Synonyms
Definition
A Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialized processor dedicated to the creation of the images visualized on the screen. It implements a set of the most frequently used graphics primitive operations, so as the CPU is not involved in the time-expensive graphical computation. GPUs, originally designed for personal computers, are currently used in many other kinds of devices, such as mobile phones, games consoles, tablets, or embedded systems. In a PC a GPU can be included as a standalone graphic card (usually in the mid-high-level solutions) or embedded in the motherboard (in low-level models). Finally, at the end of 2010, CPUs with integrated GPU were released: a solution particularly efficient to reduce communication times among the processors and to limit battery consumption in mobile devices (as notebooks or netbooks).
Cross-References
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Lombardi, L., Dondi, P. (2013). GPU. In: Dubitzky, W., Wolkenhauer, O., Cho, KH., Yokota, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Systems Biology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9863-7_1308
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9863-7_1308
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-9862-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-9863-7
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences