{"id":4388,"date":"2023-01-31T17:58:15","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T12:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/?p=4388"},"modified":"2023-01-30T18:14:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T12:44:45","slug":"is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Gigabyte or Megabyte Bigger? A Guide to Data Storage Units"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>To get right to it, the short answer is that one gigabyte (GB) is bigger than one megabyte (MB). A gigabyte contains 1024 megabytes, which clearly shows the difference in capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My little niece got a laptop, but she didn't understand the specs. She wanted to know the difference between a gigabyte and a megabyte, so I explained it to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to know the fundamentals of all the units of computer storage and more about the differences between a gigabyte and a megabyte, this article is for you. Let's get right into the details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66151e90df170\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66151e90df170\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#Which_is_Bigger_MB_or_GB\" title=\"Which is Bigger: MB or GB?\">Which is Bigger: MB or GB?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#Understanding_Units_for_Storage_Space\" title=\"Understanding Units for Storage Space\">Understanding Units for Storage Space<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#What_is_a_Bit\" title=\"What is a Bit?\">What is a Bit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#What_is_a_Byte\" title=\"What is a Byte?\">What is a Byte?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#What_is_a_Kilobyte\" title=\"What is a Kilobyte?\">What is a Kilobyte?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#What_is_a_Megabyte\" title=\"What is a Megabyte?\">What is a Megabyte?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#What_is_a_Gigabyte\" title=\"What is a Gigabyte?\">What is a Gigabyte?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#What_is_a_Terabyte\" title=\"What is a Terabyte?\">What is a Terabyte?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#What_is_a_Petabyte\" title=\"What is a Petabyte?\">What is a Petabyte?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#Why_is_the_Storage_Capacity_of_an_HDD_Smaller_Than_Expected\" title=\"Why is the Storage Capacity of an HDD Smaller Than Expected?\">Why is the Storage Capacity of an HDD Smaller Than Expected?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/is-gigabyte-or-megabyte-bigger\/#Final_Words\" title=\"Final Words\">Final Words<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_is_Bigger_MB_or_GB\"><\/span>Which is Bigger: MB or GB?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There's a difference between one GB and one MB. MB stands for megabyte, and GB stands for gigabyte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are units of data storage, and you'll find them used in reference to your hard drive and RAM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between these two storage units, the GB is much bigger than the MB. 1 GB is 1024 MB. This means that 1 GB is roughly 1000 times bigger than 1 MB.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Various-Types-of-Storage-Devices.jpg\" alt=\"Various Types of Storage Devices\" class=\"wp-image-4393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Various-Types-of-Storage-Devices.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Various-Types-of-Storage-Devices-300x210.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_Units_for_Storage_Space\"><\/span>Understanding Units for Storage Space<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Storage devices are capable of holding data of different file sizes. However, besides megabytes and gigabytes, it's a good idea to understand how these units relate to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Bit\"><\/span>What is a Bit?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically, bits are the smallest units of memory stored on computer systems. This is a digit in binary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It describes one piece of data and this could be in two possible states: on or off. A bit is a digit that can only either be a 1 or a 0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Byte\"><\/span>What is a Byte?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A byte is the smallest unit a computer uses to represent data and store information. A single byte consists of eight bits i.e. 8 bits = 1 byte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means there are 256 possible permutations that can make up a byte since each of those eight bits can either be a 0 or a 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One byte is a very small unit, and it's capable of representing punctuation marks, alphabetic characters, and symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Kilobyte\"><\/span>What is a Kilobyte?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A kilobyte is larger than a byte, and a single kilobyte contains one thousand bytes. However, in computer science, one KB is equal to exactly 1024 bytes. This is despite the fact that \"kilo\" means 1,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kilobytes are of sufficient size to store information like spreadsheets, Word documents, and some images. One kilobyte is enough to store half a page of characters in a document in most cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kilobytes can also be used to measure hardware specifications like processor cache size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Megabyte\"><\/span>What is a Megabyte?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A megabyte is a unit of storage capacity just above the kilobyte. Since it's the larger unit, a single megabyte (MB) consists of over one thousand kilobytes (1024 to be exact) which means it can take one million bytes of data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the type of document, one MB is enough to store several documents, standard-quality images, and small applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, for documents in particular, it depends on how they are formatted. For instance, do they contain images or special fonts? These can increase file size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Gigabyte\"><\/span>What is a Gigabyte?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A gigabyte is a unit above the megabyte, which means it's a larger unit than an MB. A single gigabyte consists of over one thousand megabytes, meaning it can hold about one billion bytes and one million kilobytes. That gives you the answer to the question: <em>which is bigger: MB or GB<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gigabytes are the most common unit seen in mass storage in recent times. They are used to describe the size of data saved on a USB flash drive, hard drives, SD cards, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many files that you can reference that come standard in several gigabytes. For example, high-definition movies, large backup files, and video games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It's also common to find that many laptops come with hard drives around the 500 GB mark, especially when it is an SSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Terabyte\"><\/span>What is a Terabyte?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The terabyte is top among the larger units of storage the average person encounters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One terabyte in computer technology equals to million bytes of information since it's made up of a thousand gigabytes. This means that a single terabyte is one million times bigger than a megabyte.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A typical external hard drive is usually anywhere between two to eight terabytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_Petabyte\"><\/span>What is a Petabyte?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A petabyte is the largest measurement unit for digital information. One petabyte is made up of a thousand terabytes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This unit is reserved for enormous server centers for big tech companies and is far from consumer reach.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Data-Storage-Devices.jpg\" alt=\"Data Storage Devices\" class=\"wp-image-4395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Data-Storage-Devices.jpg 500w, https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Data-Storage-Devices-300x210.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_the_Storage_Capacity_of_an_HDD_Smaller_Than_Expected\"><\/span>Why is the Storage Capacity of an HDD Smaller Than Expected?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Computers work with the power of two instead of ten because they are binary machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, hard drive manufacturers have avoided using the power of two for the longest time, instead opting for the power of ten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This, however, causes confusion depending on the operating system you're using. Windows 10 uses the power of two, while Linux uses decimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, for the manufacturers, 1000 bytes = 1 KB and 1000 KB = 1 MB. Then, 1000 MB = 1 GB, and 1000GB = 1TB. However, since Windows uses 1024, you will see a smaller capacity with your external hard drives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It's important to note that if a device like a phone claims to have 32GB of storage, that's the total amount, not the usable amount. Some of that storage will be used by the operating system, leaving you with a smaller amount for your apps and files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/resources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read more resources<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Words\"><\/span>Final Words<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So, which is bigger? MB or GB? A gigabyte is bigger than a megabyte. To answer how many MB are in one gigabyte, the answer is 1000, if you ask manufacturers, and 1024 in other spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is nothing like too much storage when it comes to hard drives. So, it is a good idea to buy one with more storage space than you need, as it can come in handy in the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To get right to it, the short answer is that one gigabyte (GB) is bigger than one megabyte (MB). A gigabyte contains 1024 megabytes, which clearly shows the difference in capacity. My little niece got a laptop, but she didn't understand the specs. She wanted to know the difference between a gigabyte and a megabyte, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":4397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[24],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4388"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4412,"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388\/revisions\/4412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cpuforever.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}