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NVIDIA GPU

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Synonyms

Graphics processing unit

Definition

NVIDIA’s GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are a family of microprocessors that provide a unified architecture for both visual and parallel computing. They generate and process complex 2-D and 3-D imagery, typically via application programming interfaces such as Microsoft’s DirectX or OpenGL. NVIDIA’s CUDA architecture provides a platform for executing massively parallel computations, written in standard languages such as C or Fortran, on these processors.

Discussion

Graphics Processing Units, or GPUs, are masssively parallel microprocessors. They are present in every workstation, game console, desktop computer, and laptop in use today. They are also increasingly common in mobile devices such as smartphones. The GPU is responsible for generating the 2-D and 3-D graphics required by modern applications, and it provides a platform for real-time image and video processing. These visual computing capabilities are typically accessed via standard...

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© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Garland, M. (2011). NVIDIA GPU. In: Padua, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Parallel Computing. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09766-4_276

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