Gibibyte to Gigabyte Converter

Convert gibibytes to gigabytes with our free online data storage converter.

Quick Answer

1 Gibibyte = 1.073742 gigabytes

Formula: Gibibyte × conversion factor = Gigabyte

Use the calculator below for instant, accurate conversions.

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All conversion formulas on UnitsConverter.io have been verified against NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) guidelines and international SI standards. Our calculations are accurate to 10 decimal places for standard conversions and use arbitrary precision arithmetic for astronomical units.

Last verified: December 2025|Reviewed by: Sam Mathew, Software Engineer

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How to Use the Gibibyte to Gigabyte Calculator:

Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Gibibyte).
The converted value in Gigabyte 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 Gigabyte: Step-by-Step Guide

Converting Gibibyte to Gigabyte involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.

Formula:

1 Gibibyte = 1.07374 gigabytes

Example Calculation:

Convert 10 gibibytes: 10 × 1.07374 = 10.7374 gigabytes

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.

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What is a Gibibyte and a Gigabyte?

A gibibyte (symbol: GiB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to 2³⁰ bytes, which is exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes.

Binary Prefix System

The prefix "gibi-" comes from "giga binary" and represents 2³⁰ (1,024³):

Mathematical Expression:

1 GiB = 2³⁰ bytes
     = 1,024³ bytes
     = 1,024 × 1,024 × 1,024 bytes
     = 1,073,741,824 bytes

Binary Progression:

1 byte = 8 bits
1 KiB (kibibyte) = 2¹⁰ bytes = 1,024 bytes
1 MiB (mebibyte) = 2²⁰ bytes = 1,024 KiB = 1,048,576 bytes
1 GiB (gibibyte) = 2³⁰ bytes = 1,024 MiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes
1 TiB (tebibyte) = 2⁴⁰ bytes = 1,024 GiB = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes

Why 1,024 (Powers of 2)?

Computers use binary (base-2) internally:

Memory addresses organized in powers of 2 (2⁰, 2¹, 2², ..., 2³⁰, ...)
2¹⁰ = 1,024 ≈ 1,000 (close to decimal 1,000, leading to historical confusion)
RAM chips manufactured in binary capacities: 1 GiB, 2 GiB, 4 GiB, 8 GiB, 16 GiB, 32 GiB

Result: Binary prefixes (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) match how computers actually organize memory.

GiB vs. GB (The Critical Difference)

Gibibyte (GiB) – Binary (IEC standard):

1 GiB = 2³⁰ bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes
Used for: RAM, Windows file sizes, Linux file systems, technical specs

Gigabyte (GB) – Decimal (SI standard):

1 GB = 10⁹ bytes = 1,000,000,000 bytes
Used for: Hard drive marketing, network speeds, macOS (since 2009)

Conversion:

1 GiB = 1.073741824 GB (approximately 1.074 GB)
1 GB = 0.931322575 GiB (approximately 0.931 GiB)
Difference: 7.37% (GiB is larger)

Example:

"500 GB" hard drive (decimal) = 500,000,000,000 bytes
Windows shows: 500 billion ÷ 1,073,741,824 = 465.66 GiB
This is NOT a missing ~35 GB, just different units!

A gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to 10⁹ bytes (one billion bytes). It uses the standard SI decimal prefix 'giga-'. One gigabyte is equivalent to 1,000 megabytes (MB).

Precise definitions:

1 gigabyte (GB) = 1,000,000,000 bytes (exactly 10⁹)
1 GB = 1,000 megabytes (MB)
1 GB = 1,000,000 kilobytes (KB)
1 GB = 8,000,000,000 bits (8 billion bits)
1 GB = 0.001 terabytes (TB)

Relationship to binary units:

1 gigabyte (GB) ≈ 0.9313 gibibytes (GiB)
1 gibibyte (GiB) = 1,073,741,824 bytes = 2³⁰ bytes
1 GiB ≈ 1.074 GB (7.37% larger)

Gigabyte (GB) vs. Gibibyte (GiB): Critical Distinction

This is the source of the infamous "missing storage" confusion:

Gigabyte (GB) — Decimal prefix:

Exactly 1,000,000,000 bytes (10⁹)
Based on SI standard (powers of 10)
Used by storage manufacturers (hard drives, SSDs, USB drives)
Used for data transfer rates, internet speeds, data plans
Marketing and advertising standard

Gibibyte (GiB) — Binary prefix:

Exactly 1,073,741,824 bytes (2³⁰)
Based on binary powers (powers of 2)
Used by Windows, Linux, macOS for storage reporting
Used in RAM specifications (though often mislabeled as "GB")
Technical documentation standard

Why your "500 GB" drive shows as "465 GB" in Windows:

Manufacturer's claim: 500 GB = 500,000,000,000 bytes
Windows calculation: 500,000,000,000 ÷ 1,073,741,824 = 465.66 GiB
Windows displays this as: "465 GB" (but actually means 465 GiB)
Result: Appears to have "lost" 35 GB, but it's just a unit conversion

Percentage difference: GiB is 7.37% larger than GB, so the gap widens with larger capacities:

100 GB = 93.13 GiB (6.87 GB "missing")
500 GB = 465.66 GiB (34.34 GB "missing")
1 TB = 931.32 GiB (68.68 GB "missing")
2 TB = 1,862.65 GiB (137.35 GB "missing")

Gigabyte (GB) vs. Gigabit (Gb): Don't Confuse Them!

