What is a Graphical Processing Unit?        

The Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) has become one of the most important piece of computer hardware, used for both personal and business computing. It is used for a wide variety of purposes, such as gaming, video rendering, and creative production.

What makes up a GPU?

A GPU (much like a motherboard) is a printed circuit board that holds its very own RAM and processor (almost like a tiny computer in a computer). Much like a CPU, the GPU obviously does processing, however, unlike a CPU it is designed specifically for doing a large number of complex mathematical and geometrical calculations allowing parallel processing, hence all of its own components. A GPU can get even hotter than the CPU itself in some cases and often comes with one or more fans on top by factory default.

How does a GPU work?

The monitor is instructed on what to display by the graphics card. The GPU translates the binary data from the CPU to data that the monitor can read to make an image we can see. Displaying a 3D image consists of 3-4 steps, first the GPU converts the binary data of position on screen, and shape into a wireframe in the specified position and shape, then it rasterizes it (fills in the pixels in between), lastly it adds colour, lighting and normal (texture). It then displays on the screen.

How does it do its calculations?

Obviously, just throwing a bunch of hardware together without any software is not going to work. Same goes for the GPU. ATI (now AMD) and nVIdia are two companies that do most of this programming, allowing the GPU to perform it’s calculations precisely, accurately and quickly. This is why you will often have to install drivers on your computer for your GPU.

How do you install a GPU?

Installing a GPU is a simple process which involves only a PC, a GPU and a screwdriver. To install the GPU, open up the case of your PC, and find a PCIe x16 slot. Then unclip the clip that holds the graphics card in place and insert it into the PCIe x16 slot. Make sure to align the slot with the pins. Press down on the GPU to make sure it is in place, and then push down the clip which locks it into the slot. To test if it works, plug in a monitor into the graphics card and turn the computer on.

Dedicated and Integrated GPUs

GPUs come in two different types: dedicated GPUs and integrated GPUs. Integrated GPUs are GPUs that are integrated with the CPU (central processing unit) which allows for much cheaper, more power efficient computers. Integrated GPUs are most commonly seen in laptops or cheap PC builds. Dedicated GPUs on the other hand are more suited to performing more graphics intensive tasks, like gaming or video rendering. Dedicated GPUs produce much more processing power than integrated GPUs, but they are less power efficient, and often need a dedicated fan to prevent them from overheating.