How it’s different from the CPU.
The computer industry is developing day by day. These days, people can perform highly intensive work on their computers. Modern computers can also take a higher workload and perform highly intensive work. All the credit goes to the development of CPU and GPU. Most people know about the CPU and its importance in a computer. However, many people do not know about the GPU and its use cases on a computer-based device such as a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or other devices. Most of us think that the performance of a computer-based device depends only on the CPU. This is not completely true. Â GPU also plays an important role in the performance of a computer-based device. Without GPU, it is impossible to do many highly intensive tasks on our computer, smartphone, or another computer-based device. In this article, we will discuss what a GPU is, the use cases of a GPU, and how it works. Besides, we will explore the difference between the GPU and CPU. Â
The full form of a GPU is a graphics processing unit. A GPU is mainly a computer chip that is responsible for rendering graphics and images. GPU renders graphics and images by performing mathematical calculations. In a simple word, it creates images on the screen. For example, while you are looking at a smartphone, desktop, or laptop, you can see an image or video. Without GPU, you will not be able to see any images or videos on your device screen. A GPU is responsible for rendering the image and video to the computer screen so that the user can view the content. In the first instance, the GPUs were responsible for only rendering 2D and 3D images and animated videos, but now there is a wide range of use cases of a GPU. In recent days, a computer-based machine with an embedded or discrete GPU can render 2D and 3D graphics and video content smoothly, increase the device’s capability of smooth gaming, and make the device suitable for other applications where lots of graphics-related work needs to be done. With the development of technology, more flexible and programmable GPUs are now present, and these GPUs are not limited to only gaming but also high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, video editing, and content creation.
The use cases of a GPU
In the early age of the computer industry, only the CPU was responsible for performing graphics-related calculations for any applications such as rendering videos and photos. But day by day, graphics-intensive work increases, and the applications of highly intensive graphics are also developed to handle the high graphics-related work that puts a strain on the CPU and the CPU becomes slow. As the CPU becomes slow, the overall performance of the computer decreases. That’s why the GPU was developed to handle graphics-related tasks and applications. A GPU can do graphics-related tasks quickly and allow the smooth rendering of the video and images on the computer screen. As the GPU takes care of the graphics-related part, the CPU can handle the other tasks that increase the overall performance of the computer.
After the development of GPU, the developer now can develop highly intensive graphics applications as now, GPU will take care of the graphics-related part of the computer. The GPU can smoothly run highly intensive PC games. Besides, GPU makes the video and image rendering smooth. The modern GPU is highly programmable and used in a wide range of applications. For example, GPU is now also used to take part in machine learning and artificial intelligence workloads. The most use cases of GPUs are:
- Render the 2-D and 3-D graphics applications
- Video editing
- Rendering the graphics of the video game
- Advancing artificial intelligence and machine learning-related applications
How a GPU works
GPUs are worked by following a method called parallel processing. That means multiple processors are responsible for handling a single task in a GPU. A GPU consists of a separate RAM that stores the data at the time of processing. The RAM is used here to hold the larger amount of data that comes into the GPU unit for processing. In a computer, the CPU sends the instruction to the GPU for the graphics-related content and then, the GPU executes the instruction following the parallel processing method and displays the content on the device. This overall process is known as graphics or rendering pipeline.
The difference between GPU and CPU
GPUs and CPUs are similar in structure and a GPU can be integrated into a CPU sometimes, but there are some differences between these two. CPUs are responsible for processing the basic instructions that drive a computer, whereas GPUs are used for rendering high-res videos and images. CPUs take care of the instructions, most of the execution from the hardware and application program to run the computer system and GPUs take care of the complex mathematical calculations necessary to focus on graphics rendering and other applications that require intensive graphics work.
Both GPU and CPU consist of different numbers of cores and transistors. Each core processes its task. A GPU uses many cores compared to a CPU which allows a GPU to perform parallel processing. On the other hand, A CPU uses fewer cores, and each core performs the task sequentially.
GPU contains more transistors than the CPU. However, A CPU has a higher clock speed than the GPU which allows the CPU to perform individual calculations faster than the GPU.
In simple, A CPU processes the basic tasks including controlling, input-output operations that are needed to drive a computer, and can process the graphics also but is not a specialist in graphics-related operation. A GPU is a specialist at processing mathematical calculations for graphical tasks. A GPU needs to depend on the CPU to complete the task. Though a GPU performs graphics-related tasks quickly compared to the CPU, a GPU needs to get the instruction from the CPU.
What is the relation between GPU and Graphics card
Some people become confused about the terms GPU and graphics card. In specific, a GPU is a processing chip that is present in the graphics card. In some cases, the GPU is built into the motherboard and embedded with the CPU which is known as integrated GPU. But there is another option where a separate graphics card is used, and the GPU is built into that graphics card and then the graphics card is slotted into the motherboard. This option of using a separate graphics card is also known as the dedicated graphics card. A dedicated graphics card is more powerful and renders the image and video quickly compared to integrated graphics but consumes a lot of power.
Conclusion
The graphics-intensive work is increasing day by day and advanced applications related to graphic works are also increasing. Therefore, tech companies are also investing a lot to make the GPU more powerful. In addition, today’s GPUs are more programable and can be used in a wide range of applications instead of traditional graphics rendering.
