Some graphics processing units advertised under different product names, such as Nvidia's RTX 5070-Ti and RTX 5080, are identically manufactured microchips with different defect counts.

Watch how graphics cards are fixed in a workshop by replacing faulty components, including graphics processing units and memory, located atop printed circuit boards.

Explore graphics processing unit benchmarks for 2026, led in performance by Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5090, with AMD's Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 providing the best 1080p performance per dollar.

Take a virtual tour inside the NVIDIA GA102 graphics processing unit to explore the architecture that enables it to perform over 35 trillion calculations per second.

Although GPU stands for graphics processing unit, the acronym is often used to refer to a graphics card—an assembly that houses the microchip along with supporting components.

With many smaller computing cores, graphics processing units process many identical tasks in parallel, whereas central processing units have fewer, larger cores built to handle a wide variety of more complex tasks sequentially.

Nvidia’s RTX graphics chips support ray tracing, which, the company says, can boost performance in games by 25%

Ray tracing allows developers to add more realistic-looking lighting and shadows to video games, and Nvidia continues to improve the tech in newer chips. Rendering light realistically in video games requires immense computing power, and ray tracing “cheats” the process with a little guesswork.

Graphics processing units, which process large amounts of data in parallel, have become the foundational hardware for AI systems that rely on hardware capable of processing millions of text parameters simultaneously.

The history of graphics processing units began with hardware for displaying visuals in arcade machines, but the transition to 3D graphics led to the microchips and software that power today's AI data centers.

As of 2025, Nvidia controls over 90% of the discrete graphics processing unit market, with its high-end components serving as the backbone for the AI data center boom, followed by AMD and Intel.

Nvidia controls more than four-fifths of the GPU market—but isn't considered a monopoly

Semiconductor company Nvidia has a commanding market share when it comes to graphics processing units. Its competitors include Advanced Micro Devices and Intel, which together account for less than a fifth of the GPU market.

The term GPU was first used by Sony in 1994 to refer to the geometry processing unit inside the PlayStation console, five years before Nvidia's marketing of the GeForce 256 revised the acronym to graphics processing unit.

Nvidia's rapid development of GPUs is forcing computing to depart from something called Moore's law

Moore’s law, named after Intel’s cofounder, predicts that the number of transistors on a chip will double every two years. But Nvidia could be outpacing that prediction.

Since 2025, AI data center growth has created shortages and price hikes in graphics processing units and their supporting hardware, including high-speed memory.

Nvidia pioneered the GPU industry via its origins as a video game company

From the mid-1990s to early 2000s, Nvidia carved out a niche as a maker of semiconductor chips specially designed for the video game industry. Nvidia broke through the competition to seal deals with TSMC and Microsoft, and popularized the term "graphics processing unit," aka GPU.

When buying a custom computer, selecting integrated graphics is more affordable, but a dedicated graphics card should be considered for CAD, video content creation, high-end gaming, and 3D modeling.

CUDA, the computing platform that transformed graphics processing units from pixel renderers into general-purpose components powering AI, originated from a computer science student.

Graphic processing units rely on a hierarchy of memory for optimization, where the smallest, fastest memory—registers—is located closest to the core and provides access to data in a fraction of a nanosecond.

Watch a tech demo of the world's first consumer graphics processing unit, the Nvidia GeForce 256, released on October 11, 1999.

Nvidia was founded in a Denny's restaurant

Nvidia is one of a handful of companies valued at more than $1T. In its early days, the semiconductor company sold GPUs, or graphics processing units, that were used for video games. But in recent years, Nvidia's chips have been used for crypto and AI. Nvidia has faced several setbacks on its journey, including when the US sanctioned chip exports to China.

NVIDIA named several computer chip architectures after Grace Hopper

Unveiled in 2023, the GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip, designed for generative AI applications in data center-scale systems, combines a Grace CPU with a Hopper GPU to create a coherent memory model. This allows the Hopper to access Grace data directly, reducing the need to repeatedly copy data back and forth and vastly improving performance.

By 2024, Nvidia had become one of the world’s most valuable companies

Nvidia started as a graphics chip designer for PCs and consoles. This explainer traces its rise from early GPU innovation to powering AI breakthroughs and fueling the data centers behind today’s biggest tech platforms.

Rival companies AMD and Nvidia's CEOs are related

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Nvidia are two of the world's largest manufacturers of processing chips and are fierce competitors. AMD's CEO Lisa Su and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are actually first cousins once removed, but reportedly don't share a close relationship and didn't even meet until later in life at an industry event.

Nvidia's attempted Arm acquisition revealed its hopes of becoming the world's leading AI company

Though Nvidia's acquisition of Arm, another company that designs semiconductors, was ultimately quashed over antitrust concerns, the attempt offered insights into Nvidia's business strategy. Over time, Nvidia has increasingly focused on using its graphics cards to power machine learning, and its platform CUDA is dominant in the sector.

Nvidia entered its AI era after learning that its chips could be used in industries beyond gaming

Its semiconductor chips were used in the automotive industry, for data centers, and by crypto miners. And starting in 2006, Nvidia took steps that would ultimately transform it into the AI company it's known as today. This podcast is the second part of a three-part series diving deep into Nvidia's company evolution.

