Gibibyte to Kilobit Converter

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

Quick Answer

1 Gibibyte = 8589934.592 kilobits

Formula: Gibibyte × conversion factor = Kilobit

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 Kilobit Calculator:

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

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

Formula:

1 Gibibyte = 8.5899e+6 kilobits

Example Calculation:

Convert 10 gibibytes: 10 × 8.5899e+6 = 8.5899e+7 kilobits

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.

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What is a Gibibyte and a Kilobit?

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 kilobit (kb or kbit) is a multiple of the bit unit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix kilo- (symbol k) is defined in the International System of Units (SI) as a multiplier of 103 (1 thousand). Therefore, 1 kilobit = 1000 bits.

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

History of the Gibibyte and Kilobit

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 use of the "kilo" prefix for bits emerged alongside its use for bytes as computer systems grew. While "kilobyte" was often ambiguously used for 1024 bytes (correctly kibibyte), the term "kilobit" (especially in data transmission contexts) more consistently adhered to the SI standard definition of 1000 bits. The introduction of binary prefixes like 'kibi-' (for kibibit, Kib) aimed to resolve such ambiguities.

Common Uses and Applications: gibibytes vs kilobits

Explore the typical applications for both Gibibyte (imperial/US) and Kilobit (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 kilobits

Kilobits are frequently used in specific contexts:

Measuring data transfer rates (e.g., internet connection speeds in kbps - kilobits per second, or Mbps - megabits per second).
Quantifying the capacity of certain types of serial communication channels.
Specifying audio or video streaming bitrates (e.g., a 128 kbps MP3 audio file).

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 Kilobit (kb)

How many bits are in a kilobit (kb)?

There are exactly 1000 bits in 1 kilobit (kb), based on the standard SI definition of the prefix 'kilo-'.

What is the difference between a kilobit (kb) and a kilobyte (KB)?

They measure different aspects of data, though both use the 'kilo-' prefix:

A kilobit (kb) measures bits and equals 1000 bits. It's often used for data transfer rates.
A kilobyte (KB) measures bytes and, according to SI standards, equals 1000 bytes. It's often used for file sizes and storage capacity. (Note: Historically, KB was sometimes used informally for 1024 bytes, which is correctly termed a kibibyte (KiB)).

Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 kilobyte (1000 bytes) is equal to 8000 bits. Therefore, a kilobyte represents 8 times more data than a kilobit.

What is the difference between a kilobit (kb) and a kibibit (Kib)?

A kilobit (kb) uses the decimal SI prefix 'kilo-' and equals 103 bits (1,000 bits).
A kibibit (Kib) uses the binary IEC prefix 'kibi-' and equals 210 bits (1,024 bits).

A kibibit is 2.4% larger than a kilobit (1 Kib = 1.024 kb). Using Kib provides clarity when specifically referring to 1,024 bits, distinguishing it from the standard kilobit (1000 bits).

Why are internet speeds measured in kilobits (kbps) or megabits (Mbps)?

Data transmission over networks and communication lines often happens serially, meaning one bit is sent after another. Measuring the speed in bits per second (kbps, Mbps, Gbps) provides a direct count of how many of these individual bits can be transferred over the line in one second. Storage capacity (like hard drives or file sizes) is usually measured in bytes (KB, MB, GB) because data is typically organized and accessed in groups of 8 bits (bytes).

Conversion Table: Gibibyte to Kilobit

Gibibyte (GiB)	Kilobit (kb)
0.5	4,294,967.296
1	8,589,934.592
1.5	12,884,901.888
2	17,179,869.184
5	42,949,672.96
10	85,899,345.92
25	214,748,364.8
50	429,496,729.6
100	858,993,459.2
250	2,147,483,648
500	4,294,967,296
1,000	8,589,934,592

How do I convert Gibibyte to Kilobit?

To convert Gibibyte to Kilobit, 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 Kilobit?

The conversion factor depends on the specific relationship between Gibibyte and Kilobit. 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 Kilobit back to Gibibyte?

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

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What are common uses for Gibibyte and Kilobit?

Gibibyte and Kilobit 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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