Another critical distinction:

Gigabyte (GB):

Measures storage capacity (data at rest)
1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes
Used for: file sizes, storage devices, data plans
Symbol: GB (capital B for Byte)

Gigabit (Gb or Gbit):

Measures data transfer speed (data in motion)
1 Gb = 1,000,000,000 bits
Used for: network speeds, internet connections
Symbol: Gb or Gbit (lowercase b for bit)
1 gigabyte = 8 gigabits (since 1 byte = 8 bits)

Real-world example:

1 Gbps (gigabit per second) internet connection can theoretically download at 125 MB/s (megabytes per second) or 0.125 GB/s
Calculation: 1 Gbps ÷ 8 = 0.125 GB/s
In practice: Overhead reduces this to ~100-115 MB/s actual download speed

Note: The Gibibyte is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Gigabyte belongs to the imperial/US customary system.

History of the Gibibyte and Gigabyte

The gibibyte's creation addresses one of computing's most persistent measurement confusions.

Early Computing: Informal Binary Usage (1950s-1980s)

The Problem: Early computer scientists needed convenient names for memory sizes based on powers of 2.

Informal Convention (1950s-1970s):

"kilobyte" (KB) informally meant 2¹⁰ = 1,024 bytes (not 1,000)
Seemed reasonable: 1,024 ≈ 1,000, close enough for convenience
No official standard, just common practice

Why This Worked Initially:

Memory sizes were small (kilobytes, megabytes)
2.4% error (1,024 vs. 1,000) seemed negligible
No significant commercial ambiguity

Growing Confusion (1980s-1990s)

Megabyte Era: As storage reached megabytes (1980s), ambiguity grew:

Hard drive manufacturers: Marketed using decimal MB (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes) for larger-sounding capacities
Operating systems (Windows, DOS): Used binary MB (1 MB = 1,048,576 bytes) internally
Consumers noticed: "20 MB" drive showed as ~19 MB in system

Example:

100 MB drive (manufacturer decimal) = 100,000,000 bytes
Windows (binary): 100,000,000 ÷ 1,048,576 = 95.37 MB displayed
Missing 4.63 MB? No, just different definitions!

Gigabyte Confusion Peak (1990s-2000s)

The Crisis: By the 1990s-2000s, as gigabyte storage became standard:

Manufacturers: 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes (decimal, larger marketing number)
Operating Systems: 1 GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes (binary, how systems work)
Consumers: Increasingly confused and frustrated

Real-World Impact:

"500 GB" hard drive shows as "465 GB" in Windows
(~35 GB "missing" = 500 billion bytes ÷ 1,073,741,824)
Lawsuits filed against manufacturers for "false advertising"
Technical journalists debated which definition was "correct"

IEC Binary Prefixes (1998)

Solution: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)

IEC 60027-2 Amendment 2 (December 1998): Introduced binary prefixes to eliminate ambiguity:

Binary Prefixes (IEC standard):

kibi- (Ki) = 2¹⁰ = 1,024
mebi- (Mi) = 2²⁰ = 1,048,576
gibi- (Gi) = 2³⁰ = 1,073,741,824
tebi- (Ti) = 2⁴⁰ = 1,099,511,627,776
pebi- (Pi) = 2⁵⁰ = 1,125,899,906,842,624
exbi- (Ei) = 2⁶⁰ = 1,152,921,504,606,846,976

Naming Logic:

kibi = kilo + binary
mebi = mega + binary
gibi = giga + binary
tebi = tera + binary

Adoption and Standardization (2000s-Present)

Standards Bodies Endorsements:

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): Adopted 2005
ISO/IEC 80000-13:2008: International standard for quantities and units
NIST (US National Institute of Standards and Technology): Endorsed 2008

Operating System Adoption:

Linux:

Many distributions use GiB for file sizes and memory (free -h, df -h)
GNOME, KDE desktop environments display GiB
Gradually adopted from early 2000s onward

Windows:

Internally uses binary gigabytes (GiB) but displays as "GB"
Has not adopted GiB notation in user interface
Shows binary values: "500 GB drive" → displayed "465 GB" (actually 465 GiB)

macOS:

Mac OS X 10.5 and earlier: Binary gigabytes (like Windows)
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (2009): Switched to decimal GB (10⁹ bytes)
"500 GB drive" now shows as "500 GB" in macOS (decimal, matching marketing)

Hard Drive Industry:

Continues decimal GB (10⁹) for marketing (larger numbers)
Now explicitly states on packaging: "1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes"

RAM Industry:

Exclusively binary: 4 GiB, 8 GiB, 16 GiB, 32 GiB, 64 GiB modules
RAM manufacturers always used binary capacities (impossible to make 10 GiB RAM chips)

Current Status (2020s)

Where GiB is Standard:

RAM specifications (DDR4, DDR5 modules)
Technical documentation (JEDEC standards)
Scientific computing and data centers
Many Linux distributions
Programming and software development

Where GB (Ambiguous) Persists:

Consumer hard drives/SSD marketing (decimal GB)
Windows UI (binary values, but labeled "GB")
Network speeds (decimal, bits per second)
Cloud storage providers (varies: Google Drive uses decimal GB, others vary)

The Confusion Continues: Despite IEC standardization, consumer confusion remains. Many users don't know GiB exists or understand GiB vs. GB distinction.

The prefix 'giga-' (meaning billion) was adopted as an SI prefix in 1960. Its application to the byte (gigabyte) became widespread with the increasing capacity of computer storage media like hard drives in the 1980s and 1990s.

