Compute

Compute refers to the use of computing resources to perform operations on data. In information technology, compute encompasses the processes of calculation, data manipulation, and decision making realized by computers and software. The term is often contrasted with storage and networking as a distinct resource in IT infrastructure.

Hardware and architectures underpin compute. The central processing unit (CPU) executes general-purpose instructions, while graphics processing units (GPUs) provide parallel execution for large data sets. Specialized accelerators such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) optimize particular workloads. Compute systems range from personal computers to servers and data centers, and may be distributed across clusters, grids, or cloud environments. Memory and input/output subsystems influence overall compute performance.

In contemporary IT, compute is frequently delivered as a service through cloud computing. Providers offer on-demand virtual machines, containers, and serverless functions that scale compute capacity with demand, enabling organizations to rent rather than own hardware. Virtualization and containerization improve efficiency, isolation, and portability across environments.

Performance is assessed by metrics such as operations per second (FLOPS), latency, and throughput, along with benchmark results. Parallelism—from multi-core CPUs to GPUs and distributed clusters—drives higher compute throughput. Software design, compiler optimizations, and data locality also affect efficiency.

Applications of compute span scientific simulations, data analytics, and artificial intelligence training and inference, as well as real-time processing and multimedia tasks. The field evolves with new accelerator architectures, programming models, and computing paradigms, including parallel, distributed, cloud-native, and edge computing.