Gibibyte to Byte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert gibibytes to bytes with our free online data storage converter.
Gibibyte to Byte Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Gibibyte).
- The converted value in Byte will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
- Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Data Storage category.
- Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.
How to Convert Gibibyte to Byte
Converting Gibibyte to Byte involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Gibibyte = 1073741824 bytes
Example Calculation:
Convert 10 gibibytes: 10 × 1073741824 = 10737418240 bytes
Disclaimer: For Reference Only
These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.
Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.
What is a Gibibyte and a Byte?
A gibibyte (GiB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to 230 bytes, which is exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes (or 10243 bytes). It uses the binary prefix 'gibi-' established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
A byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of 8 bits. Historically, the size of the byte has been hardware-dependent, but 8 bits is now universally accepted as the standard (also known as an octet).
Note: The Gibibyte is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Byte belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Gibibyte and Byte
The prefix 'gibi-' (representing 230) was defined by the IEC in 1998 alongside other binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, tebi-, etc.). This standardization aimed to eliminate the confusion caused by using SI prefixes (like giga-) to denote both powers of 1000 (decimal, e.g., gigabyte, GB) and powers of 1024 (binary) which were common in computing. The term 'gibibyte' specifically refers to the 230 multiple of bytes.
The term "byte" was coined by Werner Buchholz in 1956 during the early design phase for the IBM Stretch computer. It originally described a group of bits used to encode a single character, with the size varying (often 4 to 6 bits). The 8-bit byte became standard with the introduction of the IBM System/360 in the 1960s.
Common Uses for gibibytes and bytes
Explore the typical applications for both Gibibyte (imperial/US) and Byte (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for gibibytes
Gibibytes are frequently used in contexts where binary precision is important:
- Measuring Random Access Memory (RAM) capacity accurately.
- Reporting file sizes and disk space by operating systems like Windows and some Linux distributions.
- Allocating memory and storage resources in software development and virtualization.
- Technical specifications for hardware and software requiring precise binary measurements.
Common Uses for bytes
- Measuring file sizes (e.g., kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes).
- Representing single characters in character encoding systems (like ASCII, UTF-8).
- Quantifying computer memory (RAM) and storage capacity (hard drives, SSDs).
- Defining data types in programming languages (e.g.,
byte
,char
).
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Gibibyte (GiB)
How many bytes are in a gibibyte?
There are exactly 230 bytes in 1 gibibyte (GiB). This equals 1,073,741,824 bytes.
How many mebibytes (MiB) are in a gibibyte (GiB)?
There are 1,024 mebibytes (MiB) in 1 gibibyte (GiB). This is because 1 GiB = 230 bytes and 1 MiB = 220 bytes, and 230 / 220 = 210 = 1,024.
What is the difference between a gibibyte (GiB) and a gigabyte (GB)?
A gibibyte (GiB) represents 230 bytes (1,073,741,824 bytes), using the IEC binary prefix 'gibi-'. A gigabyte (GB) typically represents 109 bytes (1,000,000,000 bytes), using the SI decimal prefix 'giga-'. A gibibyte is approximately 7.37% larger than a gigabyte (1 GiB ≈ 1.074 GB). Use GiB for precision in binary contexts (like RAM, OS reporting) and GB for decimal contexts (like hard drive marketing, network speeds) or when the specific definition is clarified.
About Byte (B)
How many bits are in a byte?
There are 8 bits in one byte according to the modern standard.
What's the difference between a bit (b) and a byte (B)?
A bit is the smallest unit (0 or 1), while a byte is a group of 8 bits. Data storage is usually measured in Bytes (B, KB, MB, GB), while data transfer rates are often measured in bits (bps, kbps, Mbps).
How many values can a byte represent?
An 8-bit byte can represent 2^8 = 256 different values (from 0 to 255).
Why 8 bits?
The 8-bit standard emerged partly because it efficiently represents powers of 2 and accommodates encoding schemes like ASCII, which initially used 7 bits plus a parity bit.
Conversion Table: Gibibyte to Byte
Gibibyte (GiB) | Byte (B) |
---|---|
1 | 1,073,741,824 |
5 | 5,368,709,120 |
10 | 10,737,418,240 |
25 | 26,843,545,600 |
50 | 53,687,091,200 |
100 | 107,374,182,400 |
500 | 536,870,912,000 |
1,000 | 1,073,741,824,000 |
All Data Storage Conversions
Other Units from Data Storage
- Bit (b)
- Kilobit (kb)
- Kilobyte (KB)
- Megabit (Mb)
- Megabyte (MB)
- Gigabit (Gb)
- Gigabyte (GB)
- Terabit (Tb)
- Terabyte (TB)
- Petabit (Pb)
- Petabyte (PB)
- Exabit (Eb)
- Exabyte (EB)
- Kibibit (Kib)
- Kibibyte (KiB)
- Mebibit (Mib)
- Mebibyte (MiB)
- Gibibit (Gib)
- Tebibit (Tib)
- Tebibyte (TiB)
- Pebibit (Pib)
- Pebibyte (PiB)
- Exbibit (Eib)
- Exbibyte (EiB)