Data storage converter
Convert between bits, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes, in decimal and binary units.
1 gigabyte = 1,000 megabytes
Formula: megabytes = gigabytes × 1,000
About the units
Data storage units explained
There are two ways to count data. Storage makers and phone plans use decimal units: 1 GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes. Operating systems like Windows often count in binary: 1,073,741,824 bytes, properly called a gibibyte (GiB).
That is why a new 1 TB drive shows up as about 931 "GB" on some computers. No space is missing; it is the same number of bytes counted in a different unit.
Quick reference
| Unit | Symbol | In bytes |
|---|---|---|
| bit | bit | 0.125 B |
| byte | B | 1 B |
| kilobyte | kB | 1,000 B |
| megabyte | MB | 1,000,000 B |
| gigabyte | GB | 1,000,000,000 B |
| terabyte | TB | 1,000,000,000,000 B |
| kibibyte | KiB | 1,024 B |
| mebibyte | MiB | 1,048,576 B |
| gibibyte | GiB | 1,073,741,824 B |
| tebibyte | TiB | 1,099,511,628,000 B |
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Frequently asked questions
Is 1 GB 1,000 MB or 1,024 MB?
In decimal units, which storage and phone companies use, 1 GB is 1,000 MB. In binary units, 1 GiB is 1,024 MiB. Windows labels binary units as "GB", which causes the confusion.
What is the difference between a bit and a byte?
A byte is 8 bits. Internet speeds are usually given in bits per second (Mbps), file sizes in bytes (MB), so a 100 Mbps connection downloads about 12.5 MB per second.