A terabyte (TB) is a unit of digital data storage that equals 1,024 gigabytes (GB). So 2 terabytes (2 TB) is equal to 2,048 GB or 2,097,152 megabytes (MB).
Quick Answer
2 terabytes is equal to:
- 2,048 GB
- 2,097,152 MB
- 2,147,483,648 KB
- 2,199,023,255,552 bytes
What Can You Store in 2 TB?
With 2 TB of storage space, you can store a massive amount of data including:
- Around 500,000 digital photos taken with a 10MP camera
- Up to 1,000 hours of HD video
- 500 movies encoded in 1080p format
- 1 million documents in DOC or PDF format
- 400,000 MP3 songs
- 2,000 CD-quality albums
- 1,000 Xbox or PlayStation games
Examples of 2 TB Storage Devices
Here are some examples of devices that commonly offer 2 TB of storage space:
- External hard drives
- Internal hard drives
- Solid state drives (SSD)
- RAID storage arrays
- Network attached storage (NAS) devices
- USB flash drives
- Memory cards like SD cards
Uses for 2 TB of Storage
Here are some of the most common uses for 2 TB of storage space:
- Personal computer storage – 2 TB is enough for most people’s long term storage needs for documents, photos, videos, music, etc.
- Gaming consoles – 2 TB can store hundreds of games for consoles like Xbox One or PS4.
- Media servers – 2 TB can hold a large media library for streaming music, movies and TV shows on devices like Plex or Kodi.
- Network attached storage – 2 TB is a common NAS drive size for shared storage and backups for families and small businesses.
- External drive for backup – 2 TB external drives are great for storing computer backups or archiving large amounts of data.
Cost of 2 TB Storage
The cost for 2 TB of storage depends on the type of device:
| Device | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| External hard drive | $50 – $100 |
| Internal hard drive | $50 – $80 |
| SSD drive | $200 – $350 |
| USB flash drive | $200 – $300 |
| SD memory card | $100 – $300 |
As you can see, mechanical hard drives offer the most affordable 2 TB solutions. SSDs and flash storage are much more expensive per gigabyte compared to HDDs.
Advantages of 2 TB Storage
Here are some of the key advantages of having 2 TB of storage space:
- Holds a massive media library – Store hundreds of movies, thousands of songs, and tons of photos.
- Future proofs your storage – 2 TB gives you plenty of room to grow into for years before needing more space.
- Consolidates storage devices – Combines multiple smaller drives into one larger 2 TB drive.
- Good for backup needs – Provides ample space for system backups and file archives.
- Shared network storage – Works well as network attached storage for multiple users to access.
Disadvantages of 2 TB Storage
The disadvantages of 2 TB storage include:
- Overkill for light storage needs – More storage than many casual users will require.
- Large files can fill up fast – With movies and games over 50GB, 2 TB can still get used up quickly.
- Higher failure risk – The larger the drive the greater risk of failure and data loss.
- Slower access times – Smaller drives are often faster for loading apps and files.
How Many Photos Can 2 TB Hold?
The number of digital photos that can be stored in 2 TB depends on the resolution, or megapixels (MP), of the photos:
- 16 MP camera: 125,000 photos
- 12 MP camera: 160,000 photos
- 8 MP camera: 250,000 photos
- 5 MP camera: 400,000 photos
On average, 2 TB can hold around 200,000 to 400,000 photos taken with today’s digital cameras in the 5 to 16 megapixel range.
How Many Hours of Video is 2 TB?
For high definition 1080p video encoded at 5 Mbps, 2 TB of storage can hold:
- 1,000 hours of H.264 video
- 800 hours of MPEG-2 video
- 600 hours of uncompressed video
At higher bitrates and 4K resolution, expect 500 hours or less of video storage per 2 TB.
How Many Movies Can I Store?
With 2 terabytes of storage you can store approximately 500 to 1000 movies depending on the movie resolution, encoding quality and length:
- 1000 movies at DVD quality (4.7GB per movie)
- 700 movies at 720p HD (3GB per movie)
- 500 movies at 1080p Full HD (4GB per movie)
- 250 movies at 4K UHD (8GB per movie)
On average most 2 TB drives today can hold 500 to 700 full length movies encoded at 720p or 1080p resolution.
