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Single conversion
To convert from Gigabyte (GB) to Megabit (Mb), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Bit (bit) and Byte (byte).
Let's convert 5 Gigabyte (GB) to Megabit (Mb).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Gigabyte (GB) is equal to Megabit (Mb).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Gigabyte (GB) to Megabit (Mb):
| Gigabytes | Megabits |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 GB | Mb |
| 0.001 GB | Mb |
| 0.1 GB | Mb |
| 1 GB | Mb |
| 2 GB | Mb |
| 3 GB | Mb |
| 4 GB | Mb |
| 5 GB | Mb |
| 6 GB | Mb |
| 7 GB | Mb |
| 8 GB | Mb |
| 9 GB | Mb |
| 10 GB | Mb |
| 20 GB | Mb |
| 30 GB | Mb |
| 40 GB | Mb |
| 50 GB | Mb |
| 100 GB | Mb |
| 1000 GB | Mb |
| 10000 GB | Mb |
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 megabit (Mb) is a unit of digital information, equal to one million bits (106 bits). The plural form is megabits.
While it's a fundamental unit of data, it's most commonly used to describe the speed of an internet connection.
When you shop for a broadband plan, the internet speed advertised by providers is measured in megabits per second (Mbps).
This metric defines your data transfer rate—essentially, how many million bits of data your connection can download or upload every second.
For example, a 25 Mbps download speed is great for basic browsing and streaming HD video on one device.
However, a faster plan of 100+ Mbps is better for a household with multiple people streaming 4K video, online gaming, and downloading large files at the same time.
A common point of confusion is the difference between a megabit (Mb) and a megabyte (MB).
The key is to notice the difference between the lowercase 'b' (bit) and the uppercase 'B' (byte).
Think of it this way: a bit is like a single letter, while a byte is like a complete word. Since it takes eight bits to make one byte, a megabyte (MB) is eight times larger than a megabit (Mb).
This is why they're used for different things:
In the world of networking, the "mega" prefix in megabit is simple: it means exactly 1,000,000 bits (106 bits). This is based on the decimal system.
However, you might see "mega" used differently for computer memory or file storage, where it can sometimes mean the binary equivalent of 1,048,576 bits (220 bits).
To avoid confusion, the term mebibit (Mib) was created for the binary value. Still, for measuring your internet speed, megabit (Mb) is the universal standard.