What is a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)?
A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a chip or circuit that renders graphics for display on electrical devices. The GPU debuted in 1999 and is best recognized for generating smooth visuals in current media and games.
How Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Works
Graphics in movies and games are created by converting polygonal coordinates into bitmaps, known as “rendering,” and then used to display signals on a screen. This conversion necessitates a powerful GPU, making it valuable in machine learning, AI, and other complex calculation processes.
GPU history
Nvidia produced the first widely accessible GPU, the Geforce 256, in 1999. An Nvidia GPU is a “single-chip processor with integrated transform, lighting, triangle setup/clipping, and rendering engines that can process a minimum of 10 million polygons per second.” The GeForce 256 optimized 3D gaming performance above other CPUs.
Nvidia still dominates the GPU industry, but technology has advanced. GeForce 8800 GTX, introduced in the 2000s, has a 36.8 billion-per-second texture-fill rate.
Today, GPUs are hot again. AI and cryptocurrency have expanded their applications into new sectors. GPUs have expanded access to high-quality virtual reality games.
GPUs vs. CPUs
The CPU rendered graphics before GPUs arrived in the late 1990s. A GPU may boost computer speed by taking over computationally heavy tasks from the CPU, like rendering. The GPU can do several computations at once, speeding up application processing. This change enabled more complex and resource-intensive software.
GPUs and CPUs use cores to process data. More cores in a CPU mean quicker and more efficient job completion. GPUs parallelize work with thousands of cores. GPUs exploit parallelism, while CPUs use fewer cores to complete work sequentially. CPUs calculate faster than GPUs, making them better at simple tasks.
Special Considerations
While commonly used interchangeably, “GPU” and “graphics card” are distinct terms. A graphics card has one or more GPUs, a daughterboard, and other technical components to work.
However, motherboards and graphics card daughterboards can have GPUs. Initially, only high-end computers had graphics cards. Instead of a motherboard-built GPU, most desktop computers today utilize a graphics card with a GPU for performance.
GPU Crypto Mining
GPUs were initially popular among video editors and gamers, but the rise of cryptocurrency introduced a new industry. Cryptocurrency mining involves millions of calculations to add transactions to a blockchain, making it viable with a GPU and cheap power.
Recently, cryptocurrency mining has significantly boosted sales and income for two significant graphics card makers, Nvidia Corp. (NVDA) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD).
This frustrated non-mining consumers by raising prices and reducing supplies. Stores sometimes limit the number of graphics cards a customer may buy. While Bitcoin miners employ ASICs for cost-effective mining, lesser-known currencies still use graphics processing units.
GPUs are in short supply due to cryptocurrency adoption. The Verge saw GPUs selling for two to three times their street price on eBay.
GPU Company Examples
Both AMD and Nvidia are significant players in the GPU business. Check out both companies below.
Advanced Micro Devices
AMD is one of the most reputable graphic card manufacturers. The 1969 Silicon Valley firm makes high-performance computing and visualization solutions.AMD purchased top visual card producer ATI in 2006 to join the GPU market. AMD and Nvidia have dominated the GPU industry since then. AMD has a $97.3 billion market valuation as of May 2021. Also, AMD has sold 500 million GPUs since 2013 and has 17% of the GPU market.
AMD is popular among gamers worldwide for their GPUs for PC gaming.
NVDA
In 1999, Nvidia introduced GPUs around the globe. GPU history began with the Geforce 256. In 1999, Nvidia launched its IPO at $12 per share. Shares traded at $645 in May 2021.
Nvidia owns 13% of the GPU industry and has a market valuation of $404.8 billion.
Nvidia is a giant in the advanced GPU market. Nvidia’s website says, “Eight of the top 10 supercomputers employ NVIDIA GPUs, InfiniBand networking, or both. The newest TOP500 ranking has 346 NVIDIA systems.”
Nvidia’s Selene, the fastest industrial supercomputer, ranks sixth.
GPU FAQs
What Is the Difference Between GPU and VGA?
A GPU is a chip or circuit that renders graphics for display, whereas a VGA connection is a physical device that transfers signals and outputs computer video.
GPU Overclocking: How?
Clean your device and apply software updates and bug patches before overclocking. Modern technology makes overclocking easy. Install Afterburner and let the system function. Test the new software with a gaming benchmark after installation.
GPU Scaling—What?
GPU scaling lets gamers modify game aspect ratios based on display resolution. According to some users, adjusting the aspect ratio may improve display image quality.
Conclusion
- A GPU is a chip or electrical circuit that renders graphics for display on an electronic device.
- While commonly used interchangeably, “GPU” and “graphics card” are distinct terms.
- GPUs were formerly popular with video editors and computer gamers, but cryptocurrencies have spawned a new industry.
- GPUs debuted in 1999 and are best recognized for generating smooth visuals in current media and games.
- GPUs are in low supply due to cryptocurrency mining.
