Megabytes per second to Gigabytes per second conversion

How to convert megabytes per second to gigabytes per second?

Certainly! To convert Megabytes per second (MB/s) to Gigabytes per second (GB/s), you need to understand the relationship between megabytes and gigabytes. This relationship depends on whether you're using the base 10 (decimal) or base 2 (binary) system.

Base 10 (Decimal)

In the decimal system: 1 GB = 1,000 MB

To convert MB/s to GB/s: 1 MB/s = 1 MB / 1,000 MB = 0.001 GB/s

So, 1 MB/s is equal to 0.001 GB/s in base 10.

Base 2 (Binary)

In the binary system: 1 GiB (Gibibyte) = 1,024 MiB (Mebibyte)

To convert MB/s to GiB/s: 1 MB/s = 1 MB / 1,024 MB = 0.0009765625 GiB/s

So, 1 MB/s is equal to approximately 0.0009765625 GiB/s in base 2.

Real-World Examples of Data Transfer Rates in MB/s

1. USB 2.0 Transfer Rates:

   • Theoretical maximum speed is 480 Mbit/s.
   • Convert to bytes: 480 Mbit/s ÷ 8 = 60 MB/s.
   • USB 2.0 often achieves actual data transfer rates around 30-40 MB/s due to overhead.

2. Hard Drive Transfer Rates:

   • Traditional 7200 RPM HDDs average around 80-160 MB/s depending on the model and usage conditions.

3. SSD Transfer Rates:

   • SATA III SSDs typically reach speeds up to 550 MB/s.
   • NVMe SSDs can achieve speeds ranging from 1,500 MB/s to over 5,000 MB/s on high-end models.

4. WiFi Transfer Rates:

   • WiFi 5 (802.11ac) can theoretically reach speeds of up to 1,300 Mbit/s.
   • Convert to bytes: 1,300 Mbit/s ÷ 8 = 162.5 MB/s.
   • Actual performance might range from 50 to 120 MB/s depending on the environment and conditions.

5. Ethernet over CAT5e Cable:

   • Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps).
   • Convert to bytes: 1,000 Mbit/s ÷ 8 = 125 MB/s.
   • Actual data transfer rates typically range from 100 to 120 MB/s due to protocol overhead.

These examples highlight the wide range of data transfer rates you may encounter in everyday technology. The choice of using base 10 or base 2 depends on the specific context, but nowadays, base 10 is often used in consumer-driven contexts (like SSDs and USB drives), whereas base 2 remains common in computing contexts (like RAM and file systems).