Gigabytes per second to gigabits per second converter
Convertersconversion pair
Convert GB/s to Gbps instantly: 1 GB/s is 8 Gbps. The number a network link needs to keep up with a fast disk.
eight gigabits per gigabyte, every time, no matter how fast the disk is.
work surface
Math, not advice — results are indicative.Read the disclaimer.
pro tips
Multiply by 8 to go from GB/s to Gbps. It is the same bit-versus-byte factor, wearing giga prefixes.
A 1 GB/s backup needs at least 8 Gbps of network; anything less and the link is the bottleneck.
A 2 GB/s copy needs 16 Gbps of link. On a 10 Gbps network, the link caps the transfer at 1.25 GB/s, so the disk is never the problem.
what it does
One gigabyte per second is eight gigabits per second. Multiply by eight and a storage rate becomes the network rate required to feed it.
This is the calculation behind every "why is my copy slow" question. A drive writing at 1 GB/s needs an 8 Gbps link to keep up; a 1 Gbps network caps the same drive at 0.125 GB/s, no matter how fast the hardware claims to be.
Examples: 0.5 GB/s is 4 Gbps, 1.25 GB/s is 10 Gbps, and 5 GB/s is 40 Gbps. Those pairs are why data centres talk about 10G, 40G and 100G links next to storage arrays.
Type a gigabytes-per-second value and the widget returns gigabits per second live. Copy the answer, or swap to the Gbps-to-GB/s page when the link is the known quantity.
quick answers
How many Gbps does a 2 GB/s copy need?
16 Gbps. Multiply the byte rate by eight, then apply the giga prefix.
Is 10 Gbps enough for a 1 GB/s disk?
Yes. 10 Gbps is 1.25 GB/s, so the link has a little headroom over a 1 GB/s sustained write.
Why does a 10 Gbps network cap a 2 GB/s disk?
Because 10 Gbps is only 1.25 GB/s, so the link is slower than the drive. The disk spends the transfer waiting for the network to catch up.