EB to GB converter

What is an EB to GB converter?

An EB to GB converter is a digital tool that translates data storage measurements between exabytes (EB) and gigabytes (GB), accounting for two distinct unit systems:

• SI (decimal) system: Uses base-10 multiples (e.g., 1 EB = 10¹⁸ bytes, 1 GB = 10⁹ bytes).
• Binary (IEC) system: Uses base-2 multiples (e.g., 1 exbibyte, EiB = 2⁶⁰ bytes; 1 gibibyte, GiB = 2³⁰ bytes).

This converter eliminates manual calculations, ensuring precision for tasks like comparing storage capacities or configuring cloud resources.

Understanding data storage units

SI (decimal) units

Governed by the International System of Units (SI), these units follow powers of 10:

• 1 gigabyte (GB) = 10⁹ bytes
• 1 exabyte (EB) = 10¹⁸ bytes

Commonly used by storage manufacturers (e.g., hard drives, SSDs).

Binary (IEC) units

Defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), these use powers of 2:

• 1 gibibyte (GiB) = 2³⁰ bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes
• 1 exbibyte (EiB) = 2⁶⁰ bytes = 1,152,921,504,606,846,976 bytes

Used in operating systems (e.g., Windows, Linux) and memory management.

Why two systems exist

• Historical context: Early computing adopted 1024 (2¹⁰) as a “kilo” equivalent for memory alignment efficiency.
• Standardization: IEC formalized binary prefixes (kibi, mebi, gibi, etc.) in 1998 to resolve ambiguity.

Conversion formulas

Within the same system

• SI (EB → GB): $\text{GB} = \text{EB} \times 10^9$

• Binary (EiB → GiB): $\text{GiB} = \text{EiB} \times 2^{30}$

Between different systems

• EB to GiB: $\text{GiB} = \text{EB} \times \frac{10^{18}}{2^{30}} = \text{EB} \times 931,322.5746154785$

• EiB to GB: $\text{GB} = \text{EiB} \times \frac{2^{60}}{10^9} = \text{EiB} \times 1,152,921.504606846976$

Examples of conversions

Example 1: Converting 0.5 EB to GB (SI units)

$0.5 \text{ EB} \times 10^9 = 500,000,000 \text{ GB}$

Context: A cloud provider offers 0.5 EB of storage. In SI terms, this equals 500 million GB.

Example 2: Converting 3 EiB to GiB (binary units)

$3 \text{ EiB} \times 2^{30} = 3 \text{ EiB} \times 1,073,741,824 = 3,221,225,472 \text{ GiB}$

Context: A data center with 3 EiB of RAM has approximately 3.22 billion GiB.

Example 3: Converting 1 EB to GiB (cross-system)

$1 \text{ EB} \times 931,322.5746154785 = 931,322,574.615 \text{ GiB}$

Context: If a supercomputer uses binary units (GiB) but is advertised with 1 EB (SI) of storage, the actual allocation is ~931 million GiB.

Practical applications

1. Cloud storage: Azure/AWS bills in GB (SI). Converting PB/EB to GB clarifies costs.
2. Big data analytics: Processing 5 EB (SI) of data requires planning for ~4.66 EiB (binary) in Hadoop clusters.
3. Memory manufacturing: A 16 GiB RAM module contains 17.18 GB (SI), explaining “missing” capacity in OS displays.

Common pitfalls to avoid

• Unit misinterpretation: 1 EB ≠ 1 EiB. The 15.3% difference matters in enterprise storage.
• Rounding errors: 1 EiB = 1,152,921.5046 GB (not “1.15 million GB”).
• Tool settings: Verify if your converter defaults to SI or binary (e.g., Apple uses SI; Windows uses binary).

Historical note: The exabyte era

The term “exabyte” entered mainstream use in 2009 when internet traffic surpassed 1 EB/month. By 2025, global data creation is projected to hit 175 zettabytes (175,000 EB), driven by IoT and AI.

Frequently asked questions

How many GB are in an EB?

In the SI system: 1 EB = 1,000,000,000 GB (since 1 EB = 10¹⁸ bytes, 1 GB = 10⁹ bytes). In binary terms (though non-standard): 1 EB ≈ 931,322,574.6 GiB.

Why does my OS show less storage than advertised?

A 1 TB (SI) hard drive = 10¹² bytes. In binary units: $\frac{10^{12}}{2^{30}} = 931.32 \text{ GiB}$

Operating systems report GiB, creating an apparent 6.8% deficit.

Are EB and EiB interchangeable?

No. 1 EB (SI) = 10¹⁸ bytes, while 1 EiB (binary) = 2⁶⁰ bytes ≈ 1.152 × 10¹⁸ bytes. Thus: $1 \text{ EB} = 0.867 \text{ EiB}$

How many Blu-ray discs hold 1 EB?

A dual-layer Blu-ray disc stores 50 GB (SI). For 1 EB: $\frac{10^9 \text{ GB}}{50} = 20,000,000 \text{ discs}$

Is internet traffic measured in SI or binary units?

Network equipment (routers, switches) uses SI units. Global internet traffic (2023) was ~4.3 EB/month, meaning 4.3 × 10⁹ GB.