Gigabyte to Exbibyte Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool
Convert gigabytes to exbibytes with our free online data storage converter.
Gigabyte to Exbibyte Calculator
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Gigabyte).
- The converted value in Exbibyte 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 Gigabyte to Exbibyte
Converting Gigabyte to Exbibyte involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.
Formula:
1 Gigabyte = 8.6736e-10 exbibytes
Example Calculation:
Convert 10 gigabytes: 10 × 8.6736e-10 = 8.6736e-9 exbibytes
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 Gigabyte and a Exbibyte?
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).
An exbibyte (EiB) is a unit of digital information storage equal to 260 bytes, which is exactly 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 bytes. It uses the binary prefix 'exbi-' established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). One exbibyte is equivalent to 1,024 pebibytes (PiB).
Note: The Gigabyte is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Exbibyte belongs to the imperial/US customary system.
History of the Gigabyte and Exbibyte
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. Historically, 'gigabyte' was sometimes ambiguously used to mean 10243 (230) bytes, leading to confusion. This ambiguity prompted the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to introduce the distinct binary prefix 'gibi-' (Gi) for 230 bytes (gibibyte, GiB), clarifying that gigabyte (GB) strictly refers to 109 bytes according to SI standards.
The prefix 'exbi-' (representing 260) was defined by the IEC in 1998 alongside other binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, tebi-, pebi-). This standardization aimed to eliminate the confusion caused by using SI prefixes (like kilo-, mega-, giga-, exa-) to denote both powers of 1000 (decimal) and powers of 1024 (binary) in computing. The term 'exbibyte' specifically refers to the 260 multiple of bytes, ensuring clarity in technical contexts where binary measurements are crucial, especially as data scales reached astronomical levels.
Common Uses for gigabytes and exbibytes
Explore the typical applications for both Gigabyte (imperial/US) and Exbibyte (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.
Common Uses for gigabytes
Gigabytes are one of the most common units for measuring digital storage capacity and file sizes today:
- Capacity of hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), USB flash drives, and memory cards.
- Size of large files like high-definition movies, software applications, operating systems, and game installations.
- Measuring Random Access Memory (RAM) capacity (though gibibyte, GiB, is technically more precise and often used by OS reporting).
- Quantifying data usage in mobile data plans or internet bandwidth caps.
- Cloud storage service allocations and usage.
Common Uses for exbibytes
Exbibytes are used to measure extremely large data storage capacities, particularly where precision based on powers of 2 is required. Common applications include:
- Specifying the capacity of very large-scale storage systems and data centers using binary architecture.
- Reporting storage in high-performance computing (HPC) environments dealing with massive datasets.
- Technical documentation comparing binary (EiB) and decimal (EB) storage capacities at the exa-scale.
- Theoretical discussions about future data storage technologies and large file system limits.
- Certain operating system contexts or software that strictly adhere to binary reporting for storage.
While less common in consumer marketing than the exabyte (EB), the exbibyte is vital for technical accuracy in specific fields.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions 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).
How many megabytes (MB) are in a gigabyte (GB)?
There are 1,000 megabytes (MB) in 1 gigabyte (GB), following the SI decimal standard.
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). GB is typically used for storage device marketing and data transfer contexts, while GiB is often used by operating systems (like Windows) for reporting storage capacity and RAM size.
What is the difference between a gigabyte (GB) and a gigabit (Gb)?
A gigabyte (GB) measures data storage 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) is equal to 8 gigabits (Gb). File sizes are usually measured in GB, while network speeds are usually measured in Gbps.
About Exbibyte (EiB)
How many bytes are in an exbibyte?
There are exactly 260 bytes in 1 exbibyte (EiB). This equals 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 bytes.
How many pebibytes (PiB) are in an exbibyte (EiB)?
There are 1,024 pebibytes (PiB) in 1 exbibyte (EiB). This follows the binary prefix system where each subsequent prefix is 1024 times the previous one (1 EiB = 1024 PiB).
How many gibibytes (GiB) are in an exbibyte (EiB)?
There are 230 gibibytes (GiB) in 1 exbibyte (EiB). Since 1 EiB = 260 bytes and 1 GiB = 230 bytes, the conversion is 260 / 230 = 230, which equals 1,073,741,824 GiB.
What is the difference between an exbibyte (EiB) and an exabyte (EB)?
An exbibyte (EiB) is based on powers of 2 (260 bytes), using the IEC binary prefix 'exbi-'. An exabyte (EB) is based on powers of 10 (1018 bytes), using the SI decimal prefix 'exa-'. An exbibyte is larger than an exabyte, with 1 EiB being approximately 1.15 EB (about 15% larger). EiB provides precision in binary contexts (like RAM or some OS reporting), while EB is often used in marketing storage devices.
Conversion Table: Gigabyte to Exbibyte
Gigabyte (GB) | Exbibyte (EiB) |
---|---|
1 | 0 |
5 | 0 |
10 | 0 |
25 | 0 |
50 | 0 |
100 | 0 |
500 | 0 |
1,000 | 0 |