Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: Hard drive size error?

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    146
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts

    Hard drive size error?

    Hi,
    I have an 82.4gb HDD, but When I enter FDISK to partition it, it tells me that it is 76GB (before partitioning or formatting)
    Is something amis with the drive?
    MSI K7N2 Delta MS-6570
    XP 2500+ @xp3200+ (200fsb)
    512mb generic PC3200 ram



    SUSE TUTORIALS

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    113
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    You have an 82400000000 byte drive.

    This is 82.4Gb if there are 1000 bytes in a kilobyte and 1000 kilobytes in a megabyte etc, which is what the manufacturers stupidly claim...
    Therefore 82400000000 B / 1000 /1000 /1000 = 82.4GB

    Since there are actually 1024 bytes in a kilobyte etc, and this is what the computer will use:

    82400000000 B / 1024 /1024 / 1024 = 76.7GB

    Simple...
    P4C 2.4Ghz | Asus P4P800 Deluxe | 2x512Mb GeiL Ultra DDR500 CL2-3-3-6 | Sapphire Radeon 9700 128Mb | Soundblaster 128 | Western Digital 120Gb 7200rpm 8Mb cache
    CoolerMaster Centurion w 2x120mm | Thermaltake 420W PSU
    Iiyama Prolite E435S 17" TFT | Logitech MX510 and Cordless Keyboard | Pioneer DVR109XL (Black) | Labtec Spin 60

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    146
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    ah.....thank you
    MSI K7N2 Delta MS-6570
    XP 2500+ @xp3200+ (200fsb)
    512mb generic PC3200 ram



    SUSE TUTORIALS

  4. #4
    Senior Member RVF500's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Back in Sunny UK...and it is sunny too :D...pleasant surprise.
    Posts
    1,063
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Just remember mate. Computers use binery numbers. which is why we always see the figures 2,4,8,16,32,64,128,256,512,1024.......time and again.
    "You want loyalty? ......get a dog!"

  5. #5
    cat /dev/null streetster's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    London
    Posts
    4,138
    Thanks
    119
    Thanked
    100 times in 82 posts
    • streetster's system
      • Motherboard:
      • Asus P7P55D-E
      • CPU:
      • Intel i5 750 2.67 @ 4.0Ghz
      • Memory:
      • 4GB Corsair XMS DDR3
      • Storage:
      • 2x1TB Drives [RAID0]
      • Graphics card(s):
      • 2xSapphire HD 4870 512MB CrossFireX
      • PSU:
      • Corsair HX520W
      • Case:
      • Coolermaster Black Widow
      • Operating System:
      • Windows 7 x64
      • Monitor(s):
      • DELL U2311
      • Internet:
      • Virgin 50Mb
    binary numbers

    seems stupid how manufacturers use the kinda base10 system to advertise their products... cant really see it changing tho

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    LONDON
    Posts
    318
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Quote Originally Posted by streetster
    binary numbers

    seems stupid how manufacturers use the kinda base10 system to advertise their products... cant really see it changing tho
    Yes the bigger drives get the greater the discrepancy - so I don't know why they don't just use actual GB sizes instead now ... I think originally they were probably using 1000 bytes to represent a KB (and 1000KB to represent a MB ...) to make the drives seem bigger - as a marketing tool - but there's little point now.

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Posts
    73
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    which also explain why my 40Gb hd is actually only 37.2GB
    That's been bothering me for 2 years.
    "If you don't have an anti-static wrist strap you can discharge your self by touching the metal edges of your ATX case, although this is not recommended."


    Building a PC!
    Components So Far:
    XFX Geforce MX 4000 128mb
    "SumEvision" (Who the hell are they) Multi channel PCI Sound card.
    Standard 56K Modem that I'll probably never use.
    Case with a bit missing but it's only superficial.
    (God this PC is turning into a joke. )

  8. #8
    HEXUS webmaster Steve's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    14,283
    Thanks
    293
    Thanked
    841 times in 476 posts
    This 1000 bytes to the k "rule" that drive manufacturers use really gets on my nerves.

    It's getting to the stage where disk sizes are growing further apart from the claimed size. I know they state what methodology they use to size the drive, but that doesn't make it any less confusing for somebody who doesn't know that there are actulaly 1024 bytes in a kilobyte. Then of course there's the formatted size on top of that.

    Things need to change IMO, but I can't see it happening.
    PHP Code:
    $s = new signature();
    $s->sarcasm()->intellect()->font('Courier New')->display(); 

  9. #9
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    LONDON
    Posts
    318
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Kez
    This 1000 bytes to the k "rule" that drive manufacturers use really gets on my nerves.

    It's getting to the stage where disk sizes are growing further apart from the claimed size. I know they state what methodology they use to size the drive, but that doesn't make it any less confusing for somebody who doesn't know that there are actulaly 1024 bytes in a kilobyte. Then of course there's the formatted size on top of that.

    Things need to change IMO, but I can't see it happening.
    yer it would have to be a consensus between manufacturers - as the first brave manufacturer would probably be rewarded by a drop in sales owing to the n00bs thinking they are getting a raw deal.

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    central london
    Posts
    215
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    hard drive manufacturers get it right, they sell drives in gigabytes. windows is wrong, it confuses gibibytes with gigabytes, mebibytes with megabytes etc.

    more information on binary prefixes here.



  11. #11
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    LONDON
    Posts
    318
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked
    0 times in 0 posts
    Which ever way you paint it there shouldn't be a discrepancy with what is, and always has been (as far as I can remember), the universal measurement of disk storage - which works on binary numbering and not base10 ... if nothing else to avoid confusion for consumers.

    ... it's just another example of how common-misusage eventually becomes common-usage and then the definition changes forever
    Last edited by BlackSheep; 17-06-2004 at 03:55 PM.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. quiet hard drive for shuttle?
    By cybrarian in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 14-04-2004, 07:53 PM
  2. A slave to my old hard drive
    By mr_anderson187 in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 11-02-2004, 07:34 PM
  3. formatting a hard drive.
    By blockers in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 12-01-2004, 01:19 AM
  4. cloning hard drive
    By mrdata2003 in forum Software
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 07-01-2004, 09:47 AM
  5. master hard drive
    By wilsonian in forum PC Hardware and Components
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 10-09-2003, 10:26 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •