GPU - graphics processing unit or

VPU - visual processing unit

Graphics processing units are sometimes referred to as visual processing unit.

GPUs are important for the digital image facilities of mobile phones, personal computers, workstations, and game consoles.

A GPU is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate memory in such a way so as to transfer image data very rapidly into a frame buffer intended for output to a display.

Modern GPUs are very efficient at manipulating computer graphics. Their highly parallel structure makes them more effective than general-purpose CPUs for algorithms where processing of large blocks of data necessary.

In a personal computer, a GPU can be present on a video card, or it can be on the motherboard or—in certain CPUs—on the CPU itself. Most new desktop and notebook computers have integrated GPUs, which are usually far less powerful than those on a dedicated video card.