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 variation in which the APU is described as a processing device which integrates a
CPU and an
OpenCL compatible
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.[SUP]
[1][/SUP] APUs can also include
video processing and other application-specific
accelerators. Examples include
AMD Accelerated Processing Unit,
Cell,
Intel HD Graphics, and
NVIDIA's
Project Denver.
The term
accelerated processing unit was first used in a public context with respect to accelerated computing in 2006,[SUP]
[2][/SUP] and prior to that in various presentations and business plans written by Joe Landman[SUP]
[3][/SUP] of Scalable Informatics.[SUP]
[4][/SUP] Other uses include
Xilinx using the term for an auxiliary processor unit.
