Login

or
don't have an account?
back to glossary

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

pc

A specialized electronic circuit designed to accelerate image rendering for output to a display device.

expanded

A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is integral to rendering graphics and performing complex computations necessary in modern visual computing. GPUs optimize parallel processing tasks prevalent in graphics rendering, scientific calculations, and machine learning applications, offering substantial computational capabilities over general-purpose CPUs. Used extensively in gaming, professional visualization, and high-performance computing (HPC) environments, a GPU processes data with thousands of smaller cores designed for handling multiple tasks simultaneously.

examples

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 features 8704 CUDA cores and 10 GB of GDDR6X memory, delivering a boost clock of 1.71 GHz.

Commonly used in high-end gaming PCs and workstations for demanding graphical tasks such as real-time ray tracing and AI-accelerated applications.

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 includes 3840 Stream Processors and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, with a game clock of 1.815 GHz.

Deployed in gaming rigs and professional workstations for visual effects, virtual reality applications, and accelerating multimedia tasks.

related terms

Graphics card
A graphics card is a hardware component that renders images and video output to a display device by processing graphical data using a dedicated GPU.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
A CPU is the primary component of a computer that performs most of the processing inside a computer.
Processor
A processor is the central unit in a computer responsible for executing instructions from programs.
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)
PCIe is a high-speed interface standard for connecting peripheral devices to a computer's motherboard.
Driver
A driver is a software component that allows the operating system (OS) and a hardware device to communicate efficiently.