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Single conversion
To convert from Gigabyte (GB) to Gibibit (Gib), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Kibibit (Kib) and Byte (byte).
Let's convert 5 Gigabyte (GB) to Gibibit (Gib).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Gigabyte (GB) is equal to Gibibit (Gib).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Gigabyte (GB) to Gibibit (Gib):
| Gigabytes | Gibibits |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 GB | Gib |
| 0.001 GB | Gib |
| 0.1 GB | Gib |
| 1 GB | Gib |
| 2 GB | Gib |
| 3 GB | Gib |
| 4 GB | Gib |
| 5 GB | Gib |
| 6 GB | Gib |
| 7 GB | Gib |
| 8 GB | Gib |
| 9 GB | Gib |
| 10 GB | Gib |
| 20 GB | Gib |
| 30 GB | Gib |
| 40 GB | Gib |
| 50 GB | Gib |
| 100 GB | Gib |
| 1000 GB | Gib |
| 10000 GB | Gib |
For all Digital converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
Ever wondered what a gigabyte (GB) really means when you're buying a new phone, choosing a mobile data plan, or saving a file? A gigabyte is one of the most common measurements of digital capacity.
In this guide, we'll break down exactly what a GB is, what you can fit into it, and why the storage space you buy isn't always what you see on your device.
A gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital data storage, equal to one billion bytes. The plural form is gigabytes.
While a gigabyte (GB) is commercially defined as 1 billion bytes (109 bytes), operating systems like Windows often measure storage using a binary system.
In this system, the correct term is a gibibyte (GiB), which is equal to 230 or 1,073,741,824 bytes.
This ~7.4% difference is why a hard drive advertised as 500 GB might appear as only 465 GiB on your computer.
This discrepancy exists because manufacturers sell storage using the decimal system (powers of 10), while most operating systems measure it using the binary system (powers of 2).
A single gigabyte (1GB) offers a substantial amount of storage for everyday use.
For perspective, 1 GB can typically hold:
This capacity makes it a standard unit for measuring file sizes, app downloads, and mobile data plans.
In the early 1980s, a gigabyte of storage was an immense, costly amount of data, primarily found in multi-million dollar supercomputers.
The first gigabyte-capacity hard disk drive, IBM's 3380, was released in 1980. It weighed over 500 pounds and cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Today, gigabytes are a routine measure for devices that fit in our pockets, such as smartphones, SD cards, and USB drives, showcasing the exponential growth of data technology.
A gibibit (Gib) is a unit for measuring digital information, like file sizes or memory capacity, that is based on powers of two.
Standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), one gibibit is equal to 1,048,576 kibibits (Kib). The plural form is gibibits.
A common point of confusion is the difference between a gibibit (Gib) and a gigabit (Gb). The main difference lies in how they are counted.
A gibibit follows the binary (base-2) system, which is the language computers use. It represents 230 bits, or 1,073,741,824 bits.
In contrast, a gigabit is based on the decimal (base-10) system and represents exactly 1 billion bits (109).
Because of this, one gibibit is about 7.4% larger than one gigabit. This distinction is crucial for accurately understanding data storage capacity and transfer speeds.
Here's a quick breakdown:
Gibibit (Gib)
Gigabit (Gb)
The gibibit is most frequently used in technical fields where precision in binary measurement is essential.
You will often see it in:
Using this IEC standard unit ensures that programmers and engineers are working with exact binary measurements.
The term "gibibit" was officially established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in 1998. It was introduced to solve the confusion caused by using metric prefixes (like "giga") for both binary and decimal multiples.
The name "gibibit" is derived from combining "giga" and "binary," creating the "gibi" prefix to clearly signal a base-2 measurement. This standardization helps create clarity across the global technology industry.