320GB HD detected as 300GB

[Freze]

My friend has bought a new 320GB HD but it is detected as 300 GB. I know about the loss with the different calculation of Gigabyte (some 1000 some 1024) but this is too much. What can be the problem?

 

[Rommel44]

320GB is 32.000.000.000/1024/1024/1024=298GB
They really should write what size it is when they are selling, but its not gana happen until somebody sue shem for big $$$ :-(

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: Freze
My friend has bought a new 320GB HD but it is detected as 300 GB. I know about the loss with the different calculation of Gigabyte (some 1000 some 1024) but this is too much. What can be the problem?

There is no problem. That is accurate.

 

[Rommel44]

Originally posted by: Freze
My friend has bought a new 320GB HD but it is detected as 300 GB. I know about the loss with the different calculation of Gigabyte (some 1000 some 1024) but this is too much. What can be the problem?

Just wait for 1TB disk instead of 1TB(1024GB) you will get 931GB = you will lose 93 GB because of this trick.

 

[oynaz]

It is not a trick. Kilo means 1000, mega means 1000000, giga means 1000000000.

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: oynaz
It is not a trick. Kilo means 1000, mega means 1000000, giga means 1000000000.

+1

Take a basic PC class n00bs 🙂

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: Trinitron

Originally posted by: oynaz
It is not a trick. Kilo means 1000, mega means 1000000, giga means 1000000000.

+1

Take a basic PC class n00bs 🙂

kilo of apples: 1000 apples
kilo of bytes: 1024 bytes

BOW DOWN TO THE POWER OF 2.

 

[mshan]

Totally normal.

The Western Digital WD3200KS I just bought shows up in Windows as 298.09 GB unallocated.

 

[SuperNaruto]

wd was sue.. they end up giving u some backup software.. nothing has changed

 

[SuperNaruto]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabyte

above calculation is correct, check ur math if you think it's too much of a lost


There are three slightly different definitions of the size of a gigabyte in use:

1,000,000,000 bytes or 109 bytes is the decimal definition used in telecommunications (such as network speeds) and most computer storage manufacturers (such as hard disks and flash drives). This usage is compatible with SI. HP claims media makers Maxtor, Iomega and Western Digital adhere to using this amount.[1]


1,073,741,824 bytes, equal to 10243, or 230 bytes. This is the definition used for computer memory sizes, and most often used in computer engineering, computer science, and most aspects of computer operating systems. The IEC recommends that this unit should instead be called a gibibyte (abbreviated GiB), as it conflicts with SI units used for bus speeds and the like. HP states Microsoft normally adheres to this definition [1]

1,024,000,000 bytes, is the definition used by Hard Disk maker Seagate. [1]

 

[Rommel44]

Originally posted by: SuperNaruto
wd was sue.. they end up giving u some backup software.. nothing has changed

Yes but they didnt lost Big Money(millions of USD).

 

[corkyg]

The ratios are consistent. This flap has been going on for decades.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: corkyg
The ratios are consistent. This flap has been going on for decades.

Wouldn't it be fairly easy for Microsoft to just release a patch to change the way Windows calculates disk space, in order to agree with the standards that follow the normal kilo, mega, giga, etc prefixes? Gigabyte has been standardized now to mean 1,000,000,000 bytes. I think the only reason anymore that binary gigabytes are used anymore is ego, same as why the English measurement system is still used in the US. The US doesn't want to change because, well, it's the US, we tend to regard our egos as more important than just about anything else. Similar case in the computer industry - the hardcore computer folk want another way to set themselves apart from everyone else. "Look at us, we use binary gigabytes. We're better than you. You're just 1 of the 10 kind of people who doesn't understand binary. Simpleton. Harumph."


So nothing is being "lost" when this comes up like this. It's like people hearing "wow, gas is so cheap in Europe, only $1.40 per liter! We're getting ripped off!!!" Never mind that that price translates to about $5.30 per gallon, it's only $1.40 per liter!!!!
Hard drive manufacturers label according to gigabytes, and it states on the box that 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Windows measures in GiB - binary gigabytes. When they sell you a 320GB hard drive, you are getting at least 320,000,000,000 bytes of usable space, and I'm sure that's what you've got.

 

[kpb]

As several people have pointed out the HD mfgs are using the standard set by the standards body. It's you computer's os that is misreportng things by using the binary 1024 calculations and not using the prefix to differentiate that.