The "Giga-" Prefix Origins (1960)

International standardization:

1960: 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM):

Officially adopted "giga-" as the SI prefix for one billion (10⁹)
Derived from Greek "γίγας" (gigas) meaning "giant"
Part of the expanded SI prefix system: kilo (10³), mega (10⁶), giga (10⁹), tera (10¹²)

Scientific context before computing:

Originally used in physics and engineering (gigahertz, gigawatt, gigajoule)
Computing adopted SI prefixes as storage capacity grew

Early Gigabyte Storage (1980s-1990s)

When gigabytes became practical:

1985: IBM 3380 Direct Access Storage Device:

First mainstream storage system with multi-gigabyte capacity (up to 2.52 GB per unit)
Used by mainframe computers
Cost: Approximately $100,000+ per unit
$40,000-$50,000 per gigabyte

1991: IBM 0663 Corsair:

First consumer hard drive exceeding 1 GB (1.05 GB capacity)
3.5-inch form factor
Price: $2,799 (approximately $2,665 per GB)
Revolutionary for personal computing—suddenly PCs could store hundreds of applications

1997: Hard drive prices drop below $1,000/GB:

Typical 4 GB drive: $300-$400 ($75-$100 per GB)
Enabled multimedia computing (video editing, game installations)

Late 1990s: CD-ROMs reach 650-700 MB:

A single CD held 0.65-0.7 GB
Software distribution moved from floppy disks (1.44 MB) to CDs
Games and applications could be hundreds of megabytes

The GB vs. GiB Ambiguity Crisis (1960s-1998)

Decades of confusion:

The root problem: Computer memory uses binary addressing (powers of 2), but SI prefixes are decimal (powers of 10).

1960s-1990s: Binary interpretation becomes common:

Computer scientists used "kilobyte" = 1,024 bytes (2¹⁰), not 1,000
"Megabyte" = 1,048,576 bytes (2²⁰), not 1,000,000
"Gigabyte" = 1,073,741,824 bytes (2³⁰), not 1,000,000,000
Rationale: Memory addresses are binary, so powers of 2 made sense

1980s-1990s: Storage manufacturers use decimal:

Hard drive makers used 1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes (exact SI definition)
Marketing advantage: Decimal prefixes made drives appear larger
Example: 100 billion bytes marketed as "100 GB" (decimal) showed as "93.13 GB" in Windows (binary)

Consumer confusion and lawsuits:

"Missing storage" complaints: Consumers felt deceived when drives appeared smaller than advertised
2006: Western Digital lawsuit: Settled for marketing "400 GB" drives that showed as 372 GB in Windows
Apple, Seagate, others: Similar lawsuits alleging deceptive marketing

IEC Binary Prefix Solution (1998-Present)

Official standardization to end confusion:

1998: IEC introduces binary prefixes (IEC 60027-2 standard):

Kibibyte (KiB) = 1,024 bytes (2¹⁰)
Mebibyte (MiB) = 1,048,576 bytes (2²⁰)
Gibibyte (GiB) = 1,073,741,824 bytes (2³⁰)
Tebibyte (TiB) = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes (2⁴⁰)

Result: "Gigabyte" (GB) officially reserved for exactly 1 billion bytes (10⁹)

2008: ISO/IEC 80000 standard reinforces binary prefixes:

International standard formally distinguishes GB (decimal) from GiB (binary)

Current adoption status:

Storage manufacturers: Universally use GB (decimal)
Operating systems: Mixed—Linux increasingly uses GiB, Windows still shows "GB" but calculates in GiB, macOS uses GB (decimal) since 10.6
RAM specifications: Technically should use GiB, but often marketed as "GB" (e.g., "16 GB RAM" actually means 16 GiB)

Modern Era (2000s-Present)

Gigabytes become consumer standard:

2000s: Hard drives reach 100-500 GB:

2000: Typical drive 20-40 GB ($5-$10 per GB)
2005: Typical drive 160-250 GB ($0.50-$1 per GB)
2008: First consumer 1 TB drive (1,000 GB) from Hitachi
Prices consistently drop following Moore's Law-like trends

2007: iPhone launched with 4-8 GB storage:

Made gigabytes the standard for mobile devices
Rapidly increased to 16-32-64 GB models

2010s: SSDs mainstream (128-512 GB typical):

Solid-state drives offer speed advantages
Initially expensive ($1-$2 per GB in 2010)
By 2020: $0.10-$0.15 per GB for consumer SSDs

2020s: Terabytes become consumer standard, gigabytes for mobile:

Typical laptop SSD: 256-512 GB (budget) to 1-2 TB (high-end)
Typical desktop HDD: 1-4 TB
Smartphones: 64-256 GB standard, flagships 512 GB-1 TB
Cloud storage: 15 GB free (Google), 2 GB free (Dropbox), 5 GB free (iCloud)

Common Uses and Applications: gibibytes vs gigabytes

Explore the typical applications for both Gibibyte (imperial/US) and Gigabyte (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.

Common Uses for gibibytes

RAM (Memory) Specifications

Primary Use Case: RAM is ALWAYS measured in binary (GiB):

Consumer RAM:

Laptops: 4 GiB, 8 GiB, 16 GiB, 32 GiB
Desktops: 8 GiB, 16 GiB, 32 GiB, 64 GiB, 128 GiB
Workstations: 64 GiB, 128 GiB, 256 GiB, 512 GiB
Servers: 256 GiB, 512 GiB, 1 TiB, 2 TiB, 4 TiB

Why GiB (not GB): RAM addressing is binary, making binary capacities the only physically possible option.

