GPU

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is 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 stand-alone card plugged into the PCI Express (PCIe) bus. The circuitry of GPUs can also be part of the motherboard chipset or on the CPU chip itself (see diagram below). See PCI Express.

It 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.

Modern GPUs are very efficient at manipulating computer graphics and image processing. Their highly parallel structure makes them more efficient than general-purpose central processing units (GPUs) for algorithms that process large blocks of data in parallel. In a personal computer (PC), a GPU can be present on a video card or embedded on the motherboard. In certain CPUs, they are embedded on the CPU die.

 

Key Takeaways of GPU

 

• The term GPU refers to a chip or electronic circuit capable of rendering graphics for display on an electronic device.
• The term “GPU” is often used interchangeably with “graphics card”,  though the two are different.
• Although GPUs were initially popular with video editing and computer gaming enthusiasts, the rapid growth of cryptocurrencies has created a new market for them.
• GPUs, first introduced to the wider market in 1999, are perhaps best known for their use in providing the smooth graphics that consumers expect in modern videos and video games.
• There has been a shortage of GPUs recently thanks to their application in the mining of cryptocurrencies.

 

GPU and PCB in Graphics Cards

 

GPU and printed circuit board (PCB) are the main components of graphics cards. The PCB is always high density interconnected (HDI) and multilayered, which is the base or board where all the components including GPU, VRAM, VRM, capacitors, sensors, etc., and display ports are mounted with modern SMT assembly technology. High-end graphics cards have more components so they require larger PCB compared to mid-range and entry-level graphics cards.