What is Graphics Processing Unit – GPU – Video Card – Graphics card? In this article I will guide you through the basic yet important details of different Graphics Processing Units.
What is Graphics Processing Unit – GPU – Video Card – Graphics card
GPU definition is Graphics Processing Unit or Graphics card or Video Card. What is a Graphics Card (Video Card) and why do you need it? Well Graphics Card or GPU in short is a hardware device that processes the picture you can see on your screen. There are 2 different types of Graphics Processing Units or GPU‘s:
- Integrated
- Dedicated
What does dedicated graphics mean? What is dgpu? Dedicated Graphics or dgpu or Dedicated Graphics Processing Unit means a separate hardware device you can buy and install into your Gaming Computer. What is integrated graphics? Integrated graphics card on the other hand is a graphics functionality that is integrated usually into your CPU. Integrated graphics card uses the RAM of your Computer as a video memory.
So when you buy a CPU there is a chance that there is a integrated graphics chip there that will process your picture and display it onto your screen. Not all CPU‘s have it though. What is the difference between dedicated vs integrated graphics? The main difference is the fact that Integrated graphics is much weaker in performance and there for will be able to handle all the basic things:
- browsing internet
- writing a word or excel document
- reading emails
- chatting with friends
- watching videos from youtube
- playing some not resource hungry games
Anything that is outside of these areas will require most likely a dedicated Graphics Card.
Different Types of Graphics Processing Unit – GPU – Video Card – Graphics card
Dedicated Graphics Processing Units or dGPU‘s roughly into 2 different categories:
- Gaming Graphics Cards
- Workstation Graphics Cards
Gaming Graphics Cards are as the name says mostly for Gaming Computers. Their main purpose is to process the 3D picture of your games. Workstation Graphics cards have a bit different Purpose. They are mostly for 3D element modelling. Such cards are usually used with programs like:
- AutoCad Products
- 3D Studio Max
- etc
Unfortunately both of these types are good at the area they are meant for and depending which model you chose – average or a bit better in the other area. So the Best Gaming Graphics Card will never be the Best Workstation Graphics Card and the other way around as well.
Bad news to Gamers. As gaming Graphics processing units or GPU’s are widely used in cryptocurrency mining, there is a very high demand on Good Gaming Video Cards and there for the prices are ridiculously high right now.
For example the Nvidia GTX 1080 I got was only a little bit more expensive than Nvidia GTX 1070. A year later the prices are different again, but crazy high. So if you plan to buy a Gaming Graphics Card right about now it might not be the best idea. Although I cannot say when if ever it would normalise.
This will conclude the Different Types of Graphics Processing Unit – GPU – Video Card – Graphics card article.
I will explain How to Choose the Best Gaming Graphics Processing Unit or GPU in a separate article:
(Will be added shortly)
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19.02.2018 – EqEST