Missing SSD space

N

Niao

Bronze Level Poster
Hey,

I have ordered with my computer a 120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD and today I realised
I am missing around 8Gb. From the windows install disk you can see my disk 1 as 2 partitions, the recovery
and the system. I know 8Gb isnt a lot but with SSD price I prefer to save every Gbs I can:D

Any ideas where those 8Gb could have been gone ? Thank you.

spacemissing.jpg
 
vanthus

vanthus

Member Resting in Peace
This is normal,Windows uses a different counting method from the manufacturer, binary as opposed to decimal.With Windows 1GB equals 1024MB where the manufacturer uses decimal,1000MB per 1GB.
eg. windows will show 120 GB at around 111.7 GB
and the 500 GB at at around 465 GB.
 
D

dogbot

Bright Spark
You don't have any space missing, at least no space that you can't use.

The manufacturers quote disc sizes as if there were 1,000,000,000 bytes to a Gigabyte whereas a Gigabyte is calculated differently when the disc is used. A kilobyte = 2 to the power of 10 = 1024 bytes, megabyte = 2**20 = 1,048,576 bytes and a gigabyte = 2**30 = 1,073,741,824bytes.

Your SSD therefore has 120/1.0737 = 111.76 GB for use. Similarly the HDD has 500/1.0737 = 465.69 GB for use.

ADDED

I see Vanthus got in first. Does that mean I lose rep? :)
 
Last edited:
ubuysa

ubuysa

The BSOD Doctor
You were both right and so, to be fair, I've given you both rep too. :)

Niao, there is a good description of bytes, kilobytes, megabytes etc. at http://pc.net/helpcenter/answers/kilobytes_megabytes_and_gigabytes, you might want to follow some of the links on that page too, I think you'll find them helpful. If you want to learn how to count in binary there is a good description at http://networkclue.com/hardware/computer/binary.aspx. It's not necessary to know binary these days (it used to be essential) but it's nice to know.

If you want to convert decimal and binary numbers the Windows calculator can do that for you. Start the calculator, click View and select Programmer mode. To convert a decimal number to binary ensure the Dec radio button is checked, enter the decimal number and click the Bin radio button. To go the other way simply reverse the process. The Hex button uses another numbering system that is important in programming called Hexadecimal (base 16) and the Oct button uses an ancient system called Octal (base 8) which is not really used at all these days.

If you want to learn more about hexadecimal numbering take a look at http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/binary/bin_3.html, this can be useful because hex numbers crop up all over in Windows. The Stop Codes on a BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death) for example, are hexadecimal (eg. 0x0000001C, the initial 0x tells you it's a hex number).

Learning binary and hexadecimal is really just for fun, unless you want to be a programmer in which case you really do need to know about them.

I hope that helps some? :)
 
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N

Niao

Bronze Level Poster
Thanks everyone for the details ! I was just surprised because on my mac I have a 500Gb disk and I have a capacity displayed of 499.76Gb. I know it is never the same space as detailed in the disk but 8Gb of difference loos like a lot to me...
Anyway fair enough if it is all normal ! Thanks again. You all get you candy rep :D
 
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