| Gigabytes (GB) | Megabytes (MB) |
|---|
To convert gigabytes to megabytes, multiply by 1024. In binary (IEC standard), 1 GB = 2³° bytes and 1 MB = 2²° bytes, so there are 2¹° = 1024 MB in one GB:
Some storage manufacturers use 1 GB = 1,000 MB (decimal/SI). Operating systems typically report binary (1024) values.
Typical file and storage sizes for context:
To convert gigabytes to megabytes, multiply by 1024. In computing, one gigabyte (GB) equals 1024 megabytes because data is measured in powers of 2: 1 GB = 2¹° MB = 1,024 MB. For example, 4 GB = 4 × 1024 = 4,096 MB. A 16 GB USB drive contains 16,384 MB of storage space.
Note that some storage manufacturers (hard drives, SSDs, flash drives) use the decimal definition where 1 GB = 1,000 MB. This is why a "256 GB" SSD shows as around 238 GB in Windows — the OS uses binary (1024) while the manufacturer uses decimal (1000). For computing purposes, 1 GB = 1024 MB is the standard used here.
You'll need this conversion when calculating file storage requirements, comparing download sizes, understanding cloud storage plans, configuring server disk quotas, or troubleshooting why a drive shows less space than advertised. It is also commonly needed when working with media files (video, audio, images) where sizes are often expressed in MB while total capacity is quoted in GB.
There are 1,024 megabytes (MB) in one gigabyte (GB) in binary (computing) terms. Some storage manufacturers use 1,000 MB = 1 GB (decimal/SI). Your operating system reports binary values, which is why advertised storage capacity can appear smaller than expected.
2 GB = 2 × 1024 = 2,048 MB. Similarly, 4 GB = 4,096 MB and 8 GB = 8,192 MB.
Storage manufacturers define 1 TB as 1,000 GB (decimal). Operating systems like Windows define 1 TB as 1,024 GB (binary). A 1 TB drive therefore shows as about 931 GB in Windows. This same discrepancy applies to GB vs MB.
MB (megabyte) commonly means 1,000,000 bytes in SI/decimal usage. MiB (mebibyte) is the unambiguous binary term for 1,048,576 bytes (2²°). In practice, most software uses MB to mean 1,048,576 bytes. This converter uses the binary convention: 1 GB = 1,024 MB.
Yes, completely free. No sign up, no account, no limits.