Both these terms are different from one another, but to properly run a computer device, they are equally important. So, if you are planning to buy a new computer system, then you should understand the basic difference between CPU and GPU the terms.
What is a CPU(Central Processing Unit)?
CPU or Central Processing Unit is the brain of any electronically embedded unit. It consists of two functioning units – ALU and CU.
1 What is a CPU(Central Processing Unit)?2 What is a GPU(Graphics Processing Unit)/Graphics Card?2.1 Is GPU & Graphics Card the Same?3 Key Difference Between CPU and GPU4 Architectural difference between CPU and GPU
Arithmetic Logic Unit is used to store temporary data and performing mathematical calculations, whereas the Control Unit is used to perform the task of sequencing and branching. The first company to develop a CPU is Intel, named 4004 chip which was the first 4 bit CPU. After that, they designed it on x86 architecture which became more popular, later ARM has come up with a 32-bit microprocessor made by Acorn Computers. CPU functions as a brain in the computer system as it has to interact with other parts of the system such as memory and input and output unit. It is the responsibility of the CPU to execute the information received from the memory. The control unit has to sometimes interact with the input and output unit to maintain the functionality of the system. It generates an address, data, and control signals while receiving the data, status signals and interrupts with the help of the system bus. A system bus is a collection of various buses such as data, address, and control bus. The CPU assigns more hardware units to fast cache while low to computation which is entirely different from the GPU. Function Of CPU :
Fetch InstructionsInterpret InstructionsFetch the whole DataWrite DataControl the timing of information flowControl the storage of dataGive commands to all components of the computerPerforms all the calculations
What is a GPU(Graphics Processing Unit)/Graphics Card?
The GPU or also called a Graphics processing unit is a special processor that is used to display graphics on the screen. It is mostly incorporated by CPU to share RAM with the entire system, GPU is in a way regulated by the CPU just like the other parts of a computer system. It is required to experience the high-end graphics display. The discreetly working GPU Unit has its RAM called VRAM which is used to display videos.
The graphics units were first introduced by Intel and IBM in 1980. The GPU used to earlier perform very basic functions like area filling, alteration of simple images, shape drawing and so on. However, modern GPU technology has developed very much and today GPU can perform research and analysis without the requirement of CPU. The GPU is today working parallel with the CPU. In the GPU the several processing units are stripped together where no cache coherency exists. It won’t be wrong to say that GPU technology has improved tremendously in the past few years and has revamped the methods of display.
Functions Of GPU :
Do calculations related to 3DSpecialized for display Functions.Renders images, video, and animations for the computer’s screenGPU is designed to perform floating point operations
Is GPU & Graphics Card the Same?
Yes and no, one does not function without the other. The graphics card is a chip on the Graphics processing unit, and they both enable each other to work. Since they are bought as 1 unit it is very common to refer to the GPU is the ‘Graphics Card.’ While this is not technically correct regarding terminology, it is easy to see why as you will never see a modern GPU without a graphics card.
Key Difference Between CPU and GPU
The central processing unit is the mean functioning unit of a computer, where the graphics processing unit is the display unit of the computer. Both these units are entirely different from one another, but still, some of their functioning is interfering with each other. So, to better conclude both, let’s study their key differences –
Architectural difference between CPU and GPU
In architecture sense, CPU is composed of few huge Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) cores for general-purpose processing with lots of cache memory and one huge control module that can handle a few software threads at a time. CPU is optimized for serial operations since its clock is very high. While GPU, on the other hand, has many small ALUs, small control modules, and a small cache. GPU is optimized for parallel operations.
GPU compute unit is much simpler than a modern superscalar CPU coreGPU compute unit does not do branch predictionAll GPU cores execute the same instructions, at the same time, but operate on different data (SIMD)A CPU core has a massive cache, branch prediction and higher clock speed
Conclusion If you want to know whether CPU is important in the electronic devices or GPU. Then, we can honestly say that it is impossible to conclude which one is better among the CPU and GPU. That’s because the existence of both the units depend upon each other. Without the CPU, GPU can’t display the graphics and with the absence of CPU, GPU can’t get instructions when to produce the graphics. So, they both are equally important parts of the computer system and you cannot compromise on the quality of anyone because together they generate the best outcome.
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