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Single conversion
To convert from Mebibyte (MiB) to Gibibyte (GiB), use the following formula:
Let's convert 5 Mebibyte (MiB) to Gibibyte (GiB).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Mebibyte (MiB) is equal to Gibibyte (GiB).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Mebibyte (MiB) to Gibibyte (GiB):
| Mebibytes | Gibibytes |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 MiB | GiB |
| 0.001 MiB | GiB |
| 0.1 MiB | GiB |
| 1 MiB | GiB |
| 2 MiB | GiB |
| 3 MiB | GiB |
| 4 MiB | GiB |
| 5 MiB | GiB |
| 6 MiB | GiB |
| 7 MiB | GiB |
| 8 MiB | GiB |
| 9 MiB | GiB |
| 10 MiB | GiB |
| 20 MiB | GiB |
| 30 MiB | GiB |
| 40 MiB | GiB |
| 50 MiB | GiB |
| 100 MiB | GiB |
| 1000 MiB | GiB |
| 10000 MiB | GiB |
For all Digital converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
Ever bought a new hard drive or USB stick and noticed that its actual storage capacity is less than what was advertised on the box?
The reason has to do with the difference between a mebibyte (MiB) and a megabyte (MB).
While they sound almost identical, understanding the distinction is key to knowing how your computer actually measures data.
Here's a simple breakdown of the two units:
Mebibyte (MiB)
Megabyte (MB)
A mebibyte (MiB) is a unit of digital information equal to 1,024 kibibytes (KiB). It is approximately 4.8% larger than a megabyte.
The core difference lies in how they are counted. Computer systems, at their most basic level, operate in binary (base-2). This means they count in powers of two.
A mebibyte represents 220 or 1,048,576 bytes.
In contrast, the decimal system (base-10) is what humans use for most daily counting. A megabyte (MB) represents a clean 106 or 1,000,000 bytes.
This is why a hard drive advertised as 500 gigabytes (GB) appears as roughly 465 gibibytes (GiB) on your computer. The marketing uses the smaller decimal unit (megabyte/gigabyte). In contrast, your operating system uses the more technically accurate binary unit (mebibyte/gibibyte).
The term "mebibyte" was officially established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in 1998. It was created to solve the long-standing confusion caused by the term "megabyte."
For decades, "megabyte" was ambiguously used to refer to both 1,000,000 bytes and 1,048,576 bytes.
By introducing a distinct set of binary prefixes (kibi-, mebi-, gibi-, etc.), the IEC aimed to create an unambiguous standard for software development, data storage, and other technical fields.
You encounter mebibytes more often than you might think.
Many modern operating systems, including Microsoft Windows and various Linux distributions, use binary units to calculate and display file sizes and memory capacity.
Even if the interface sometimes shows the abbreviation "MB" or "GB" for simplicity, the underlying calculation is based on the 1,024-based binary system.
This precise measurement is also critical in fields like cloud computing and data center management, where every byte of allocated resource counts.
A gibibyte (GiB) is a unit of measurement for digital data.
While it sounds complex, understanding it is the key to solving a common tech mystery: why the storage space on your new device or hard drive often looks smaller than what was advertised on the box.
Have you ever purchased a 500 gigabyte (GB) hard drive, only to find that your computer reports it as having only 465 GB of storage capacity?
You haven't been short-changed. The difference comes down to two different ways of counting:
Gigabyte (GB): This is the unit manufacturers use for marketing. It's a simple, round number based on the decimal (base-10) system.
Gibibyte (GiB): This is the unit your computer's operating system (like Windows or macOS) often uses for measurement. It is based on the binary (base-2) system, which is the native language of computers.
This means a gibibyte is about 7.4% larger than a gigabyte.
So, your 500 GB hard drive has exactly 500,000,000,000 bytes, but when your computer measures those bytes using the binary system, it calculates it as approximately 465 GiB.
The amount of storage is the same—only the unit of measurement has changed.
To clear up this exact confusion, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) officially introduced the term "gibibyte" in 1998.
It was created along with other binary-based prefixes (like kibi-, mebi-, and tebi-) to create a clear standard and separate the binary measurements used in computing from the decimal measurements used in marketing and general communication.
Knowing where to expect each term can help you avoid confusion:
You will see Gigabytes (GB) used most often in marketing and sales, such as on the packaging for hard drives, SSDs, smartphones, and when describing mobile data plans.
You will encounter Gibibytes (GiB) inside software environments. Operating systems, file size information, and memory (RAM) specifications use GiB to give a more precise measurement that aligns with the computer's binary architecture.
In short, the next time you see a difference in your storage numbers, you'll know it's not a mistake—it's just the language of computers at work