Accelerated processing unit

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An accelerated processing unit (APU) is a processing system that includes additional processing capability designed to accelerate one or more types of computations outside of a CPU. This may include a graphics processing unit (GPU) used for general-purpose computing (GPGPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or similar specialized processing system. Variations on the usage of this term include a marketing-based variation in which the APU is described as a processing device which integrates a CPU and a GPU on the same die, thus improving data transfer rates between these components while reducing power consumption by upwards of 50% with current technology over traditional architecture ^[1] . APUs can also include video processing and other application-specific accelerators. Examples include AMD Fusion, IBM CELL, Intel HD Graphics, and NVIDIA's Project Denver.

The term accelerated processing unit or APU was first used in a public context with respect to accelerated computing in 2006,^[2] and prior to that in various presentations and business plans written by Joe Landman of Scalable Informatics. Other uses include Xilinx using the term for an auxiliary processor unit.

See also

• CPU design
• Computer bus
• Computer engineering
• Computer graphics
• Computer hardware
• Microprocessor

References

External links

• AMD APU Fusion
• newelectronics

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