Definition: GPU

(Graphics Processing Unit) A programmable processor specialized for rendering all images on the computer's screen. A GPU provides the fastest graphics processing, and for gamers, the GPU is a must-have card plugged into a PCI Express (PCIe) slot on the motherboard. GPU circuitry can also be part of the motherboard chipset or on the CPU chip itself (see diagram below). However, such graphics circuits are not as fast as a separate GPU card, which can cost as much or more than the entire computer.

While motherboard GPUs share main memory with the CPU, high-end GPU cards have many gigabytes of their own video memory (see GDDR).

A GPU is all about performing parallel operations. Although it is used for 2D data as well as for zooming and panning the screen, a GPU is essential for smooth decoding and rendering of 3D animations and video. The more sophisticated the GPU, the higher the resolution and the faster and smoother the motion. See graphics pipeline.

Ray Tracing Engine
GPUs may also include hardware to accelerate ray tracing, which simulates a light source falling on objects resulting in bright areas and shadows. Fast ray tracing greatly enhances realism and has become mandatory for serious gaming (see ray tracing).

The Engines Behind AI and Crypto
Because GPUs perform parallel operations on data, they have been modified to become essential components in computers used for scientific and AI applications, as well as mining cryptocurrencies (see AI datacenter and crypto mining). NVIDIA is the leader in GPUs for gaming and AI (see NVIDIA).

GPU and CPU

Introduced in 2012, AMD's Trinity chip integrated a GPU with four cores of x86 processing and a DDR memory controller. Each x86 section has a dual-core CPU and cache (see L2 cache). (Image courtesy of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)

GPU and Everything Else

In 2020, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 888 system-on-chip (SoC). Along with a GPU, this single chip does just about everything. See Snapdragon and SoC.

Graphics Evolution

In early PCs, the graphics was a separate plug-in card. From top to bottom (1 to 7) is the evolution of graphics circuits in a PC. The fastest graphics (#6) uses multiple GPUs, and high-end graphics cards can cost as much or more than the computer itself.