data · GiB
Gibibyte (GiB)
A gibibyte (GiB) is an IEC binary unit equal to 2³⁰ bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Many operating systems report disk and RAM sizes in GiB while labeling them “GB.”
Definition
A gibibyte (GiB) is an IEC binary unit equal to 2³⁰ bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Many operating systems report disk and RAM sizes in GiB while labeling them “GB.”
History & origin
IEC introduced binary prefixes (KiB, MiB, GiB, TiB) in 1998 to reduce confusion with SI decimal prefixes.
Conversion formula
GB = GiB × (2³⁰ / 10⁹) ≈ GiB × 1.07374 · MiB = GiB × 1024 · TiB = GiB ÷ 1024
Frequently asked questions
- How many GB is 1 GiB?
- About 1.074 GB (SI).
- Why do Windows and macOS differ on “GB”?
- They historically mixed binary and decimal labeling. Always check whether the tool means 10⁹ or 2³⁰ bytes.
- Is GiB used in marketing?
- Rarely — drive ads usually use SI TB/GB. Technical docs and OS internals more often use GiB.
Related units
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