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Select a measurement and convert between different units
Single conversion
To convert from Byte (byte) to Gibibyte (GiB), use the following formula:
With is the ratio between the base units Kibibyte (KiB) and Byte (byte).
Let's convert 5 Byte (byte) to Gibibyte (GiB).
Using the formula:
Therefore, 5 Byte (byte) is equal to Gibibyte (GiB).
Here are some quick reference conversions from Byte (byte) to Gibibyte (GiB):
| Bytes | Gibibytes |
|---|---|
| 0.000001 byte | GiB |
| 0.001 byte | GiB |
| 0.1 byte | GiB |
| 1 byte | GiB |
| 2 byte | GiB |
| 3 byte | GiB |
| 4 byte | GiB |
| 5 byte | GiB |
| 6 byte | GiB |
| 7 byte | GiB |
| 8 byte | GiB |
| 9 byte | GiB |
| 10 byte | GiB |
| 20 byte | GiB |
| 30 byte | GiB |
| 40 byte | GiB |
| 50 byte | GiB |
| 100 byte | GiB |
| 1000 byte | GiB |
| 10000 byte | GiB |
For all Digital converters, choose units using the From/To dropdowns above.
A byte is a fundamental unit of digital information.
It is the standard building block used by computers to represent data such as text, numbers, and images.
A byte is almost universally composed of 8 bits.
A single bit is the smallest unit of data in a computer, represented as either a 0 or a 1.
Grouping these bits into a set of 8 allows computers to represent a broader range of values, forming the foundation for storing and processing data.
The term "byte" was created in 1956 by Dr. Werner Buchholz during the development of the IBM Stretch computer.
He deliberately spelled it with a "y" to avoid accidental confusion with the term "bit."
It was intended to represent a "bite-sized" chunk of data, specifically the amount needed to encode a single character.
Because a byte contains 8 bits, a single byte can represent 28, or 256 different possible values.
These values can range from 0 (binary 00000000) to 255 (binary 11111111).
This is why standards like ASCII use a byte to represent a single character, such as the letter 'A' or the symbol '$'.
From bytes, we build larger units you're likely familiar with, like kilobytes (KB), megabytes (MB), and gigabytes (GB).
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