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Gigabytes to Megabytes

One gigabyte equals 1000 megabytes.

Megabytes = gigabytes × 1000

Digital Storage Conversion

Common File Sizes

Digital Storage Reference Guide

Binary vs Decimal Systems

Binary (1024-based): Used by operating systems

1 KiB = 1,024 bytes

1 MiB = 1,024 KiB = 1,048,576 bytes

1 GiB = 1,024 MiB = 1,073,741,824 bytes

Decimal (1000-based): Used by storage manufacturers

1 KB = 1,000 bytes

1 MB = 1,000 KB = 1,000,000 bytes

1 GB = 1,000 MB = 1,000,000,000 bytes

Storage Device Capacities

Floppy Disk: 1.44 MB

CD: 700 MB

DVD: 4.7 GB (single layer)

Blu-ray: 25 GB (single layer)

USB Flash: 8 GB - 1 TB

SSD: 120 GB - 8 TB

HDD: 500 GB - 20 TB

Enterprise: Up to 100 TB+

Data Transfer & Internet

Email attachment limit: ~25 MB

Streaming (HD): ~3 GB/hour

Streaming (4K): ~7 GB/hour

Web page: ~2 MB average

Mobile app: 10-200 MB

PC game: 20-150 GB

Important Notes

• 1 byte = 8 bits (fundamental relationship)

• Storage manufacturers use decimal, OS shows binary (explains "missing" space)

• Network speeds typically measured in bits per second (bps)

• File compression can significantly reduce storage requirements

Gigabytes to Megabytes Conversion Table

GBMB
0.1100
0.25250
0.5500
11000
22000
44000
88000
1616000
3232000
6464000
128128000
256256000
500500000
10001000000
20002000000

About This Conversion

Gigabytes to megabytes multiplies by 1,000 in decimal units. The conversion comes up when an allowance is quoted in gigabytes but the things consuming it are measured in megabytes: a 2 GB monthly data plan is 2,000 MB, enough for about four hundred 5 MB photos.

Upload and attachment limits sit in this range too. A 25 MB email limit is 0.025 GB, so a 1 GB video is forty times too large to attach and has to go through a link instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many MB is 1 GB?

1 GB is 1,000 MB in decimal units, or 1,024 MiB in binary units.

How many MB is 2 GB?

2 GB is 2,000 MB.

How many MB is 0.5 GB?

0.5 GB is 500 MB.

How many photos fit in 1 GB?

At about 5 MB per photo, roughly 200 photos fit in 1 GB.

Worth Knowing

MB vs MiB

A megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes while a mebibyte is 1,048,576 bytes, and the gap grows with each prefix until a 1 TB drive reports as 931 GB.