Operating System File Management

Windows:

File sizes displayed in "GB" (actually GiB binary)
Memory usage: Task Manager shows GiB as "GB"
Disk space: Binary calculation, labeled "GB"

Linux:

df -h, free -h: Often display GiB explicitly
File managers (Nautilus, Dolphin): GiB for file sizes
System monitors: GiB for RAM and swap

Precision Matters:

System administrators use GiB for accurate capacity planning
File size reporting needs binary precision for checksums and verification

Software Development and Databases

Memory Limits:

32-bit systems: Maximum 4 GiB RAM (2³² bytes, 4,294,967,296)
64-bit systems: Theoretical max 16 EiB (2⁶⁴ bytes, practically unlimited)

Database Configuration:

Buffer pool size: 8 GiB, 16 GiB, 32 GiB (MySQL, PostgreSQL)
Cache allocations: Binary sizes for efficiency

Programming:

Memory allocation APIs: Specify bytes (often in GiB multiples)
Performance optimization: Understanding binary vs. decimal for memory profiling

Virtualization and Containers

Virtual Machine Configuration:

Hypervisors (VMware, VirtualBox, KVM): Memory in GiB
Guest OS allocation: 2 GiB, 4 GiB, 8 GiB per VM
Resource pools: Total memory in GiB across VMs

Docker/Kubernetes:

Container memory limits: Specified in GiB or MiB
Example: memory: 2Gi in Kubernetes (2 GiB)

Data Center and Enterprise Storage

Capacity Planning:

Server RAM upgrades: Per-socket GiB calculations
Storage arrays: TiB (binary) for actual usable capacity after RAID/formatting
Backup sizing: Binary measurements for accurate space requirements

Network Infrastructure:

SAN (Storage Area Network): Binary capacity reporting
NAS (Network Attached Storage): Often binary (TiB) for actual space

When to Use gigabytes

Storage Device Capacity

Capacity of hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), USB flash drives, and memory cards.

Why gigabytes are the standard unit:

Right size scale: Most consumer storage devices are 64 GB to 2 TB (2,000 GB)
Marketing clarity: Easy to compare (256 GB vs. 512 GB vs. 1 TB)
Universal understanding: Consumers understand "more GB = more storage"

Labeling conventions:

Under 1,000 GB: Listed in gigabytes (128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB)
1,000 GB and above: Listed in terabytes (1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB)
Decimal standard: All manufacturers use GB = 1 billion bytes exactly

Shopping considerations:

Operating system overhead: Formatted capacity slightly less than advertised (file system metadata)
Windows calculation: Shows capacity in GiB but labels as "GB" (appears 7% smaller)
Price per GB: Compare costs (e.g., 512 GB SSD at $50 = $0.098/GB vs. 1 TB SSD at $80 = $0.080/GB)

Large File Sizes

Size of large files like high-definition movies, software applications, operating systems, and game installations.

Digital media distribution:

Streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime download options (2-10 GB per HD movie)
Game digital distribution: Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation Store, Xbox Store (20-150 GB per game)
Software downloads: Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office, professional apps (1-5 GB each)

File management implications:

Download time: 50 GB game at 100 Mbps = ~67 minutes (12.5 MB/s × 4,096 seconds)
Storage planning: Must ensure sufficient free space for installations
Backup considerations: Large files require external drives or cloud backup plans

RAM Capacity Specifications

Measuring Random Access Memory (RAM) capacity (though gibibyte, GiB, is technically more precise and often used by OS reporting).

RAM specifications:

Marketing: Advertised as "GB" (e.g., "16 GB DDR4 RAM")
Technical reality: Actually measured in GiB (16 GiB = 17.18 GB)
Module sizes: Always binary powers (4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB per module)

Why binary matters for RAM:

Memory addressing: CPUs use binary addresses (2ⁿ)
Physical chips: Organized in binary capacities (512 Mbit, 1 Gbit, 2 Gbit chips)
Standard modules: 8 GB module = 8 × 1,073,741,824 bytes = 8 GiB (not 8 × 1 billion bytes)

Operating system reporting:

Windows: Shows RAM in "GB" but calculates in GiB (16,384 MB = 16 GiB shown as "16.0 GB")
macOS: Shows RAM in GB (decimal) since OS X 10.6
Linux: Increasingly uses GiB notation properly

Mobile Data Plans

Quantifying data usage in mobile data plans or internet bandwidth caps.

Plan structures:

Prepaid plans: 5 GB, 10 GB, 20 GB, 40 GB monthly allotments
Postpaid plans: Tiered (3 GB/10 GB/30 GB) or unlimited (throttled after 50-75 GB)
Shared family plans: 20-100 GB shared across multiple lines
Overage charges: $10-$15 per additional GB (or throttled to 128 kbps)

Tracking usage:

Carrier apps: Real-time GB usage monitoring
Phone settings: Built-in data usage trackers (iOS Settings → Cellular, Android Settings → Network & Internet)
Warnings: Notifications at 75%, 90%, 100% of plan limit

International roaming:

Expensive GB rates: $5-$20 per GB in some regions
Roaming passes: Daily unlimited (e.g., T-Mobile $5/day, AT&T $10/day)

Cloud Storage and Backup

Cloud storage service allocations and usage.

