APU, CPU, GPU | The difference between them? - Explanation

Over the years or since the beginning of the development of computing technology, we have heard about various types of hardware, as well as many computing terms. Different types of hardware are required to complete a computing device or computer machine; Just as the children of the same father have different characteristics, so the computer has different functions of APU, CPU, GPU.

They have some advantages and some disadvantages, you will know which computer is right for you only when you know about them properly.

CPU

The name CPU is quite familiar to most computer users today; However, even if they only know the name, many do not know what it does. Again, just "what is it" is not the big question, when you search online to build a new desktop, then the terms "dual core" "i3 core" "i7 core" etc float in front of you. So the question is, is this a CPU or a microprocessor? It is also called Central Processing Unit.

"Central Processing Unit" - A lot can be understood from this name. That is, it is a device that performs all the major functions of a computer. You may be browsing the internet with a computer, watching videos, editing photos, but what is the real job of a computer? Processing data / programs; And this work is completed by the Central Processing Unit.

Imagine a bank account manager, whether you need to withdraw money or open a new account or deposit money, all these processes are deposited in the cash counter or other counter through the account manager. Your computer's microprocessor works just like the bank's account manager on the main system. This is a very simple example of how a CPU works; Now let's try to know the technical issues. Don't be afraid, I will explain it easily.

You run many kinds of programs on your computer, don't you? But to run a program, the processor has to follow thousands to millions of commands. Suppose you open an internet browser. Now the browser needs internet to run the program, the CPU opens that internet connection and also helps the processor to play various graphics or videos starting from the browser page render. The processor stores the millions of commands in a program at a specific address and keeps track of how the program is run.

The CPU reads a program in a programmer's language and breaks it down to run the program. Suppose you own a computer, you have a translator, a processor, and a Chinese person (program) wants to talk to you. So whatever that Chinese person says to you in Chinese, your translator will translate it and make it understandable to you. This is how computer processors work.

Moreover, the processor receives any input and generates an output, which the processor records in the computer memory (RAM). Another important term for a processor is its clock. Processors are made up of millions of transistors, they can also be called a single switch - because their only job is to be on and off and this is how they process data. Once the switch is turned on and off, it is said to work one hour cycle. Suppose a processor has a clock speed of 2.6 GHz, but that processor completes 2.8 billion clock cycles in one second.

Too many CPUs

Most computers today use one processor and that one processor has many cores. Many processors also have hyper-threading technology. Before the advent of hyper-threading technology and multi-core processors, it was necessary to install separate processors to increase the capacity of computers. This meant that a motherboard needed to have multiple processor sockets. Moreover, to run multiple CPUs on the same system at the same time, the motherboard required separate hardware that would connect the processor to RAM, and the rest of the system.

T used to waste a lot of power. But nowadays such problems are no longer seen in home computers. Heavy gaming PCs that have multiple GPUs together; A single processor is enough to handle that. Multiple CPUs can only be found on high config computers such as servers, supercomputers, etc.

Hyper-threading technology

Hyper-threading technology is Intel's first parallel computing PC system. We first became acquainted with hyper-threading technology in 2002 when the first Intel Pentium 4HH processor came on the market. That processor was a single core processor, meaning it could only do one thing at a time. But as a result of hyper-threading technology, the operating system could see two cores in that processor. It has a lot to do with the operating system "Chitari" - yet it has significant significance.

The single core processor looks like a virtual dual core in hyper-threading technology but it works just like the physical dual core and gives your system more speed. If one virtual core is suspended, the second virtual core can speed up work with resources from the previous core. This technology really increases the speed of your system, but it is still good to have multiple cores in the processor.

Fortunately, hyper-threading is now a bonus. Modern Intel processors have multiple physical cores and hyper-threading at the same time. In hyper-threading technology with your dual core processor it can see and use 4 operating systems. This way the quad processor can be seen and used by the operating system as a 6 core. Dual core processors with hyper-threading can work faster than dual core processors without hyper-threading.

