GB to MB Converter

There are two standard values for this conversion:

1. Binary conversion (used in computing): 1 GB = 1024 MB
   This is because computers use a base-2 (binary) numbering system where 2¹⁰ = 1024.
2. Decimal conversion (sometimes used in marketing): 1 GB = 1000 MB
   This uses the base-10 (decimal) system that humans typically use for counting.

Our converter lets you easily switch between both systems depending on your needs.

The difference arises from two different numbering systems:

• Binary (base-2): Computers process information in bits (0s and 1s), so they use powers of 2 for measurement. 2¹⁰ = 1024, which is why 1 GB = 1024 MB in computing.
• Decimal (base-10): Humans use a base-10 counting system, so 10³ = 1000 makes intuitive sense. Some manufacturers use this for marketing storage devices.

This is why a "100 GB" hard drive might show as ~93 GB in your operating system - the OS uses binary conversion while the manufacturer used decimal.

Choose the conversion system based on your specific situation:

To convert gigabytes to megabytes manually, follow these steps:

1. Determine which conversion factor to use (1024 for binary, 1000 for decimal)
2. Multiply the number of gigabytes by your chosen conversion factor
3. The result is the equivalent number of megabytes

Example 1: Convert 4 GB to MB using binary conversion
4 GB × 1024 = 4096 MB

Example 2: Convert 4 GB to MB using decimal conversion
4 GB × 1000 = 4000 MB

This discrepancy happens because of the different conversion systems:

• Manufacturers advertise using decimal conversion: 100 GB = 100,000 MB
• Your operating system uses binary conversion to display storage
• When converted using binary, 100,000 MB ÷ 1024 = ~97.66 GB
• Additionally, some space is used for file system overhead

This is normal and expected. The larger the drive, the more noticeable this difference becomes. For example, a 1 TB drive (1,000,000 MB decimal) will show as approximately 931 GB in your operating system (using binary conversion).