Consumer backup workflows:

Photo backup: Google Photos (unlimited compressed or 15 GB high-quality), iCloud Photos (5 GB free tier)
Document sync: Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive for cross-device access
Full system backup: Time Machine to external drive, Windows Backup, cloud backup services (Backblaze unlimited for $70/year)

Business cloud storage:

Google Workspace: 30 GB per user (Business Starter), 2 TB per user (Business Standard)
Microsoft 365 Business: 1 TB OneDrive per user
Dropbox Business: 5 TB minimum (3+ users)

Bandwidth considerations:

Initial upload: 500 GB to cloud at 10 Mbps upload = ~5 days continuous
Incremental backups: Only changed files, typically MB-few GB daily

Additional Unit Information

About Gibibyte (GiB)

How many bytes are in a gibibyte?

Exactly 2³⁰ bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes

Breakdown:

1 GiB = 1,024 MiB (mebibytes)
1 MiB = 1,024 KiB (kibibytes)
1 KiB = 1,024 bytes
1 GiB = 1,024 × 1,024 × 1,024 bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes

How many mebibytes (MiB) are in a gibibyte (GiB)?

Exactly 1,024 MiB in 1 GiB

Calculation:

1 GiB = 2³⁰ bytes
1 MiB = 2²⁰ bytes
2³⁰ ÷ 2²⁰ = 2¹⁰ = 1,024

Binary progression:

1 KiB = 1,024 bytes
1 MiB = 1,024 KiB
1 GiB = 1,024 MiB
1 TiB = 1,024 GiB

What is the difference between a gibibyte (GiB) and a gigabyte (GB)?

Gibibyte (GiB) – Binary (IEC standard):

1 GiB = 2³⁰ bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes
Used for RAM, Windows file sizes, technical specs

Gigabyte (GB) – Decimal (SI standard):

1 GB = 10⁹ bytes = 1,000,000,000 bytes
Used for hard drive marketing, network speeds

Difference:

1 GiB ≈ 1.074 GB (GiB is 7.37% larger)
1 GB ≈ 0.931 GiB

When to use which:

GiB: RAM, Windows/Linux file systems, VM memory, technical precision
GB: Hard drive/SSD marketing, macOS (post-2009), network speeds

Why does my "1 TB" hard drive show as 931 GB in Windows?

This is normal and NOT a defect!

Explanation:

Manufacturer advertises: 1 TB (decimal) = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
Windows calculates: 1 trillion bytes ÷ 1,073,741,824 (GiB) = 931.32 GiB
Windows displays: "931 GB" (mislabeled; actually 931 GiB)

You're not missing storage:

You have exactly 1 trillion bytes as advertised
Windows uses binary (GiB) but labels it "GB"
The ~7% "difference" is purely definitional (GiB vs. GB)

Additional reductions:

File system overhead (formatting): 1-3% (NTFS, ext4, APFS)
Final usable space: ~900-920 GiB typically

Why is RAM always in powers of 2 (4 GiB, 8 GiB, 16 GiB)?

Binary addressing makes non-binary RAM impossible:

Technical Reason:

RAM uses binary address lines: 2⁰, 2¹, 2², ..., 2²⁹, 2³⁰
Each address line doubles capacity
8 GiB RAM: Uses 33 address lines (2³³ bytes, 8 × 2³⁰)
16 GiB RAM: Uses 34 address lines (2³⁴ bytes, 16 × 2³⁰)

Cannot manufacture "10 GB" RAM:

10 billion bytes is not a power of 2
Memory controllers can't address non-binary capacities
Physically impossible with current technology

Result: All RAM comes in binary sizes (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 GiB), never decimal (10, 20, 50 GB).

Should I use GiB or GB when talking about RAM?

Use GiB (gibibyte) for RAM – it's technically correct:

RAM is inherently binary:

16 GiB RAM = 17,179,869,184 bytes (exactly)
Saying "16 GB" is technically ambiguous (16 billion bytes? No.)
GiB is precise and unambiguous

However, in practice:

Consumer market says "16 GB RAM" (colloquially accepted, though imprecise)
Technical documentation: Should use "16 GiB"
RAM manufacturers: Often use "16 GB" in marketing, mean 16 GiB

Best practice:

Technical contexts: Use GiB (e.g., "Server with 128 GiB RAM")
Casual conversation: "GB" is understood to mean GiB for RAM (context makes it clear)

Does macOS use GiB or GB?

macOS uses decimal GB (10⁹ bytes) since Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard (2009):

Before 10.6: Binary gigabytes (like Windows)

"500 GB" drive showed as "465 GB" (binary, actually GiB)

10.6 Snow Leopard and later: Decimal gigabytes (10⁹)

"500 GB" drive now shows as "500 GB" (decimal, matches marketing)

Result:

macOS file sizes use decimal GB (1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes)
Matches hard drive marketing claims
Reduces consumer confusion (but differs from Windows)

Windows vs. macOS same file:

1,073,741,824 bytes (1 GiB exactly)
Windows: Shows "1.00 GB" (actually 1 GiB, mislabeled)
macOS: Shows "1.07 GB" (decimal GB, accurate)

How do I convert between GiB and TiB?

