1.2.2

GPUs & Their Uses

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GPUs & Their Uses

A graphical processing unit (GPU) is now an essential feature in a gaming PC. They help display the output from your computer, but can be used for a whole lot more.

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GPUs

  • GPU stands for graphical processing unit.
  • A GPU is designed and made for processing graphical output from your computer system.
    • A GPU can be integrated into your computer’s motherboard
    • A GPU can also be a dedicated graphics card that plugs into the motherboard.
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CPUs vs GPUs

  • A CPU processes tasks in a serial order (one after another).
  • A GPU has lots of smaller cores that are very efficient at processing large amounts of visual data in smaller chunks simultaneously (in parallel).
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Uses of GPUs

  • A GPU is usually used to process the graphical information for a computer to output what the user is doing.
  • A GPU is also very useful for mining blockchain cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.
  • They are also often used in supercomputers as a parallel processor where a lot of data needs to be processed simultaneously.
    • These supercomputers could be for scientific use and engineering use.

Jump to other topics

1Components of a Computer

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.2Thinking Ahead

6.3Thinking Procedurally

6.4Thinking Logically

6.5Thinking Concurrently

7Problem Solving & Programming

8Algorithms

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