How Many Games Can I Store?
The number of games that 2 TB can hold depends on the game file size, which varies greatly:
- Small indie games – 5,000+ games
- Xbox One or PS4 games – Around 200 games (25GB per game)
- Larger AAA titles – Around 100 games (50GB per game)
On average, 2 TB of storage space can hold around 500 smaller indie games up to 100 of today’s largest blockbuster games.
How Many MP3 Songs is 2 TB?
For average quality MP3 files at 5 MB per song:
- 2 TB can hold 400,000 MP3 songs
- That’s about 2,000 albums worth of music
Higher bitrate lossless audio files take up more space. For example, 320 Kbps files require about 10 MB per song. So 2 TB would hold around 200,000 songs in that format.
How Many RAW Photos Can 2 TB Hold?
The number of RAW photo files a 2 TB drive can store depends on the megapixels and bit depth:
- 16 MP RAW photos – 130,000 photos
- 36 MP RAW photos – 60,000 photos
- 50 MP RAW photos – 40,000 photos
On average, you can safely store around 50,000 to 100,000 RAW photo files on 2 terabytes of storage.
How Big is a 2 TB File?
A single 2 terabyte (2 TB) file is gigantic by most standards. Here is the full size breakdown:
- 2,199,023,255,552 bytes
- 2,147,483,648 kilobytes (KB)
- 2,097,152 megabytes (MB)
- 2,048 gigabytes (GB)
There are very few common file formats today that could even support a single file of this massive size. Video formats like Blu-ray do allow single file sizes up to 2 TB.
How Long Does it Take to Transfer 2 TB?
How long it takes to transfer 2 terabytes of data depends largely on the transfer speed:
| Connection Type | Speed | 2 TB Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|
| USB 2.0 | 60 MB/s | 9.5 hours |
| USB 3.0/3.1 | 625 MB/s | 56 minutes |
| SATA 3 SSD | 550 MB/s | 1 hour |
| Gigabit Ethernet | 100 MB/s | 5.5 hours |
| 10 Gigabit Ethernet | 750 MB/s | 45 minutes |
As you can see, transfer time varies widely from 45 minutes to over 9 hours for a 2 TB data transfer depending on your equipment and connection speeds.
How Long Does it Take to Load 2 TB From a Hard Drive?
Loading 2 terabytes of data from a mechanical hard drive into memory (RAM) depends on the hard drive speed:
- 5400 RPM HDD – 38 hours
- 7200 RPM HDD – 28 hours
- 10,000 RPM HDD – 19 hours
- 15,000 RPM HDD – 12 hours
As you can see, loading 2 TB from even a fast enterprise-class 15,000 RPM hard drive still takes nearly half a day at over 11 hours. Using an SSD can speed up loading times to under 1 hour.
How Big is a 2 TB SSD?
A 2 terabyte SSD is often similar physical size as lower capacity SSDs. Common 2 TB SSD form factors include:
- 2.5 inch – Same size as laptop hard drive, needs enclosure
- M.2 2280 – Popular SSD for laptops and desktops
- Add-in Card – Installs into PC expansion slots
2 TB and higher capacity SSDs typically use more NAND flash chips on the circuit board or stacked 3D NAND to reach multi-terabyte capacities in small form factors.
Should I Get a 2 TB HDD or SSD?
When choosing between a 2 TB traditional hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD), consider these differences:
| 2 TB HDD | 2 TB SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Around $50 | Around $200 |
| Speed | 100 MB/s read/write | 500+ MB/s read/write |
| Lifespan | 3-5 years typical | 5-10 years typical |
| Reliability | Higher failure risk | More reliable |
For most users, a 2 TB HDD provides plentiful cheap storage. But for tasks that require speed, like gaming or production work, the 2 TB SSD is worth the higher cost.
Conclusion
In summary, 2 terabytes of storage provides a massive amount of space for most home and business users. It can hold hundreds of movies, thousands of photos, songs, and documents. 2 TB drive costs range from around $50 for HDDs to $200+ for SSDs. The high capacity suits 2 TB drives well for storage roles like media libraries, system backups, NAS devices and archival storage.