1 TiB (tebibyte) = 1,024 GiB

Formula:

TiB = GiB ÷ 1,024
GiB = TiB × 1,024

Examples:

512 GiB = 512 ÷ 1,024 = 0.5 TiB
1,024 GiB = 1 TiB (exactly)
2,048 GiB = 2 TiB
0.25 TiB = 0.25 × 1,024 = 256 GiB

Binary Progression:

1 KiB = 1,024 bytes
1 MiB = 1,024 KiB
1 GiB = 1,024 MiB
1 TiB = 1,024 GiB
1 PiB = 1,024 TiB

Why do hard drive manufacturers use decimal GB instead of binary GiB?

Marketing and Historical Reasons:

Larger Numbers Sell Better:

1 TB (decimal) = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes
1 TiB (binary) = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
Decimal TB is ~9% smaller, but consumers see "1 TB" as bigger than "931 GiB"

SI Convention:

Gigabyte (GB) with decimal definition follows SI prefix system (giga = 10⁹)
Scientifically consistent with kilograms, kilometers, gigawatts

Industry Standardization:

Hard drive industry standardized on decimal GB in the 1980s-1990s
Changing now would be disruptive and expensive

Legal Requirement:

Manufacturers must now explicitly state: "1 GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes" on packaging
This resolves false advertising concerns

About Gigabyte (GB)

How many bytes are in a gigabyte (GB)?

There are exactly 1,000,000,000 (one billion or 10⁹) bytes in 1 gigabyte (GB). This is the official SI definition adopted by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in 1998. Storage manufacturers use this decimal definition universally, which is why a "500 GB" hard drive contains exactly 500 billion bytes.

How many megabytes (MB) are in a gigabyte (GB)?

There are 1,000 megabytes (MB) in 1 gigabyte (GB), following the SI decimal standard. To convert GB to MB, multiply by 1,000. To convert MB to GB, divide by 1,000. For example: 5 GB = 5,000 MB, and 2,500 MB = 2.5 GB.

What is the difference between a gigabyte (GB) and a gibibyte (GiB)?

A gigabyte (GB) uses the decimal prefix 'giga-' and equals 10⁹ (1,000,000,000) bytes. A gibibyte (GiB) uses the binary prefix 'gibi-' and equals 2³⁰ (1,073,741,824) bytes. A gibibyte is approximately 7.37% larger than a gigabyte (1 GiB ≈ 1.074 GB). Storage manufacturers use GB (decimal), while Windows calculates storage in GiB but mislabels it as "GB," creating the infamous "missing storage" confusion where a 500 GB drive shows as 465 GB (actually 465 GiB) in Windows.

What is the difference between a gigabyte (GB) and a gigabit (Gb)?

A gigabyte (GB) measures data storage capacity in bytes, while a gigabit (Gb) measures data in bits, commonly used for data transfer rates (e.g., Gbps). Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 gigabyte (GB) = 8 gigabits (Gb). File sizes are measured in GB, while internet connection speeds are measured in Gbps. A 1 Gbps connection downloads at approximately 125 MB/s (megabytes per second) or 0.125 GB/s—NOT 1 GB/s!

How much storage is 1 GB?

1 GB can store approximately:

200-300 smartphone photos (3-5 MB each)
250 MP3 songs (4-minute songs at 128 kbps)
1,000 text documents (Word files with some images)
40-60 minutes of 1080p video (compressed)
12-15 minutes of 4K video (compressed)
500,000 plain text files (2 KB each)

For reference, a typical 1080p movie is 4-5 GB, a modern smartphone photo is 3-5 MB (so 1 GB holds about 250 photos), and a large PC game is 50-150 GB.

Why does my 500 GB hard drive show as 465 GB?

This is the infamous "missing storage" phenomenon caused by two different unit systems:

What's happening:

Manufacturer's claim: 500 GB = 500,000,000,000 bytes (decimal, using 10⁹)
Windows calculation: Divides by 1,073,741,824 (binary GiB, using 2³⁰) = 465.66 GiB
Windows display: Shows "465 GB" (but actually means 465 GiB, mislabeled)

You didn't lose 35 GB—it's just unit conversion. Your drive contains exactly 500 billion bytes as advertised. The 7.37% difference is because gibibytes (used by Windows) are larger than gigabytes (used by manufacturers). Additionally, ~1-2% is used for file system overhead after formatting.

macOS handles this better: Since OS X 10.6 (2009), macOS displays storage in decimal GB matching manufacturers, so a 500 GB drive correctly shows as "500 GB."

How long does it take to download 1 GB?

Download time depends on your internet connection speed:

Common internet speeds:

10 Mbps: 1 GB = ~13 minutes (1.25 MB/s)
50 Mbps: 1 GB = ~2.7 minutes (6.25 MB/s)
100 Mbps: 1 GB = ~80 seconds (12.5 MB/s)
1 Gbps (gigabit fiber): 1 GB = ~8 seconds (125 MB/s)

Calculation: Divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s (because 1 byte = 8 bits), then divide 1,000 MB (1 GB) by MB/s to get seconds.

Real-world note: Actual speeds are typically 70-90% of advertised due to network overhead, server limitations, and congestion.

How much does 1 GB of storage cost?

Storage costs have dropped dramatically over decades:

Historical costs per GB:

1985 (IBM 3380): ~$40,000-$50,000 per GB
1991 (IBM Corsair): ~$2,665 per GB
2000: ~$5-$10 per GB (consumer HDDs)
2010: ~$0.10-$0.20 per GB (HDDs), $1-$2 per GB (SSDs)
2020: ~$0.02-$0.03 per GB (HDDs), $0.10-$0.15 per GB (SSDs)
2024: ~$0.015-$0.02 per GB (HDDs), $0.06-$0.10 per GB (SSDs)

Modern examples (2024):

1 TB HDD: $40-$50 → $0.04-$0.05 per GB
1 TB SSD: $70-$90 → $0.07-$0.09 per GB
Cloud storage (Google One 100 GB): $1.99/month = $23.88/year → $0.24 per GB per year

Storage costs continue declining ~30-40% annually for SSDs, more slowly (~10-20%) for HDDs.

