What does GPU stand for?

The term GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit. This designation identifies a specialized electronic circuit designed to accelerate the processing of images and videos for display on a computer screen. A GPU performs rapid mathematics calculations that are required for rendering graphics, thus improving the performance of graphics rendering tasks compared to standard CPUs, which are optimized for general-purpose computations.

The use of the term "graphics" implies the GPU's primary function relates to handling complex visual computations, which stem from 2D and 3D graphics rendering, image processing, and, more recently, tasks in general-purpose computing like machine learning and artificial intelligence. By contrast, options such as "general processing unit," "global processing unit," and "graphical processing unit" either misrepresent or inaccurately expand on the term, diluting the specific context within which GPUs operate. Therefore, understanding that GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit is essential in grasping its role in computing and graphics performance.