Gibibit (Gib) - Unit Information & Conversion
What is a Gibibit?
Definition
A gibibit (Gib) is a unit of digital information equal to 230 bits, which is exactly 1,073,741,824 bits. It uses the binary prefix 'gibi-' established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The gibibit is closely related to the gigabit (Gb), which is defined using the decimal prefix 'giga-' (109 bits).
History
The prefix 'gibi-' (representing 230) was defined by the IEC in 1998 along with other binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, tebi-, etc.). This standardization aimed to eliminate the confusion caused by using SI prefixes (like kilo-, mega-, giga-) to denote both powers of 1000 (decimal) and powers of 1024 (binary) in computing contexts. The term 'gibibit' specifically refers to the 230 multiple of bits.
Common Uses
While less common in everyday usage than the gigabit (Gb) which is often used for network speeds (Gbps), the gibibit is important where binary precision is required:
- Specifying memory chip capacities at the bit level in technical documentation.
- Internal calculations within networking hardware or software that operate on binary multiples.
- Theoretical calculations in computer science, information theory, and data transmission analysis.
- Comparing binary (Gib) and decimal (Gb) data quantities accurately.
Unit FAQs
How many bits are in a gibibit?
There are exactly 230 bits in 1 gibibit (Gib). This equals 1,073,741,824 bits.
How many mebibits (Mib) are in a gibibit (Gib)?
There are 1,024 mebibits (Mib) in 1 gibibit (Gib). This is because 1 Gib = 230 bits and 1 Mib = 220 bits, and 230 / 220 = 210 = 1,024.
What is the difference between a gibibit (Gib) and a gigabit (Gb)?
A gibibit (Gib) represents 230 bits (1,073,741,824 bits), using the binary prefix 'gibi-'. A gigabit (Gb) represents 109 bits (1,000,000,000 bits), using the decimal prefix 'giga-'. A gibibit is approximately 7.37% larger than a gigabit (1 Gib ≈ 1.074 Gb).
What is the difference between a gibibit (Gib) and a gibibyte (GiB)?
A gibibit (Gib) measures information in bits, while a gibibyte (GiB) measures information in bytes. Assuming the standard 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 gibibyte (GiB) is equal to 8 gibibits (Gib). Both use the binary prefix 'gibi-' (230).
Gibibit Conversion Formulas
To Bit:
To Byte:
To Kilobit:
To Kilobyte:
To Megabit:
To Megabyte:
To Gigabit:
To Gigabyte:
To Terabit:
To Terabyte:
To Petabit:
To Petabyte:
To Exabit:
To Exabyte:
To Kibibit:
To Kibibyte:
To Mebibit:
To Mebibyte:
To Gibibyte:
To Tebibit:
To Tebibyte:
To Pebibit:
To Pebibyte:
To Exbibit:
To Exbibyte:
Convert Gibibit
Need to convert Gibibit to other data storage units? Use our conversion tool.