Grafiikkaprosessointiyksikkö

A grafiikkaprosessointiyksikkö, often abbreviated as GPU, is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to create images intended for output to a display device. GPUs are highly parallel processors, meaning they can perform many calculations simultaneously. This parallel processing capability is essential for rendering complex 2D and 3D graphics, which involve processing vast amounts of data for each frame displayed on a screen.

The primary role of a GPU in a computer system is to accelerate the creation and rendering of images, video, and animations. This offloads a significant portion of the graphics-related workload from the central processing unit (CPU), allowing the CPU to focus on other tasks. In gaming, GPUs are crucial for achieving high frame rates and realistic visual effects. Beyond gaming, GPUs are increasingly used in scientific computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence due to their parallel processing power.

Modern GPUs are highly sophisticated, incorporating numerous cores designed for specific parallel tasks. They have their own dedicated memory, known as video memory or VRAM, which is optimized for fast access by the GPU. The development of GPUs has been a key factor in the evolution of visual computing, enabling increasingly immersive and detailed graphical experiences across various applications.