I'm confused about GPU vs. Graphics Card
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Xbox 360 slim
Member
GPU is when i'm too sorry type "graphics card". If you're over 40 you can say "video card"
The Fartist
Gold Member
Yes
Loomy
Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Don't know if this is a troll thread or not, but:
GPU = Graphics Processing Unit.
Graphics card is just an informal way of referring to one of the ways a GPU can exist - as a standalone/separate/discrete card you slot into your motherboard.
Another way a GPU exists - on smaller things like consoles, laptops, phone, etc - is integrated into the system itself.
GPU = Graphics Processing Unit.
Graphics card is just an informal way of referring to one of the ways a GPU can exist - as a standalone/separate/discrete card you slot into your motherboard.
Another way a GPU exists - on smaller things like consoles, laptops, phone, etc - is integrated into the system itself.
Gameplay Gods Bless
Member
GPU is the chip Nvidia makes that goes in the graphics card. The graphics card itself has several other components like heat sinks, fans etc.
Plies
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
A GPU is essentially an advanced microcontroller of a system?
kevboard
Member
a GPU is a microchip that is designed to calculate graphics rendering related tasks.
a graphics card is an expansion card for a computer that has a GPU on it and can be installed by the user (these days typically) through a PCIe slot
edit: for completion's sake:
an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) or SoC (System on a Chip) is a chip that has both CPU and GPU hardware inside a single package.
modern consoles all use APUs.
the Xbox 360 originally had a separate CPU and GPU, but later revisions replaced those with a single unified SoC, as that's cheaper.
APU is AMD's name for them, SoC is the general term.
many PC CPUs you can buy are in reality APUs/SoCs, as they have integrated graphics (iGPU) hardware. on intel it was basically the default for a while now that their chips are SoCs, only certain models with and F at the end of their product name had no iGPU.
a graphics card is an expansion card for a computer that has a GPU on it and can be installed by the user (these days typically) through a PCIe slot
edit: for completion's sake:
an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) or SoC (System on a Chip) is a chip that has both CPU and GPU hardware inside a single package.
modern consoles all use APUs.
the Xbox 360 originally had a separate CPU and GPU, but later revisions replaced those with a single unified SoC, as that's cheaper.
APU is AMD's name for them, SoC is the general term.
many PC CPUs you can buy are in reality APUs/SoCs, as they have integrated graphics (iGPU) hardware. on intel it was basically the default for a while now that their chips are SoCs, only certain models with and F at the end of their product name had no iGPU.
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Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
The GPU is the chip. The graphics card is the whole thing including fans, PCB, VRAM, cooler, etc. We use them interchangeably because 99% of GPUs now are also graphics card. However, onboard GPUs are not graphics cards. They're just GPUs as they usually lack the "card" part.
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delirium trigger
Member
You need a cpu regardless. Some cpu's come with integrated graphics built in but if you want to play anything demanding you need a gpu as well.
bbeach123
Member
No , its like a CPU , just way simplier , weaker but had shit fuck ton of core . Upward 10000 core.
Plies
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
Can I convert a CPU to a GPU or vice versa?
bbeach123
Member
theoretical yes ,but require an entire new software for them , but im not sure anyone ever want to do that because its too inefficient for them to work as another.
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kruis
Exposing the sinister cartel of retailers who allow companies to pay for advertising space.
Only on systems where you can download additional ram.
Knightime_X
Member
GPU = RX 9070 XT OC
Graphics card = GTX 550
Video card = GT 240
Intergrated graphics = ATI 3d rage pro 2
Graphics card = GTX 550
Video card = GT 240
Intergrated graphics = ATI 3d rage pro 2
ResilientBanana
Member
No, they're designed completely different which is why CPU based rendering is a called software based and GPU based rendering is considered hardware based. They use memory in vastly different ways which is why CPUs use DDR and GPUs use GDDR.
Viruz
Member
Gaiff
SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
What nonsense is this?