Is 128 GB enough storage?

128 GB is the minimum usable storage for modern devices, but adequacy depends on usage:

Sufficient for:

Chromebooks/lightweight laptops: Web-based work, streaming (not downloading) media
Budget smartphones: Light app users, cloud photo storage enabled
Tablet for consumption: Reading, streaming, casual gaming

Inadequate for:

Gaming PCs: Modern games are 50-150 GB each—only 1-2 games fit
Content creators: Video editing, photography (RAW files), graphic design
Heavy app users: Many large apps, offline media libraries
Professional work: Large software suites (Adobe, CAD, development environments)

Recommendation: 256 GB minimum for comfortable general use, 512 GB-1 TB for gaming/content creation, 2 TB+ for professional media work.

How many gigabytes per month for internet usage?

Average household internet usage varies widely:

Light users (10-50 GB/month):

Email and web browsing
Occasional video streaming (few hours/week)
Social media browsing
Online shopping

Moderate users (50-250 GB/month):

Regular HD video streaming (1-3 hours/day)
Video calls and remote work
Music streaming
Software/app downloads

Heavy users (250-500 GB/month):

Multiple household members streaming simultaneously
4K video streaming
Online gaming (downloads, updates)
Large file downloads

Extreme users (500+ GB-1 TB+/month):

4K streaming on multiple devices all day
Large game downloads (50-150 GB games regularly)
Video uploading (YouTubers, streamers)
Cloud backup of large video/photo libraries

Most ISPs: Enforce 1-1.2 TB (1,000-1,200 GB) monthly caps, charging $10-$50 for overage blocks or unlimited upgrades.

What uses the most gigabytes on my phone?

Top storage consumers on smartphones:

Photos and videos (typically 30-60% of storage):
- Camera photos: 3-5 MB each
- 4K videos: ~400 MB per minute
- Screenshots: 1-3 MB each
Apps and app data (typically 20-40%):
- Social media apps: 500 MB-2 GB each (with cached content)
- Games: 1-5 GB each (large games like Genshin Impact: 15+ GB)
- Streaming apps: 200-500 MB plus cached content
System and OS (typically 10-20%):
- iOS: ~8-12 GB
- Android: ~8-15 GB depending on manufacturer
Messages and attachments (typically 5-15%):
- iMessage/WhatsApp media accumulates over time
- Video messages especially storage-heavy
Downloaded music/podcasts (if applicable): 5-20%

Storage management tips:

Enable cloud photo backup and delete local copies
Clear app caches regularly
Delete old message threads with media
Offload unused apps (iOS feature preserves data, removes app)

Conversion Table: Gibibyte to Gigabyte

Gibibyte (GiB)	Gigabyte (GB)
0.5	0.537
1	1.074
1.5	1.611
2	2.148
5	5.369
10	10.737
25	26.844
50	53.687
100	107.374
250	268.436
500	536.871
1,000	1,073.742

How do I convert Gibibyte to Gigabyte?

To convert Gibibyte to Gigabyte, enter the value in Gibibyte in the calculator above. The conversion will happen automatically. Use our free online converter for instant and accurate results. You can also visit our data storage converter page to convert between other units in this category.

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What is the conversion factor from Gibibyte to Gigabyte?

The conversion factor depends on the specific relationship between Gibibyte and Gigabyte. You can find the exact conversion formula and factor on this page. Our calculator handles all calculations automatically. See the conversion table above for common values.

Can I convert Gigabyte back to Gibibyte?

Yes! You can easily convert Gigabyte back to Gibibyte by using the swap button (⇌) in the calculator above, or by visiting our Gigabyte to Gibibyte converter page. You can also explore other data storage conversions on our category page.

Learn more →

What are common uses for Gibibyte and Gigabyte?

Gibibyte and Gigabyte are both standard units used in data storage measurements. They are commonly used in various applications including engineering, construction, cooking, and scientific research. Browse our data storage converter for more conversion options.

For more data storage conversion questions, visit our FAQ page or explore our conversion guides.

Helpful Conversion Guides

Learn more about unit conversion with our comprehensive guides:

