Processing Units in Games Platforms
This part of the article is about the different processing units that are found within computer gaming hardware.
Sometimes referred to simply as the central processor, but more commonly called processor, the CPU is the powerhouse behind the computer, where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system.
In Modern CPUs these days, they can have multiple cores, for example, the Xbox One is octo-core (8 cores). This means that the chip itself will have multiple processing cores, allowing the strain to be shared, making for faster processing speeds. The cores can be allocated to do specific tasks, so if the processor is octo-core, such as that of the Xbox One, it may allow 4 of these cores for the various engines for the games (physics simulations, collision engine etc) and the other cores to be allowed for sound. With the Xbox One, it allows multitasking, and can be used as more of a media device in a sense. At least one of the cores is probably dedicated to the operation of other programs within the Xbox One. As the Xbox One has 8 cores, it has an accumulated clock rate of 14GHz!
As I very briefly mentioned, there are multiple types of GPU available.
For PCs, to achieve the best in graphics processing, you will have to have a dedicated video card. These are an all-in-one package of a heatsink, PCB board (like a graphics card motherboard), GPU chip, and fans. Multiple graphics cards can be used at once, this is an expensive and power-extensive graphical solution, but allows users to run games at super-high graphics at super-high resolutions. for NVIDIA users, the way to do this is through their 'sli' technology, and for AMD users, they have to use CrossFireX. Both of these technologies are essentially the same.
Most motherboards have an integrated graphics chip included on them, which can be used without the need of an expansion graphics card. As they are part of the same motherboard, it is easy for them to slow the whole computer while they are in use, making them very undesirable. Most laptops will run from integrated graphics, unless they are gaming laptops with changeable cards.
Almost all consoles will have a custom-designed graphics chip. In this case, the Xbox One's GPU is in the same chip as the CPU. Although it is in the same place, it will still do everything that a GPU should do. These GPUs have to be custom-made to deal very specifically with how the Xbox itself handles programs, making it useless in any other system.
There are two main GPU manufacturers on the market - Nvidia and ATI/AMD.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
Sometimes referred to simply as the central processor, but more commonly called processor, the CPU is the powerhouse behind the computer, where most calculations take place. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system.
As the CPU has a large workload, it will get very hot. The way to combat the heat is through a heatsink. A heatsink will always be covering the CPU, often used with a fan to draw out extra heat. Between the CPU and the heatsink will be a layer of thermal paste, which will make the contact between the CPU and the heatsink a lot better, allowing the heat to be dispersed more effectively. If the CPU gets too hot, it will either do damage to it, or burn it out completely.
As standard with most hardware, there is always better performing and worse performing variants. With CPUs, their speed is (nowadays) measured in GHz (gigahertz). 1GHz is the same as 1 billion cycles per second, therefore if a processor has the clock rating of 1.75 GHz (e.g Xbox One CPU), it could complete 1.75 Billion cycles per second. High-end PC CPUs can have clock speeds of 4-5GHz. The clock speed can be increased on an 'unlocked' PC processor, via a process called overclocking. Overclocking is a risky procedure, only to be attempted if it can be sufficiently cooled, as it is easy to fry the processor during the process. Overclocking chips will reduce the lifespan of them though!
In Modern CPUs these days, they can have multiple cores, for example, the Xbox One is octo-core (8 cores). This means that the chip itself will have multiple processing cores, allowing the strain to be shared, making for faster processing speeds. The cores can be allocated to do specific tasks, so if the processor is octo-core, such as that of the Xbox One, it may allow 4 of these cores for the various engines for the games (physics simulations, collision engine etc) and the other cores to be allowed for sound. With the Xbox One, it allows multitasking, and can be used as more of a media device in a sense. At least one of the cores is probably dedicated to the operation of other programs within the Xbox One. As the Xbox One has 8 cores, it has an accumulated clock rate of 14GHz!
CPUs have a 'CPU cache'. This cache is used as random-access memory, that is accessed a lot quicker than any other RAM in a system. The cache is used to remember temporarily the most-used processes and functions. This allows the console to reduce the loading times for some aspects. It is quicker and more effective for the computer to read data from the cache then to generate it again, so that is why it saves a version of the process.
The address/data bus is a group of wires that allow for data to be transferred between different components in a system. The buses are formed of two different parts - the address bus and the data bus. The data bus transfers the actual data itself, whereas the address bus transfers the information about where it should go. An easy way to remember which is which, is that the address bus finds the address of where it's going (like a postal address) and the data bus transfers the data. The width (size) of of a bus determines how much data can actually be transmitted at once, for example, a 16-bit bus can transmit 16 bits of data, and a 32-bit bus can transmit 32 bits of data. The buses have a clock speed similar to that of a CPU, but is measured in megahertz (MHz) rather than GHz. The faster this speed, the faster the applications are enabled to run.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
The GPU of a console is a separate processing chip, that is primarily used to manage and boost the performance of video and graphics. GPU features include:
- 2-D or 3-D graphics
- Digital output to flat panel display monitors
- Texture mapping
- Application support for high-intensity graphics software such as AutoCAD
- Rendering polygons
- Support for YUV color space
- Hardware overlays
- MPEG decoding
As I very briefly mentioned, there are multiple types of GPU available.
- Dedicated graphics card
For PCs, to achieve the best in graphics processing, you will have to have a dedicated video card. These are an all-in-one package of a heatsink, PCB board (like a graphics card motherboard), GPU chip, and fans. Multiple graphics cards can be used at once, this is an expensive and power-extensive graphical solution, but allows users to run games at super-high graphics at super-high resolutions. for NVIDIA users, the way to do this is through their 'sli' technology, and for AMD users, they have to use CrossFireX. Both of these technologies are essentially the same.- Integrated/on-board graphics processor
Most motherboards have an integrated graphics chip included on them, which can be used without the need of an expansion graphics card. As they are part of the same motherboard, it is easy for them to slow the whole computer while they are in use, making them very undesirable. Most laptops will run from integrated graphics, unless they are gaming laptops with changeable cards.
- Custom-designed graphics chips
There are two main GPU manufacturers on the market - Nvidia and ATI/AMD.
Similarly to CPUs, you get different speeds of GPU, but GPUs are measured in MHz usually. The Xbox One's GPU runs at 853 MHz. You can compare this result to the GPU speed of the Xbox 360, which was 500 MHz. Graphics chips will also have an amount of dedicated video memory (VRAM), which will have a huge affect on the performance of a game, especially if it is very highly detailed and textured. This is the same as on PCs, but as PCs have more open resolutions and frame rates, the VRAM will affect those too. Graphics processors work to display 3D images on a 2D screen, so the more detailed a 3D model,(more polygons, higher textures etc) the harder it will have to work to display it. for a game to be well optimised, the assets have to well-optimised to be run on the hardware. This can be achieved by techniques such as NURBS modelling, which is a way to model using curves, which uses less GPU memory.
Anyway, that is my section on processing units, please do stay tuned for more!
Matt :D
Anyway, that is my section on processing units, please do stay tuned for more!
Matt :D
There's no doubt i would fully rate it after i read what is the idea about this article. You did a nice job.. graphics processing unit
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