The GPU is a much more powerful processor as it breaks down the most complex calculations and finds solutions through the process of parallel processing. Because of the need to go through a lot of data while doing calculations, the GPUs have a faster and more advanced memory interface in comparison with a CPU.

GPU TYPES

There are different types of GPU available to users today and users can select the GPU that they want, depending on the purpose of work.

Integrated vs Discrete graphics

Integrated graphic card is a computer that has the GPU built onto the same component as the CPU. The benefit of this means that the CPU is small, energy efficient and low cost. The integrated graphics shares memory with the main memory of the system to balance performance and efficiency. It can be found in most modern processors. A discrete graphic card is a hardware that manages the graphical performance of a computer. They are powerful enough for any task and unlike the integrated graphic card, they don't share memory with the system making them easy to upgrade. Because of their outstanding records, the discrete graphic cards generate more heat, are expensive and larger.

Single vs Multi GPU

Single GPU is the basic configuration GPU for standard users like gamers, video editors, home office users as it has HD resolutions with playable frame rates. Single GPU is a good value and has plenty of power needed for standard users. It has very efficient cooler operations and it's quieter than others multi-GPU configurations. Multi-GPU configuration is more specific to getting the best out of a specific task. It provides better frame rates and it is a higher powered card compared to a single GPU. The benefit of using a multi-GPU is that it “ Increased graphic performance and benchmarks especially at high resolutions or 4K. Preferable for multi-monitor gaming.”. Multi GPU requires more power and it being more expensive doesn’t necessarily mean that the performance will match the cost. Compared with a single GPU, multi-GPU has a lot more noise and produces more heat; it’s frame rates are a lot faster to identify with the eyes.

GPU Market Breakdown

GPU Comparisons: NVIDIA AMD

NVIDIA and AMD are compatible with any processors. To have a well design system, make sure that the processor is powerful enough to keep up with the GPU you are selecting

Stream Processor/Cores

The GPUs have many small cores known as stream processors. Compared to a CPU(1 to 8 cores), these stream processors have less computer power. Though the GPUs cores have less computing power, they make up for it by using their numbers and working together to process data more effectively, improving the graphical performance. NVIDIA creates fewer, more capable stream processors that allows for more complex calculations making them excellent for use in data processing. By increasing the numbers, AMD creates smaller stream processors that are less complex and they are excellent for tasks that require repetitive calculations to be performed many times.

NVIDIA

AMD

Price Evaluations

PassMark Software, a software company that creates benchmark tests on computer systems, compared the GPU from different companies and ranked the top 50 available GPUs in terms of Videocard value in the Price to Performance Chart.

TOP 3 Comparision

The image below shows the difference between the 3 best value GPU products based on the Price Performance rankings.

Feasibility Option

Choosing a GPU is based on which applications you are want to run as an engineer. NVIDIA and AMD are the two main owner of the GPU Market but they offer different performance based on different tech specifications. Looking at the Compatibility of the GPU matters especially the power supply that you want to use with the GPU that you are selecting. For selecting the power supply you will want know the input voltage and the conectors that interfaces the graphic card.

If you are choosing a GPU, NVIDIA is the best bet due to the fact that they own majority of the GPU market and a larger community of users. Meaning that it would be easier for users to get the help and support that they need if integration goes wrong. The reason NVIDIA are leaders of the GPU market for a reason as they put more resources into their software resources especially the CUDA libraries. They are versitile in ranges of memory, cost efficiency, price performance, deep learning, and image processing. AMD has a power GPU but based on many different user eperiences, they don't provide much support. NVIDIA is a safer choice.

At Nvidia, the GPU design is typically made of four categories which is the control circuitry, processing engines, display engines, and misc engines. The control circuitry includes a PMC (master control area), PBUS (bus control and an area where registers operates, PPMI (PCI Memory Interface that handles SYSRAM accesses from other units of the GPU), PTIMER (measures wall time and delivers alarm interrupts), PCLOCK+PCONTROL (clock generation and distribution), PFB (memory controller and arbiter, PROM (VBIOS ROM access), and PSTRAPS (configuration strap access). The processing engines includes PFIFO (gathers processing commands from the command buffers prepared by the host and delivers them to PGRAPH and PVPE engines in an orderly manner), PGRAPH (memory copying 2d and 3d rendering engine), PVPE (a trio of video decoding/encoding engines), and PCOUNTER (performance monitoring counters for the processing engines memory controller). The display engines consist of the PCRTC (generates display control signals and read framebuffer data for display), PVIDEO (reads and preprocesses overlay video data), PRAMDAC (multiplexes PCRTC, PVIDEO and cursor image data, applies palette LUT, converts to output signals) and PTV (an on-chip TV encoder). The misc engines has the PMEDIA (controls video capture input and mediaport, acts as a DMA controller.