All Data Storage Conversions

Bit to Byte Bit to Kilobit Bit to Kilobyte Bit to Megabit Bit to Megabyte Bit to Gigabit Bit to Gigabyte Bit to Terabit Bit to Terabyte Bit to Petabit Bit to Petabyte Bit to Exabit Bit to Exabyte Bit to Kibibit Bit to Kibibyte Bit to Mebibit Bit to Mebibyte Bit to Gibibit Bit to Gibibyte Bit to Tebibit Bit to Tebibyte Bit to Pebibit Bit to Pebibyte Bit to Exbibit Bit to Exbibyte Byte to Bit Byte to Kilobit Byte to Kilobyte Byte to Megabit Byte to Megabyte Byte to Gigabit Byte to Gigabyte Byte to Terabit Byte to Terabyte Byte to Petabit Byte to Petabyte Byte to Exabit Byte to Exabyte Byte to Kibibit Byte to Kibibyte Byte to Mebibit Byte to Mebibyte Byte to Gibibit Byte to Gibibyte Byte to Tebibit Byte to Tebibyte Byte to Pebibit Byte to Pebibyte Byte to Exbibit Byte to Exbibyte Kilobit to Bit Kilobit to Byte Kilobit to Kilobyte Kilobit to Megabit Kilobit to Megabyte Kilobit to Gigabit Kilobit to Gigabyte Kilobit to Terabit Kilobit to Terabyte Kilobit to Petabit Kilobit to Petabyte Kilobit to Exabit Kilobit to Exabyte Kilobit to Kibibit Kilobit to Kibibyte Kilobit to Mebibit Kilobit to Mebibyte Kilobit to Gibibit Kilobit to Gibibyte Kilobit to Tebibit Kilobit to Tebibyte Kilobit to Pebibit Kilobit to Pebibyte Kilobit to Exbibit Kilobit to Exbibyte Kilobyte to Bit Kilobyte to Byte Kilobyte to Kilobit Kilobyte to Megabit Kilobyte to Megabyte Kilobyte to Gigabit Kilobyte to Gigabyte Kilobyte to Terabit Kilobyte to Terabyte Kilobyte to Petabit Kilobyte to Petabyte Kilobyte to Exabit Kilobyte to Exabyte Kilobyte to Kibibit Kilobyte to Kibibyte Kilobyte to Mebibit Kilobyte to Mebibyte Kilobyte to Gibibit Kilobyte to Gibibyte Kilobyte to Tebibit Kilobyte to Tebibyte Kilobyte to Pebibit Kilobyte to Pebibyte Kilobyte to Exbibit Kilobyte to Exbibyte Megabit to Bit Megabit to Byte Megabit to Kilobit Megabit to Kilobyte Megabit to Megabyte Megabit to Gigabit Megabit to Gigabyte Megabit to Terabit Megabit to Terabyte Megabit to Petabit Megabit to Petabyte Megabit to Exabit Megabit to Exabyte Megabit to Kibibit Megabit to Kibibyte Megabit to Mebibit Megabit to Mebibyte Megabit to Gibibit Megabit to Gibibyte Megabit to Tebibit

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Verified Against Authority Standards

All conversion formulas have been verified against international standards and authoritative sources to ensure maximum accuracy and reliability.

IEC 80000-13

International Electrotechnical Commission — Binary prefixes for digital storage (KiB, MiB, GiB)

ISO/IEC 80000

International Organization for Standardization — International standards for quantities and units

Last verified: December 3, 2025

Gibibyte to Gigabyte Converter

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Gibibyte to Gigabyte Calculator

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How to Convert Gibibyte to Gigabyte: Step-by-Step Guide

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Example Calculation:

What is a Gibibyte and a Gigabyte?

Binary Prefix System

Why 1,024 (Powers of 2)?

GiB vs. GB (The Critical Difference)

Gigabyte (GB) vs. Gibibyte (GiB): Critical Distinction

Gigabyte (GB) vs. Gigabit (Gb): Don't Confuse Them!

History of the Gibibyte and Gigabyte

Early Computing: Informal Binary Usage (1950s-1980s)

Growing Confusion (1980s-1990s)

Gigabyte Confusion Peak (1990s-2000s)

IEC Binary Prefixes (1998)

Adoption and Standardization (2000s-Present)

Current Status (2020s)

The "Giga-" Prefix Origins (1960)

Early Gigabyte Storage (1980s-1990s)

The GB vs. GiB Ambiguity Crisis (1960s-1998)

IEC Binary Prefix Solution (1998-Present)

Modern Era (2000s-Present)

Common Uses and Applications: gibibytes vs gigabytes

Common Uses for gibibytes

RAM (Memory) Specifications

Operating System File Management

Software Development and Databases

Virtualization and Containers

Data Center and Enterprise Storage

When to Use gigabytes

Storage Device Capacity

Large File Sizes

RAM Capacity Specifications

Mobile Data Plans

Cloud Storage and Backup

Additional Unit Information

About Gibibyte (GiB)

How many bytes are in a gibibyte?

How many mebibytes (MiB) are in a gibibyte (GiB)?

What is the difference between a gibibyte (GiB) and a gigabyte (GB)?

Why does my "1 TB" hard drive show as 931 GB in Windows?

Why is RAM always in powers of 2 (4 GiB, 8 GiB, 16 GiB)?

Should I use GiB or GB when talking about RAM?

Does macOS use GiB or GB?

How do I convert between GiB and TiB?

Why do hard drive manufacturers use decimal GB instead of binary GiB?

About Gigabyte (GB)

How many bytes are in a gigabyte (GB)?

How many megabytes (MB) are in a gigabyte (GB)?

What is the difference between a gigabyte (GB) and a gibibyte (GiB)?

What is the difference between a gigabyte (GB) and a gigabit (Gb)?

How much storage is 1 GB?

Why does my 500 GB hard drive show as 465 GB?

How long does it take to download 1 GB?

How much does 1 GB of storage cost?

Is 128 GB enough storage?

How many gigabytes per month for internet usage?

What uses the most gigabytes on my phone?

Conversion Table: Gibibyte to Gigabyte

People Also Ask

How do I convert Gibibyte to Gigabyte?

What is the conversion factor from Gibibyte to Gigabyte?

Can I convert Gigabyte back to Gibibyte?

What are common uses for Gibibyte and Gigabyte?

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