How this frequency converter works
Frequency measures how many cycles happen each second. It turns up as the gigahertz on a CPU clock, the megahertz on a Wi-Fi or radio channel, the hertz and kilohertz of an audio signal, and the revolutions per minute (RPM) of a spinning motor or disk. They all measure the same quantity on different scales. To convert accurately between them, this tool turns whatever you type into a single base unit — the hertz — and then expresses that base value in every other unit. Converting through a base avoids the rounding errors that creep in when you chain conversions one after another.
The exact factors used (each expressed in hertz) are: 1 kHz = 1,000 Hz, 1 MHz = 1,000,000 Hz, 1 GHz = 1,000,000,000 Hz, and 1 THz = 1,000,000,000,000 Hz. Revolutions per minute relate to hertz by time, not by a metric prefix: 1 Hz = 60 RPM (and 1 RPM = 1/60 Hz), since one cycle per second is sixty cycles per minute. The most-searched pairings — megahertz to gigahertz and hertz to RPM — are highlighted at the top so you can read them at a glance.
Common conversions
| From | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 gigahertz (GHz) | 1,000 MHz (= 1,000,000,000 Hz) |
| 1 megahertz (MHz) | 1,000 kHz (= 1,000,000 Hz) |
| 1 kilohertz (kHz) | 1,000 Hz |
| 1 terahertz (THz) | 1,000 GHz (= 1,000,000,000,000 Hz) |
| 1 hertz (Hz) | 60 RPM (1 RPM = 1/60 Hz) |
Reference note: the SI prefixes kilo, mega, giga and tera step by factors of 1,000. RPM is a rate per minute, so it relates to hertz through the 60-second minute (1 Hz = 60 RPM), not a metric prefix. Results are rounded for readability.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert MHz to GHz?
- Divide megahertz by 1,000 to get gigahertz, because one gigahertz is 1,000 megahertz. For example, 2,400 MHz ÷ 1,000 = 2.4 GHz. This converter shows the result instantly the moment you type a value.
- What is a hertz?
- A hertz (Hz) is the SI unit of frequency, equal to one cycle or event per second. It is the base unit this tool converts through. A kilohertz (kHz) is 1,000 Hz, a megahertz (MHz) is 1,000,000 Hz and a gigahertz (GHz) is 1,000,000,000 Hz.
- How many MHz in a GHz?
- There are 1,000 megahertz in one gigahertz, because 1 GHz = 1,000,000,000 Hz and 1 MHz = 1,000,000 Hz. So a 3.6 GHz processor runs at 3,600 MHz.
- How do I convert Hz to RPM?
- Multiply hertz by 60 to get revolutions per minute, because one cycle per second equals 60 cycles per minute. For example, 50 Hz × 60 = 3,000 RPM. To go the other way, divide RPM by 60 to get hertz.
- What is THz?
- A terahertz (THz) is one trillion hertz, or 1,000,000,000,000 Hz — equal to 1,000 gigahertz. Terahertz frequencies appear in optics and infrared light, and at the leading edge of high-speed electronics and signalling research.
- Why does CPU or radio use these units?
- Frequency counts how many cycles happen each second, so it describes both a CPU clock and a radio wave. Processors run at billions of cycles per second (GHz), Wi-Fi and mobile radio sit in the MHz-to-GHz range, and audio is measured in Hz and kHz. Using the right prefix keeps the numbers readable.