TRANSFER CALCULATOR
File Copy Time Calculator
Calculate how long it will take to copy files between USB drives, SSDs, hard drives, NAS devices, and network storage. Estimate transfer times for 100GB, 500GB, 1TB and larger files.
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Estimated copy time
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How file copy time is calculated
This file copy time calculator divides file size in MB by transfer speed in MB/s. For example, 100GB is treated as 102400MB. At 100MB/s, the estimate is 1024 seconds, or about 17 minutes. The result is a practical estimate for checking how long a USB copy, SSD transfer, NAS migration, or LAN transfer may take before starting the job.
Typical speeds for USB drives, SSDs, and NAS devices
Actual speed depends on the slowest part of the path: the source drive, destination drive, cable, port, file system, and network. USB2.0 is often around 30MB/s, USB3.0 may be around 100MB/s, external SSDs often reach 500MB/s, and NVMe SSDs can be much faster. 1Gbps LAN has a theoretical ceiling near 125MB/s, while 10Gbps LAN is near 1250MB/s before protocol overhead.
How long does it take to copy 100GB, 500GB, or 1TB?
For everyday planning, 100GB over USB3.0 is roughly 17 minutes, 500GB is roughly 1 hour 25 minutes, and 1TB is roughly 2 hours 50 minutes. Faster SSDs can reduce this dramatically, while small files, antivirus scanning, Wi-Fi, aging hard drives, and NAS load can make the real transfer slower.
Planning data migration during PC replacement
When replacing PCs, estimating copy time before the work begins helps avoid schedule surprises. Check user folders, desktop data, downloads, Outlook archives, browser profiles, photos, CAD data, and local application data, then estimate transfer time with the expected USB, SSD, or LAN speed. IT teams can combine this estimate with a checklist for backup, restore, printer setup, VPN settings, and user confirmation.
External SSDs compared with USB flash drives
A USB flash drive may be convenient, but many models slow down during large writes. External SSDs usually sustain higher speeds and are better for hundreds of gigabytes or full PC migration. If 500GB must be copied repeatedly, choosing a faster SSD or wired LAN path can save hours across multiple machines.