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GBps to Gbps

1 Gigabyte per Second (GBps) = 8Gigabit per Second (Gbps)

By KAMP Inc. / UnitOwl · Last reviewed:

Result
8 Gbps
1 GBps = 8 Gbps
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How to Convert GBps to Gbps?

One gigabyte per second (GBps) equals 8 gigabits per second (Gbps). To convert GBps to Gbps, multiply the GBps value by 8. This conversion matters in high-performance computing, data center networking, and storage I/O, where both units appear in specifications. A PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD might sustain 7 GBps of read throughput, which requires a 56 Gbps interconnect. Understanding the relationship between GBps and Gbps helps when matching storage performance to network capacity, sizing backup infrastructure, and evaluating the specs of high-speed interconnects like Thunderbolt, PCIe, and InfiniBand. It is especially important when storage teams and network teams are reading the same project from different unit conventions, because a number that looks modest in gigabytes can be enormous once translated into gigabits. That translation prevents a lot of expensive capacity-planning mistakes in architecture reviews and upgrade decisions. It also makes hardware bottlenecks easier to spot quickly during procurement. That shared unit is what lets architects decide whether storage, fabric, or interface bandwidth is really the limiting factor before buying hardware.

How to Convert Gigabyte per Second to Gigabit per Second

  1. Start with your speed in gigabytes per second (GBps).
  2. Multiply the GBps value by 8 to get gigabits per second (Gbps).
  3. The result is your speed in Gbps.
  4. This reflects the fundamental 8 bits per byte relationship.
  5. For example, 5 GBps = 5 x 8 = 40 Gbps.

Real-World Examples

An NVMe SSD reads at 3.5 GBps. What network speed would you need to saturate it?
3.5 x 8 = 28 Gbps. You would need a 25 Gbps or faster network link to approach this speed.
A Thunderbolt 4 connection handles 5 GBps total bandwidth.
5 x 8 = 40 Gbps. This matches the Thunderbolt 4 specification of 40 Gbps.
A server memory bus transfers at 50 GBps.
50 x 8 = 400 Gbps. Much faster than any network connection, which is why memory is never the bottleneck for network I/O.
A backup system writes at 1.5 GBps to a storage array.
1.5 x 8 = 12 Gbps. A 25 Gbps network link provides ample headroom for this backup speed.
A RAID array benchmarks at 2.5 GBps. What network speed would match it?
2.5 x 8 = 20 Gbps. A 10 Gbps network would bottleneck it, while a 25 Gbps link could keep up more comfortably.

Quick Reference

Gigabyte per Second (GBps)Gigabit per Second (Gbps)
18
216
540
1080
25200
50400
100800

History of Gigabyte per Second and Gigabit per Second

The GBps unit became relevant as storage and computing speeds reached levels where megabyte-scale measurements became unwieldy. PCIe bus speeds, memory bandwidth, and high-end storage arrays routinely operate in the GBps range. The distinction between GBps and Gbps became critical as networking and storage specifications increasingly appeared side by side in system architecture documents. A storage engineer thinking in GBps and a network engineer thinking in Gbps can easily miscommunicate without explicit conversion.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Assuming 1 GBps = 1 Gbps. They differ by a factor of 8. This is the same bits-vs-bytes confusion that exists at every scale, but at gigabyte/gigabit level, the absolute difference is enormous: 1 GBps = 8 Gbps.
  • Using 1,000 instead of 8 as the conversion factor. The GBps-to-Gbps conversion is about bits vs. bytes (factor of 8), not about metric prefixes (factor of 1,000).
  • Mixing up the direction. GBps to Gbps multiplies by 8 (numbers get bigger). Gbps to GBps divides by 8 (numbers get smaller). Bit values are always larger than byte values for the same speed.
  • Comparing a storage benchmark in GBps directly to a network port in Gbps and assuming the larger-looking number wins. Until both numbers use the same unit, you cannot tell which component is actually faster.
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Frequently Asked Questions

How does PCIe bandwidth relate to Gbps?
PCIe 3.0 x4: about 3.94 GBps (31.5 Gbps). PCIe 4.0 x4: about 7.88 GBps (63 Gbps). PCIe 5.0 x4: about 15.75 GBps (126 Gbps). These are the bandwidths of common NVMe SSD connections.
When should I use GBps vs. Gbps?
Use GBps when discussing storage I/O, memory bandwidth, and file transfer rates. Use Gbps when discussing network link speeds, Ethernet specifications, and ISP bandwidth. The convention follows the storage (bytes) vs. networking (bits) tradition.
What is the fastest consumer storage in GBps and Gbps?
As of 2025, PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs can reach about 12 GBps (96 Gbps) sequential read. This requires a direct PCIe 5.0 x4 connection — no consumer network can match this speed.
Can a 10 Gbps network keep up with a 2 GBps storage device?
No. A 10 Gbps link equals only 1.25 GBps in theory, and somewhat less in practice. A device sustaining 2 GBps needs about 16 Gbps of network bandwidth, so you would typically look at 25 Gbps networking if you want real headroom.
What network link matches 1 GBps of sustained storage throughput?
1 GBps equals 8 Gbps in theory, so you would usually choose at least a 10 Gbps network link to cover overhead and avoid creating a bottleneck.
Quick Tip

When comparing storage to network specs, always convert to the same unit first. An NVMe SSD at 7 GBps (56 Gbps) is faster than a 25 Gbps network link but slower than a 100 Gbps link. Without converting, "7 GBps vs. 25 Gbps" looks like the network is faster, when in fact the SSD is more than twice as fast.

Sources & References