Gigabit to Kibibit Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert gigabits to kibibits with our free online data storage converter.
Gigabit to Kibibit Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Gigabit).
- The converted value in Kibibit 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 Gigabit to Kibibit
Converting Gigabit to Kibibit involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Gigabit = 9.7656e+5 kibibits
Example Calculation:
Convert 10 gigabits: 10 × 9.7656e+5 = 9765625 kibibits
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 Gigabit and a Kibibit?
A gigabit (Gb) is a unit of digital information equal to 109 bits, or 1,000,000,000 bits. It uses the standard SI decimal prefix 'giga-'. It is commonly used to measure data transfer rates.
A kibibit (Kib) is a unit of digital information equal to 210 bits, which is exactly 1,024 bits. It uses the binary prefix 'kibi-' established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The kibibit is closely related to the kilobit (kb), which is defined using the decimal prefix 'kilo-' (103 or 1,000 bits).
Note: The Gigabit is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Kibibit belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Gigabit and Kibibit
The prefix 'giga-' originates from the Greek word "gigas," meaning "giant," and was adopted as an SI prefix in 1960 to denote a factor of 109 (one billion). In computing and telecommunications, the gigabit became prominent with the rise of high-speed networking technologies like Gigabit Ethernet in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While 'giga-' strictly means 109, its usage sometimes caused confusion with binary multiples (230), leading to the creation of the IEC binary prefix 'gibi-' (Gib).
The prefix 'kibi-' (representing 210) was defined by the IEC in 1998 alongside other binary prefixes (mebi-, gibi-, tebi-, etc.). This standardization aimed to eliminate the confusion caused by using SI prefixes (like kilo-) to denote both powers of 1000 (decimal) and powers of 1024 (binary) which were common in computing. The term 'kibibit' specifically refers to the 210 multiple of bits.
Common Uses for gigabits and kibibits
Explore the typical applications for both Gigabit (imperial/US) and Kibibit (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for gigabits
- Measuring data transfer rates, especially network speeds (e.g., Gigabit Ethernet at 1 Gbps, internet connection speeds).
- Specifying the bandwidth of communication channels.
- Sometimes used in the context of memory chip density or storage capacity, although Gigabyte (GB) is far more common for storage.
- Calculating download/upload times based on file size (in GB or GiB) and network speed (in Gbps).
Common Uses for kibibits
While less common in everyday usage than the kilobit (kb) – often used for data transfer rates (kbps) – the kibibit is important where binary precision for bit quantities is required:
- Technical specifications for memory chips or data buses where capacities are measured in powers of 2 at the bit level.
- Internal calculations within data communication protocols or hardware operating on binary multiples.
- Theoretical calculations in computer science and information theory.
- Ensuring accuracy when comparing binary (Kib) and decimal (kb) data quantities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Gigabit (Gb)
How many bits are in a gigabit?
There are exactly 1,000,000,000 (one billion or 109) bits in 1 gigabit (Gb).
What is the difference between a gigabit (Gb) and a gigabyte (GB)?
A gigabit (Gb) measures data in bits, while a gigabyte (GB) measures data in bytes. Assuming the standard 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 gigabyte (GB) is equal to 8 gigabits (Gb). Network speeds are usually in Gbps (gigabits per second), while file sizes are usually in GB (gigabytes).
What is the difference between a gigabit (Gb) and a gibibit (Gib)?
A gigabit (Gb) uses the decimal prefix 'giga-' and equals 109 (1,000,000,000) bits. A gibibit (Gib) uses the binary prefix 'gibi-' and equals 230 (1,073,741,824) bits. A gibibit is approximately 7.37% larger than a gigabit.
Is Gbps the same as GBps?
No. Gbps stands for gigabits per second, while GBps stands for gigabytes per second. Since 1 byte = 8 bits, a transfer rate of 1 GBps is eight times faster than a transfer rate of 1 Gbps. Network speeds are almost always advertised in Gbps.
About Kibibit (Kib)
How many bits are in a kibibit?
There are exactly 210 bits in 1 kibibit (Kib). This equals 1,024 bits.
What is the difference between a kibibit (Kib) and a kilobit (kb)?
A kibibit (Kib) represents 210 bits (1,024 bits), using the binary prefix 'kibi-'. A kilobit (kb) represents 103 bits (1,000 bits), using the decimal prefix 'kilo-'. A kibibit is 2.4% larger than a kilobit (1 Kib = 1.024 kb).
What is the difference between a kibibit (Kib) and a kibibyte (KiB)?
A kibibit (Kib) measures information in bits, while a kibibyte (KiB) measures information in bytes. Assuming the standard 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 kibibyte (KiB) is equal to 8 kibibits (Kib). Both use the binary prefix 'kibi-' (representing a factor of 210 or 1,024).
Why use kibibit instead of kilobit?
Using kibibit (Kib) removes ambiguity. When you see Kib, you know it specifically means 1,024 bits. Kilobit (kb) should mean 1,000 bits according to SI standards, but historically it was sometimes used informally to mean 1,024 bits, leading to confusion. Kib provides clarity in technical contexts requiring binary precision.
Conversion Table: Gigabit to Kibibit
Gigabit (Gb) | Kibibit (Kib) |
---|---|
1 | 976,562.5 |
5 | 4,882,812.5 |
10 | 9,765,625 |
25 | 24,414,062.5 |
50 | 48,828,125 |
100 | 97,656,250 |
500 | 488,281,250 |
1,000 | 976,562,500 |
All Data Storage Conversions
Other Units from Data Storage
- Bit (b)
- Byte (B)
- Kilobit (kb)
- Kilobyte (KB)
- Megabit (Mb)
- Megabyte (MB)
- Gigabyte (GB)
- Terabit (Tb)
- Terabyte (TB)
- Petabit (Pb)
- Petabyte (PB)
- Exabit (Eb)
- Exabyte (EB)
- Kibibyte (KiB)
- Mebibit (Mib)
- Mebibyte (MiB)
- Gibibit (Gib)
- Gibibyte (GiB)
- Tebibit (Tib)
- Tebibyte (TiB)
- Pebibit (Pib)
- Pebibyte (PiB)
- Exbibit (Eib)
- Exbibyte (EiB)