A gigabit, often abbreviated as Gb, is a unit of digital information storage that is equivalent to 1 billion bits. While it may sound like a lot, gigabits are most frequently used to measure internet speeds rather than storage capacities. In the realm of internet connectivity, when you see a service offering speeds up to “1 Gbps,” it means you could, theoretically, download a standard high-definition movie in just a few seconds, assuming optimal conditions. As digital content continues to grow in size and quality, gigabit internet connections have become sought after for smoother streaming, faster downloads, and more responsive online gaming experiences.
Interestingly, 1,000 gigabits—often confused with gigabytes (which you’ll notice with a capital “B”)—make up a terabit, a scale more commonly seen in the data bandwidths of major data centers or in the transfers between colossal tech infrastructures. This shift in demand emphasizes the transformative impact that gigabit technology has had on both personal and global data consumption.
The gigibyte (GiB) is a less commonly known unit of digital information storage, distinct from the more familiar gigabyte (GB). While both units are used to measure data, the gigibyte is based on the binary system, representing 1,073,741,824 bytes (2^30 bytes), whereas a gigabyte is based on the decimal system, equaling 1,000,000,000 bytes. This nuance is crucial, especially in computing where binary-based measurements are more precise.
The usage of gigibytes can be traced back to the need for standardizing data measurements in computing, particularly with the rise of large storage requirements. Engineers and tech-savvy users often prefer gigibytes for a more accurate depiction of storage capacity, avoiding confusion that can arise due to the discrepancy with the metric-based gigabytes.
Gigabits | Gigibytes |
---|---|
0
GB
|
0
GiB
|
16
GB
|
14.90116
GiB
|
32
GB
|
29.80232
GiB
|
48
GB
|
44.70348
GiB
|
64
GB
|
59.60464
GiB
|
80
GB
|
74.50581
GiB
|
96
GB
|
89.40697
GiB
|
112
GB
|
104.30813
GiB
|
128
GB
|
119.20929
GiB
|
144
GB
|
134.11045
GiB
|
160
GB
|
149.01161
GiB
|
176
GB
|
163.91277
GiB
|
192
GB
|
178.81393
GiB
|
208
GB
|
193.7151
GiB
|
224
GB
|
208.61626
GiB
|
240
GB
|
223.51742
GiB
|
256
GB
|
238.41858
GiB
|
272
GB
|
253.31974
GiB
|
288
GB
|
268.2209
GiB
|
304
GB
|
283.12206
GiB
|
320
GB
|
298.02322
GiB
|
336
GB
|
312.92439
GiB
|
352
GB
|
327.82555
GiB
|
368
GB
|
342.72671
GiB
|
384
GB
|
357.62787
GiB
|
400
GB
|
372.52903
GiB
|
416
GB
|
387.43019
GiB
|
432
GB
|
402.33135
GiB
|
448
GB
|
417.23251
GiB
|
464
GB
|
432.13367
GiB
|
480
GB
|
447.03484
GiB
|
496
GB
|
461.936
GiB
|
512
GB
|
476.83716
GiB
|
528
GB
|
491.73832
GiB
|
544
GB
|
506.63948
GiB
|
560
GB
|
521.54064
GiB
|
576
GB
|
536.4418
GiB
|
592
GB
|
551.34296
GiB
|
608
GB
|
566.24413
GiB
|
624
GB
|
581.14529
GiB
|
640
GB
|
596.04645
GiB
|
656
GB
|
610.94761
GiB
|
672
GB
|
625.84877
GiB
|
688
GB
|
640.74993
GiB
|
704
GB
|
655.65109
GiB
|
720
GB
|
670.55225
GiB
|
736
GB
|
685.45341
GiB
|
752
GB
|
700.35458
GiB
|
768
GB
|
715.25574
GiB
|
784
GB
|
730.1569
GiB
|
800
GB
|
745.05806
GiB
|
816
GB
|
759.95922
GiB
|
832
GB
|
774.86038
GiB
|
848
GB
|
789.76154
GiB
|
864
GB
|
804.6627
GiB
|
880
GB
|
819.56387
GiB
|
896
GB
|
834.46503
GiB
|
912
GB
|
849.36619
GiB
|
928
GB
|
864.26735
GiB
|
944
GB
|
879.16851
GiB
|
960
GB
|
894.06967
GiB
|
976
GB
|
908.97083
GiB
|
992
GB
|
923.87199
GiB
|
1008
GB
|
938.77316
GiB
|
1024
GB
|
953.67432
GiB
|