Convert Gigahertz to Hertz
Gigahertz to hertz is the conversion you need when a frequency is written in the big unit — a 3.2 GHz CPU clock, a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, a 5G radio — but you want the raw count of cycles per second. One gigahertz is exactly 1,000,000,000 hertz, so the number always gets much larger going this way.
Gigahertz to Hertz conversion table
| Gigahertz (GHz) | Hertz (Hz) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1,000,000,000 |
| 2 | 2,000,000,000 |
| 3 | 3,000,000,000 |
| 5 | 5,000,000,000 |
| 10 | 10,000,000,000 |
| 20 | 20,000,000,000 |
| 50 | 50,000,000,000 |
| 100 | 100,000,000,000 |
| 500 | 500,000,000,000 |
| 1,000 | 1,000,000,000,000 |
The formula
To convert gigahertz to hertz, multiply the number of gigahertz by 1,000,000,000:
hertz = gigahertz × 1,000,000,000
A worked example
Say you have a 1 GHz signal and want it in hertz:
1 × 1,000,000,000 = 1,000,000,000 Hz
So 1 gigahertz is exactly 1,000,000,000 hertz.
Why the number is exact
The hertz is the base unit — one cycle per second — and "giga" is a metric prefix that means exactly one billion. Stacking that prefix onto hertz gives an exact power of a thousand, so one gigahertz is exactly 1,000,000,000 hertz. There's no rounding anywhere: the factor is a defined step in the metric system.
When you'll use it
Reading a CPU clock speed, a Wi-Fi or 5G band, or a radio frequency in its full cycle-per-second form, and comparing frequencies that are quoted in different metric units.
Frequently asked questions
How many hertz are in a gigahertz?
Exactly 1,000,000,000 hertz — one billion. 'Giga' means a billion, so a gigahertz is a billion cycles per second, with nothing rounded.
What does 3.2 GHz mean in hertz?
A 3.2 GHz clock, like a typical CPU, runs at 3,200,000,000 hertz — 3.2 billion cycles every second. You get it by multiplying 3.2 by 1,000,000,000.
Is the gigahertz to hertz conversion exact?
Yes. 'Giga' is defined as exactly a billion, so one gigahertz is exactly 1,000,000,000 hertz — an exact step, not an approximation.