Quick question: In 1TB how many GB should actually show up in Windows?

[Lugwig]

I just bought a new Samsung 980 Pro SSD, and the box clearly says 1TB. But when I went into Disk Management to format it, it only shows 931 GB of usable space.
I know there’s usually some "lost" space for the OS, but 70GB seems like a lot to just disappear. So, in 1tb how many gb am I actually supposed to see? Is my drive defective, or is there some hidden partition taking up space? I’m a bit of a newbie when it comes to storage math, so if someone could explain why the numbers don't match the box, I’d appreciate it. Just want to make sure I wasn't ripped off!

 

[sophiadasy]

@Lugwig, the issue is due to decimal vs binary measurements, 1tb is 1024gb in binary, but manufacturers often use decimal, so 1tb is 1000gb, leaving about 74gb unused.

 

[messylean]

in 2026, storage tech has gotten pretty advanced, the 70gb difference is due to the way manufacturers calculate storage capacity, using decimal instead of binary measurements, which is pretty standard now.

 

[Emmawoods]

in storage, decimal measurements are based on 1000, whereas binary is 1024, so a 1tb drive is actually 1000gb in decimal, resulting in about 74gb of unused space due to this difference.

 

[ronmurphy]

recently, i noticed that most storage manufacturers use decimal measurements, so a 1tb drive is actually 1000gb, leading to around 74gb of unused space compared to binary measurements.

 

[Ashleygomez]

in recent storage drives, a 1tb drive typically shows around 931gb due to decimal and binary measurement differences, with about 74gb unused space, pretty standard in 2026 storage tech.

 

[Eric]

the difference in storage capacity is usually due to decimal vs binary measurements, with manufacturers using decimal, so a 1tb drive is 1000gb, and around 74gb is unused due to this difference.

 

[Tim_David]

the measurement difference is due to decimal and binary, a 1tb drive is 1000gb in decimal, resulting in around 74gb unused space.

 

[Gdeathswebscar]

typically a 1tb drive shows around 931gb due to decimal and binary measurement differences, with about 74gb unused space, that's pretty standard in storage tech nowadays, it's not a defect, just a measurement discrepancy

 

[travisscott]

in 2026, storage capacity calculations often involve decimal to binary conversions, so a 1tb drive is usually around 931gb due to measurement differences.