Graphics processing unit

Graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobile phones, personal computers, workstations, and game consoles.

History

The term GPU was popularized by Nvidia in 1999, who marketed the GeForce 256 as "the world's first GPU". It was presented as a "single-chip processor with integrated transform, lighting, triangle setup/clipping, and rendering engines". However, GPUs were being used in most gaming consoles long before that.

Architecture

Modern GPUs are very efficient at manipulating computer graphics and image processing. Their highly parallel structure makes them more effective than general-purpose CPUs for algorithms where the processing of large blocks of data is done in parallel. In a personal computer, a GPU can be present on a video card or embedded on the Motherboard. In certain CPUs, they are embedded on the CPU die.

Performance

The performance of a GPU is determined by several factors, including the clock rate, the number of cores, the architecture, and the type of memory used. High-performance GPUs often consume significant amounts of electrical power, creating additional heat and noise, and requiring more effective cooling solutions.

Applications

GPUs are used in a variety of applications, from rendering video and graphics in games to performing complex calculations in the fields of AI and Machine learning. They are also used in Cryptocurrency mining, where their high-performance capabilities can be utilized to solve complex mathematical problems.

See also

• Video card
• Computer hardware
• Computer graphics
• Video game console