The MB to GB converter handles the megabyte/gigabyte step in either direction. The kB to MB converter starts one step lower, from kilobytes. Their binary comparisons do not always describe the same bytes.
| Feature | MB to GB | kB to MB |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | Value, direction, decimal/binary standard | Kilobytes |
| Decimal operation | MB ÷ 1,000 → GB; GB × 1,000 → MB | kB ÷ 1,000 → MB |
| Binary interpretation | MiB ÷ 1,024 → GiB; GiB × 1,024 → MiB | Separate “If read as KiB” row divides the entered number by 1,024 |
| Supporting results | Factor, decimal GB view and binary GiB view of the same byte quantity | Input, decimal bytes and alternative KiB reading |
| Primary formatting | Up to 6 fractional places forward, up to 2 reverse | Up to 6 fractional places |
The MB form defaults to decimal 2,500 MB → 2.5 GB. Its binary GiB supporting view is 2.328306 GiB, calculated from those same 2.5 billion bytes. Selecting binary changes the interpretation to 2,500 MiB → 2.441406 GiB; that represents a different byte quantity. The direction controls keep their static MB/GB wording, while result labels identify MiB/GiB in binary mode. There is no decimal-place selector.
The kB form defaults to 1,000 kB → 1 MB, with 1,000,000 bytes. Its 0.976563 MiB row means “if the entered 1,000 had meant KiB.” It does not convert the primary result’s one million bytes to MiB. That alternate reading changes the source unit, not merely the output label.
Copy can differ in precision from the primary display. In decimal reverse mode, 2.3456789 GB displays 2,345.68 MB, while Copy reads 2.345679 GB = 2,345.6789 MB (decimal). The Copy formatter allows up to six fractional places. The kB form copies its kB input and decimal MB result; it does not copy the alternative binary reading as the primary conversion.
Sources
- NIST-binary-prefixes — Decimal MB/GB and binary KiB/MiB/GiB definitions and byte size, not calculator control labels or formatting.