What does 'APU (Accelerated Processing Unit)' mean?

An APU, or accelerated processing unit, is a type of processor that combines a CPU and GPU on a single chip. APUs were first developed by AMD and introduced in 2011.

APUs are designed to offer improved performance and power efficiency compared to traditional processors that have the CPU and GPU on separate chips. The GPU in an APU is designed to handle the complex calculations required to render images and video, while the CPU handles the rest of the processing tasks.

By combining the two components on a single chip, APUs can offer better performance and power efficiency compared to processors with separate CPU and GPU chips.

APUs are commonly used in laptops, desktop computers, and other devices where power efficiency is important. They are also used in some gaming consoles, such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. APUs are often used in combination with other processors and graphics cards to offer even better performance and power efficiency.

More information

An APU (accelerated processing unit) combines a CPU and GPU on a single chip, and this integration allows the APU to offer improved performance and power efficiency compared to traditional processors that have the CPU and GPU on separate chips.

By removing the bus between the CPU and GPU and integrating both units on the same chip, an APU can take advantage of parallel computing, which is the use of multiple processors or cores to perform tasks concurrently. This allows the APU to process data faster and more efficiently, improving the overall performance of the device it is used in.

APUs are often used in combination with other processors and graphics cards to offer even better performance and power efficiency.