Multi-core CPU

In fact, the processor is supposed to have a core, which means that physically a processor will have a processing unit. But manufacturers have added "multiple cores" to a processor to increase performance. The dual core processor has two CPUs and the operating system can use both at the same time; As a result, it is possible to complete different processes at the same time.

This is not to deceive the operating system like hyper-threading technology — dual core processor means that two CPUs are physically attached to one chip. The quad core has 4 CPUs and the Octacore has 8 central processing units. When multiple central processing units are connected to a single chip and it is controlled from a single motherboard socket, computing performance increases dramatically.

Imagine if four separate processors were needed on the motherboard instead of a quad core processor, then of course four sockets would be needed and a separate cooling system would be needed to cool each one.

So the more cores you have in your computer processor, the more processes your computer can complete at the same time. Even if you work with only one program at a time, the rest of the cores will be able to handle the background task, so your operating system will not be slow. So the importance of having multiple core CPUs in your computer processor is not to be underestimated. Smartphones, tablets, etc. are equipped with multiple core processors for the same purpose.

GPU

The name of the important hardware that comes after the processor is "GPU" whose full name is "Graphics Processing Unit". Here, too, by hearing the name, one can get an idea of ​​the work of this unit with all the graphics of the computer. All the work of the computer will be completed by using the processor; The PC's operating system will load, the program will run, etc. But if you do not have a GPU in your system, you will not be able to connect the monitor to your PC. Server computers do not require a GPU, there is no monitor, but all work is done using the command interface.

Moreover those who do gaming; GPUs are used more than CPUs in games. Like the CPU, the GPU can receive input, process it and provide output. However, it is specifically designed to help render graphics. Some GPUs have more transistors than processors.

Most motherboards today have built-in Intel graphics, but only for normal use or normal gaming. If you want to do high end gaming or render video, you will need to install a dedicated graphics card or unit.

We already know that a processor is basically the brain of a computer, specially designed to process all kinds of tasks. But the graphics processing unit is ready for dedicated work and it completes the processes that the processor has done once before. Another feature of the GPU is that it can hold hundreds of cores and each core works in parallel. In many respects it has more processing power than the processor.

If you work with a lot of graphics or like to play video games, the Dedicated Graphics Processing Unit will help you increase your computer performance. Suppose you are alone in your home and all you have to do is decorate the house, clean, market, etc. Now suppose you hire a workman who is responsible for marketing and cleaning, but at that point you can comfortably do your own thing. The role of GPU in your system is a lot like this.

GPUs come in different sizes in different ways. Most graphics processing units are separate hardware that has its own cooling system and is integrated into your PCI-Express. Some GPUs come with integrated graphics chips, which are built-in to your motherboard. The number of cores in a GPU depends on the manufacturer. Nvidia's graphics cards offer more power at a lower chip, but AMD graphics cards have more cores to enhance performance. Nvidia's high-end graphics cards have up to 6 cores, while AMD's cards have ~ 1,500 cores.

We have discussed in detail in another article about the graphics processing unit of mobile phones, you can read.

APU

By now you must have got a clear idea about CPU and GPU. It will be much easier to get an idea of ​​the APU now; Its full name is Accelerated Processing Unit and it is a chip where CPU and GPU are mixed together. The biggest advantage of this is that there is a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit on the same chip, so they have the ability to make faster connections with each other.

If you are a regular user, let's say you are editing normal or personal video or photo or doing small gaming, then APU can give you good performance. But if your demand is high, APU will not be able to meet your demand. APUs are especially popular on mobile devices, laptops and lower-end desktops.

If you are a basic computing user, you can fit a light thin GPU with any normal CPU, absolutely no GPU is needed for basic users. You can work with the default graphics of the motherboard. Or you can install CPU / GPU mixed APU if you want. But if you have a lot of graphics needs, the APU is out of the question; You will need a strong GPU with a strong CPU.

So if you need to upgrade your PC; Which do you prefer - CPU / GPU / APU? Let us know in the comments below.