It could even save you money.
This is especially true if you plan to build your PC.
The four technologies are often grouped but perform separate roles.
So, what exactly is the difference between a CPU, GPU, APU, and NPU?
In early computers, the CPU was spread across multiple chips.
However, to improve efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs, the CPU is now contained on a single chip.
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These smaller CPUs are also referred to as microprocessors.
Reducing the CPU’s footprint has also enabled us to design and produce smaller, more compact devices.
The CPU performs the core computing processes for your rig.
Intel
Instructions stored in your unit’s RAM are sent to the CPU for execution.
This is a three-part system consisting of Fetch, Decode, and Execute stages.
Broadly, this means receiving inputs, understanding them, and creating the desired output.
Amazon
CPUs are available in many variants ranging from energy-efficient single-core chips to top-performance multicore chips.
Intel uses its Hyper-Threading technology to make a quad-core CPU act as though it is an octa-core.
This helps to squeeze the most power and efficiency from your CPU.
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If this has piqued your interest in learning more, check out ourguide to the CPU and its functions.
CPUs take input and work through it in linear steps.
However, graphics processing requires multiple data to be processed simultaneously.
The Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) reduces the strain on the CPU and improves video performance.
Most computers and laptops are equipped with a CPU and GPU, but this isn’t always the case.
The GPU and CPU perform similar functions, but the way they do it differs.
The GPU’s parallel structure is specially adapted for its purpose.
This helps the unit achieve the billions of calculations per second required for gaming and video playback.
The GPU is often situated on a separate graphics card, which also has its own RAM.
This enables the card to store the data it generates.
This is particularly useful when watching videos, for example.
High-performance graphics cards usually have a price tag to match.
However, there aregraphics cards for cheap gamingas well, giving an option for every budget.
In this design, all the main electronics are combined into a single die.
This enabled the growth of low-cost computing devices and smartphones.
Alongside these SoC designs,ARM Holdings developed ARM processors, a mobile-first processing unit.
Not only does this reduce cost, but it improves efficiency, too.
Minimizing the physical distance between the two enables faster data transfer and increased performance.
As GPUs are optimized for faster calculation speeds, the CPU can offload some work to the GPU.
However, the APU does make these gains possible.
Despite this, an APU doesn’t give the same performance as a dedicated CPU and GPU.
Instead, a dedicated CPU and GPU are best viewed as a step up from APUs.
This makes APUs an affordable upgrade for those looking to update their PCs.
Processor manufacturer AMD coined the term APU to help differentiate between their line of processors with an integrated GPU.
However, they weren’t the only ones to combine processors in this way.
Intel also began to integrate the CPU and GPU, too.
Despite this, Intel has never used the term APU.
They always refer to it plainly as a CPU with integrated graphics.
For a more detailed breakdown, take a look at ourguide to the APU and what it does.
GPUs are also being used for AI and ML processing tasks due to their parallel processing capabilities.
However, NPUs are gaining mainstream attention because of the AI boom.
Now that we’ve covered the main processing units, you know there are many choices for your system.
Selecting an APU is a compromise between budget and performance.
