How much is 1TB?

One terabyte (TB) is technically equal to 1,024 gigabytes (GB) or 1,099,511,627,776 bytes. To put it in perspective, imagine a basic laptop with a storage capacity of 256GB. A single TB offers about four times that space, leaving plenty of room for your documents, images, videos, and more.

However, you may see conflicting information online about how much content 1TB can hold — it’s sometimes listed as 1,000GB. There’s a discrepancy between how computers measure data storage and how manufacturers typically represent it. Technically, 1TB amounts to 1,024GB, but the industry typically uses the decimal system, so they round down to simplify the advertised capacity. The difference is usually small for large capacities, so there’s no significant impact on everyday use or performance.

What is a terabyte?

A terabyte is a standard unit for measuring data capacity in computing and enterprise content management. It’s a common way to evaluate the storage capacity of content solutions such as cloud platforms and hard drives.

To understand how big 1TB of cloud storage is, compare it to the type and size of files you typically store. Here’s a breakdown:

Is one terabyte of storage enough?

Depending on your needs, 1TB can feel like a lot of storage or not nearly enough. Let’s explore three factors that influence how much storage you need:

1. Usage patterns

If you use storage mainly for backing up documents, with minimal photos and videos, then 1TB can be a generous amount that lasts you a long time. But if you work with multiple apps or frequently send large video files to your coworkers, you likely require more space to ensure efficient content management and storage.

Here are questions you should ask:

• What percentage of your existing storage capacity is currently in use?
• What is the typical size and format of the data you store most frequently?
• Do you require access to stored data from remote locations?
• How frequently do employees share large presentations, videos, and design assets with internal or external collaborators?

Remember, your storage needs depend on factors like file volume, format, number of team members, and intended use.

2. File types

Imagine you’re starting a project that requires high-resolution photos, which consume a significant amount of space. Large photo libraries can quickly fill up your storage capacity. When considering 1TB of storage, keep in mind what types of files consume the most space:

• High-resolution photos and enterprise videos, including images in RAW format and 4K files
• Large application downloads, such as graphic design and editing software
• Extensive multimedia presentations with embedded videos, complex animations, and image files
• Large scanned documents and PDFs such as contracts, product catalogs, and 3D modeling files

3. Frequency of creation and backup

If you constantly create new files and back them up, you’ll need to keep an eye on your storage space. Uploading dozens of photos and videos every day will probably consume one terabyte faster than occasional uploads.

Storage needs depend on your daily use, your online backup frequency, and the importance of storing multiple versions of files, such as drafts of a document or edits of a video.

What’s the best way to store terabytes of data?

From external hard drives to cloud-based systems, solutions for storing terabytes of data offer diverse options for access and scalability. Let’s take a look.

A cloud storage service offers a secure solution for accessing files from any device and automating backups, eliminating the risk of losing content due to accidental failures or theft.

Here are some of the reasons the cloud is the best way to store terabytes of data.

Cloud storage scales with your business

As your company expands, the amount of information it produces grows. A Salesforce report shows that over two-thirds of analytics and IT leaders expect data volumes to increase by 22% on average in 2024.

With a scalable cloud storage platform, you don’t need to worry about running out of space. You can increase your cloud storage capacity as your data needs grow, adapting to your evolving business demands.

Centralized storage streamlines work

Imagine the frustration of wasting hours of your day looking for documents scattered across multiple devices and drives. Conveo’s Workplace Relevance Report shows that workers spend an average of three hours per day searching for information.

Cloud storage helps you manage your entire content lifecycle in one place, making work more efficient and collaborative.

A secure cloud platform minimizes the risks of unstructured data

A Box-sponsored IDC white paper shows that 90% of information organizations generate is unstructured. This means that the vast majority of documents, videos, presentations, and other digital assets lack a predefined format and require extra processing to analyze. This content’s lack of structure creates blind spots for manual security checks, making it vulnerable to data breaches.

With the right cloud storage solution, you centralize your unstructured data in a single platform, making it easier to manage your content. Robust security features like encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and data leakage prevention protect your data against potential threats.

Get terabytes of storage with Box

With a secure platform to manage unlimited terabytes of data, Box empowers you to get the file storage capacity you need. The Intelligent Content Cloud offers a scalable system to create, edit, upload, store, and share content of all formats and sizes.

With high cloud storage capacity, you don’t need to worry about exceeding limits: keep all your images and videos without deletion headaches. Streamline collaboration with easy file sharing, so everyone can access and work on the latest versions anytime, anywhere.

Box integrates with 1,500+ integrations, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Adobe Acrobat, Zoom, and more — letting you work across your favorite tools. All without compromising security and compliance.

Reach out to our team and explore our business and enterprise plans.

While we maintain our steadfast commitment to offering products and services with best-in-class privacy, security, and compliance, the information provided in this blog post is not intended to constitute legal advice. We strongly encourage prospective and current customers to perform their own due diligence when assessing compliance with applicable laws.