GPU
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Graphics processing unit |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Technology & Computing, Transportation & Travel |
GPU has two meanings. It stands for Graphics processing unit (computer hardware) or Ground power unit (aviation).
Meanings of GPU at a glance
| # | GPU stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphics processing unit | Technology & Computing › Computer Hardware |
| 2 | Ground power unit | Transportation & Travel › Aviation |
1. Graphics processing unit
Technology & Computing · Computer Hardware Abbreviations
Processor with thousands of small cores built to perform many calculations in parallel, originally for rendering 3D graphics and video. GPUs now also train and run artificial intelligence models, mine cryptocurrency and accelerate scientific simulations.
Example: The laptop has an RTX 4060 GPU, enough for 1080p gaming at high settings.
Nvidia marketed its GeForce 256 (1999) as "the world's first GPU", though Sony had used the term for the PlayStation's graphics chip in 1994. A GPU can be a separate graphics card (discrete) or built into the processor (integrated). Demand for data-center GPUs to train large AI models turned Nvidia into one of the most valuable companies in the world in the 2020s.
2. Ground power unit
Transportation & Travel · Aviation Abbreviations
Cart or fixed gate system supplying a parked aircraft with electrical power, typically 115-volt, 400-hertz AC for airliners or 28-volt DC for smaller aircraft. Using a GPU instead of the APU saves fuel, cuts emissions and reduces ramp noise.
Example: Plug in the GPU before shutting down the engines so the cabin lights stay on for deplaning.
Aircraft use 400 Hz power because generators and transformers can be much lighter than at 50 or 60 Hz. Many gates pair ground power with preconditioned air hoses for cabin cooling. In computing, GPU means graphics processing unit, a completely unrelated meaning.
Related abbreviations
More computer hardware abbreviations
- FSB – Front-side bus
- FSR – FidelityFX Super Resolution
- GDDR – Graphics double data rate
- GPGPU – General-purpose computing on graphics processing units
- HAMR – Heat-assisted magnetic recording
- HBA – Host bus adapter
- HBM – High Bandwidth Memory
- HD – Hard disk
See all 151 computer hardware abbreviations →