Mithos
Member
CGA FTW.
kevboard
Member
...you literally listed 4 graphics cards there
is that supposed to be a joke I don't get?
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spons
Gold Member
Looks like he's sorting from good to worse using increasingly worsening terms?
cormack12
Gold Member
Goalus
Member
MDA above all.
dreamstation
Member
Voted graphics card but they're video card to me.
Knightime_X
Member
so over the years when someone mentions they have video hardware, from my experience, when they mention the hardware by those names, that's approximately the strength to expect depending on how they say it.
When someone says "gpu" they have mid-high to high end
when they say graphics card, it's typically something current \ semi current mid to entry level.
so on and so forth.
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BlackTron
Member
You can refer to the entire card as the most important item on it (the GPU) or the just call it the GFX card.
If we attached the CPU to the motherboard with some sort of attachment board that they came pre-installed to like GPUs do. We would do the same thing there. And the whole board would be named after the chip of course. Are you buying a CPU or processor card? lol
If we attached the CPU to the motherboard with some sort of attachment board that they came pre-installed to like GPUs do. We would do the same thing there. And the whole board would be named after the chip of course. Are you buying a CPU or processor card? lol
Wildebeest
Member
Card just means you can remove it while on board means it is on the motherboard and can't be swapped out like a console or laptop.
PeteBull
Member
Just to make OPs brain even bigger mess, consoles these days dont have GPU's, they got an APU
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cormack12
Gold Member
Yeah, this is also good to remember OPJust to make OPs brain even bigger a mess, consoles these days dont have GPU's, they got an APU
spons
Gold Member
They've got a GPU and CPU inside a single package.Just to make OPs brain even bigger a mess, consoles these days dont have GPU's, they got an APU
Donald mac Ronald
Member
Retard
Crayon
Member
Almost totally interchangeable for our purposes. The only line would be when it's not any kind of PC, it's sounds funny to say graphics card. Everyone is going to know what you are talking about about though.
"Card" is the snap-in board that is removable. But we're happy calling those gpu's, too.
"Card" is the snap-in board that is removable. But we're happy calling those gpu's, too.
Plies
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
Ah, so the term "graphics card" is obsolete, like mp3 players.
alabtrosMyster
Member
The GPU is the graphical processing unit on the graphics card (or builtin a CPU\system on a chip).
Calling the whole thing a "GPU" is like calling the whole computer a "CPU".... it makes no sense.
Like the AMD RX 580 is the GPU model, but the card is NITRO+ RX 580 8G G5.
A branch is not a tree, a motor is not a car, etc.
Calling the whole thing a "GPU" is like calling the whole computer a "CPU".... it makes no sense.
Like the AMD RX 580 is the GPU model, but the card is NITRO+ RX 580 8G G5.
A branch is not a tree, a motor is not a car, etc.
newtypepilot
Member
did you forget you would stop making threads?
continuity!!!
continuity!!!
Redneckerz
Those long posts don't cover that red neck boy
CitizenKratos
Member
The poll is pretty laughable and does not follow from any of the questions in the OP.
LordOfChaos
Member
A graphics card by definition is a whole dedicated card, including the GPU itself, the VRAM, the power components, cooling etc. The GPU is literally graphics processor, and can be a chip alongside the CPU on a laptop, or can be integrated in a single chip with the CPU which would be called an integrated GPU or some use iGPU for short.
This is a card, on account of it being a card. Your poll also has no correct answer and every vote is wrong, there's no better, people largely use them interchangeably, but card typically specifies a dedicated graphics card like above, where GPU is the chip itself and can be on a card and used as shorthand, or on a motherboard directly etc.
This is the GPU itself on the left, which can just mean the chip itself
This is a card, on account of it being a card. Your poll also has no correct answer and every vote is wrong, there's no better, people largely use them interchangeably, but card typically specifies a dedicated graphics card like above, where GPU is the chip itself and can be on a card and used as shorthand, or on a motherboard directly etc.
This is the GPU itself on the left, which can just mean the chip itself
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