storage Converter


Answer:
= 0.001 MB

Divide by 1,000
for quick conversions

kB / 1,000 = MB

Solution

To convert kB to MB, use the conversion factor

1 MB = 1,000 kB

then divide both sides of the equation by MB, to get the conversion ratio

1 = 1,000 kB / MB

Use the conversion ratio to complete the unit conversion, basically dividing the input by 1, the kB units cancel out, and we are left with MB units.

1 kB ÷ 1,000 kB / MB
= 0.001 MB

Calculator Use

Convert digital storage units among bits and bytes in both decimal and binary units.

This conversion calculator uses two different sets of prefixes for bits and bytes.

  • Binary prefixes (base 2) - for example, kibi, mebi, gibi and tebi are binary notation where 1 kibibyte = 1024 bytes, 1 mebibyte = 1024 kibibytes, 1 gibibyte = 1024 mebibytes, etc.
  • Metric or Decimal prefixes (base 10) - for example, kilo, mega, giga and tera are decimal notation where 1 kilobyte = 1000 bytes, 1 megabyte = 1000 kilobytes, 1 gigabyte = 1000 megabytes, etc.

Metric prefixes are common SI units in decimal notation. In common SI decimal notation using joules as an example, 1 kilojoule = 1000 joules, 1 megajoule = 1000 kilojoules, 1 gigajoule = 1000 megajoules, etc.

How to Convert Units of Bytes

To simply convert from any unit in binary into binary bytes, for example, from 5 gibibytes to bytes, just multiply by the value in the right column in the Binary Bytes Reference table below.

Since 1 GiB = 230B, we can divide both sides by 1 GiB to show that 1 = 230B / GiB and this is our conversion ratio.

Multiply 5 GiB by 1 (the conversion ratio), GiB will cancel and we will be left with byte units B.

5 GiB × 230 B / GiB = 5,368,709,120 B

To convert from bytes back into units in the left column divide by the value in the right column or, multiply by the reciprocal, 1/x.

5,368,709,120 B / 230 B / GB = 5 GB

To convert among any units in the left column, say from A to B, you can multiply by the factor for A to convert A into bytes then divide by the factor for B to convert out of bytes. Or, you can find the single factor you need by dividing the A factor by the B factor.

For example, to convert from gibibytes to tebibytes you would multiply by 230 then divide by 240. Or, multiply by 230/240 = 2(30-40) = 2-10. So, to convert directly from gibibytes to tebibytes you multiply by 2-10.

To understand how to also convert the units follow this example. Say you want to convert decimal units from exabytes to bytes. Since you can multiply anything by 1 and still retain the original value, but in different units, set it up so that EB will cancel out leaving you with B.

Since: 1 EB = 1018 B, dividing both sides by 1018
1 B = 1 / 1018 EB = 10-18 EB 1 B = 1018 EB, 1 B / 1018 EB = 1

We can write the conversion as:
1 EB =
1 EB × (1 B / 1018 EB) =
1 EB * (100 B / 1018 EB) =
1 EB * (10(0 - 18)) [B / EB ] = 10-18 B

And we now have our factor for conversion from exabytes to bytes since 1 * 260 = 260.

Knowing that 1 EB = 260 B we can now find the conversion factor for converting back. Dividing both sides of the equation by 260 we get 1018 EB = 1 B. So, the conversion factor to convert from bytes to exabytes is 1018.

Metric (or Decimal) Digital Storage Units Refernce

Decimal Bits Reference
Unit
Symbol
bits
bits
bit
b
1 = 10000
1 = 100
kilobit
kb
10001
103
megabit
Mb
10002
106
gigabit
Gb
10003
109
terabit
Tb
10004
1012
petabit
Pb
10005
1015
exabit
Eb
10006
1018
zettabit
Zb
10007
1021
yottabit
Yb
10008
1024
ronnabit
Rb
10009
1027
quettabit
Qb
100010
1030
byte
B
8
8

Decimal Bytes Reference
Unit
Symbol
bytes
bytes
byte
B
1 = 10000
100
kilobyte
kB
10001
103
megabyte
MB
10002
106
gigabyte
GB
10003
109
terabyte
TB
10004
1012
petabyte
PB
10005
1015
exabyte
EB
10006
1018
zettabyte
ZB
10007
1021
yottabyte
YB
10008
1024
ronnabyte
RB
10009
1027
quettabyte
QB
100010
1030
bit
b
0.125 = 1/8
0.125 = 1/8


Binary Digital Storage Units Refernce

kibibyte (KiB) is not the same as kilobyte (KB). Even though you will find that computer storage units are reported in KB or MB or TB they actually are referring to base 2 units where 210 = 1024, for kiibibyts .......... historically these units or used but confusion..... formalized the units ....

Binary Bits Reference
Unit
Symbol
bits
bit
bit
1
kibibit
Kibit
1024 = 210
mebibit
Mibit
220
gibibit
Gibit
230
tebibit
Tibit
240
pebibit
Pibit
250
exbibit
Eibit
260
zebibit
Zibit
270
yobibit
Yibit
280
robibit **
Ribit
290
quebibit **
Qibit
2100
byte
B
8 = 23

Binary Bytes Reference
Unit
Symbol
bytes
Memory *
byte
B
1
B
kibibyte
KiB
1024 = 210
KB
mebibyte
MiB
220
MB
gibibyte
GiB
230
GB
tebibyte
TiB
240
TB
pebibyte
PiB
250
-
exbiyte
EiB
260
-
zebibyte
ZiB
270
-
yobibyte
YiB
280
-
robibyte **
RiB
290
-
quebibyte **
QiB
2100
-
bit
b
0.125 = 1/8
-


Percent Difference in Binary to Metric Storage Sizes

Percent differences are showing how much greater the metric equivalent units are.

Binary Storage Unit Metric Storage Unit Percent Difference
1 Byte (B) 1.000 Byte (B) 0.0%
1 Kibibyte (KiB) 1.024 Kilobyte (kB) 2.4%
1 Mebibyte (MiB) 1.049 Megabyte (MB) 4.9%
1 Gibibyte (GiB) 1.074 Gigabyte (GB) 7.4%
1 Tebibyte (TiB) 1.100 Terabyte (TB) 10.0%
1 Pebibyte (PiB) 1.126 Petabyte (PB) 12.6%
1 Exbibyte (EiB) 1.153 Exabyte (EB) 15.3%
1 Zebibyte (ZiB) 1.181 Zettabyte (ZB) 18.1%
1 Yobibyte (YiB) 1.209 Yottabyte (YB) 20.9%


* Be sure you are using and converting among the actual units you intend. As of 2023 there still exists some unit confusion. Historically, KB (kB), MB, GB, TB, and others, were symbols used in both metric and binary systems (kilo-, mega-, giga-, tera-). This has been confusing to non-experts since the two systems represent different actual sizes. See above table. In 1998 and 1999 the International Electrotechnical Commission defined and formalized the explicit prefixes kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, tebi- (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) and the like for binary prefixes and binary symbols leaving kB, MB, GB, TB etcetera, for metric decimal notation. See, Timeline of Binary Prefixes.

** This calculator uses the additional binary unit prefixes robi- and quebi- although they have not been officially adopted. The metric counterparts ronna- and quetta- have been formally introduced and adopted and some assume that the natural binary equivalents robi- and quebi- will eventually be adopted. See, Binary prefix.

 

Cite this content, page or calculator as:

Furey, Edward "Computer (Digital) Storage Units Converter" at https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/conversions/computerstorage.php from CalculatorSoup, https://www.calculatorsoup.com - Online Calculators

Last updated: August 21, 2023

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