Modular data centers can be transported on a truck for rapid deployment

Bypassing the complications involved in building larger facilities over the course of several years, such as construction costs and permits, these pre-fabricated, self-contained pods, roughly the size of shipping containers, can carry thousands of graphics processing units for small- and medium-scale AI-related tasks.

How TSMC, the world's biggest chip manufacturer, makes money

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has more than 500 clients across the world, but none are bigger or more consequential to its business than Apple. The iPhone maker accounts for 25% of TSMC's total revenue. TSMC controls more than 60% of the global market share in semiconductor manufacturing. Dive into the economics and outlook of this important company here.

Computex Taipei is Asia’s premier computing and hardware trade show

Held annually in Taiwan, Computex Taipei brings together global tech leaders to debut innovations in processors, GPUs, AI, and next-gen computing—making it a key event for the IT and hardware industry.

CUDA was Nvidia’s first step into artificial intelligence

CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) is a parallel computing platform that was developed by Nvidia in the mid-2000s. By letting people perform computations in parallel, rather than sequentially, CUDA allowed people to compute large amounts of data quickly. CUDA has been used to build machine-learning models as well.

Synthetic diamonds may be used to cool microchips

The strong carbon bonds in diamonds efficiently carry vibrations, allowing them to conduct heat several times faster than copper, a metal commonly used in heat sinks. AI and high-performance computing have pushed researchers to investigate alternative materials for cooling solutions.

Implanted neurotechnology can leave users vulnerable when manufacturers go under

Despite providing relief from neurological conditions, patients are left stranded when the companies that make these devices shut down. The lack of regulation means patients often face technical failure, insurance battles, or risky surgeries to maintain their quality of life.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang once saved Nvidia from bankruptcy with a multi-million dollar Hail Mary

Nvidia is now known as one of the top companies contributing to the AI boom, but back in the 1990s, it almost failed. One last-ditch effort conversation that CEO Jensen Huang had with an investor saved the company.

This is not a chip

Pringles aren’t chips—legally speaking. In the US, the FDA said they’re not potato chips. In the UK, courts ruled they’re not even crisps. Turns out, being 42% potato creates a lot of legal confusion. So what are they, really?

Computex differs from E3, the now-defunct game-focused media expo

Unlike E3’s consumer- and media-driven focus on video games—before the event’s cancellation in 2023—Computex centers on computer and gaming hardware, with a focus on business-to-business meetings and industry partnerships.

Some synthetic diamonds are purposely made with defects for new technologies

Grown in plasma-filled chambers or reactors where pressures reach 800,000 pounds per square inch, diamonds can develop properties like electrical conductivity and magnetic field sensitivity through exposure to elemental impurities or removal of some of their carbon atoms.

Researchers use the brain's ability to edit memories to explore memory deletion

Scientists have successfully implanted false memories in mice after studying how the editing process works in the brain. Beyond potentially deleting memories in those with PTSD, upcoming research may allow clinicians to forecast the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

Inside a company making millions on retro, refurbished technology

Retrospekt is one of the many companies flipping old, fan-favorite technology like Polaroids, cassette tapes, and Tamagotchis. Studies show that nostalgia can make people spend money and is one of the driving forces behind the demand for second-hand gadgets.

Growing EV adoption requires battery management infrastructure

Despite rechargeable batteries' limited life cycle, companies like Spiers New Technologies have developed methods to repair, refurbish, repurpose and recycle these components to minimize environmental waste, lower demand for new critical minerals, and increase electric vehicle lifetimes.

Fast charging can lead to battery degradation if the device does not stay cool

Modern phones use software to monitor charging habits and can activate adaptive charging to delay charging rates and prevent overheating. When charging, devices should not be confined (e.g., stored in your pocket) or placed in direct sunlight, as this can trigger heat warnings and sudden shutdowns.

Microreactors are 100 to 1,000 times smaller than traditional nuclear reactors but still generate thermal energy for heating or electricity by splitting atomic nuclei.

Additive manufacturing consists of seven different process categories

Although 3D printing has become synonymous with the term, objects can be fabricated without filaments of hot plastic or light-sensitive powders. For example, during sheet lamination, ultrasonic waves—high-frequency vibrations—can join metal sheets by creating molecular bonds through friction.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.

Old credit cards can be made into guitar picks, phone stands and more

Experts recommend always cutting through the chip and the card number when disposing of expired credit cards, as the magnetic strip, the chip, and the card number all contain information that thieves might be interested in.

Indigenous women crafted the integrated circuits for the Apollo Guidance Computer

Applying their blanket-weaving skills, over 1,000 Navajo women in New Mexico were hired to connect circuit components in intricate patterns using a microscope. Outside Boston, "rope mothers" at the Raytheon facility wove the AGC's core memory using threaded metal wires.

Shenzhen, China is known as the 'Silicon Valley of Hardware'

The "Silicon Valley of Hardware" is a major manufacturing hub. This WIRED documentary from 2016 does a deep dive into how this Chinese city's practice of copycat manufacturing alongside its innovative culture has made it China's own Silicon Valley.

Understanding how Claude Code and other AI coding agents function

Under human oversight, a supervising large language model interprets user tasks and delegates work to subordinate LLMs, which can generate code, fix bugs, and run tests, often most effectively for proofs of concept. Incremental backups and versioning are crucial when using such agents, which can lose details during their work as a result of compressing context history to work around memory limitations.

China is producing many peptides or peptide components sold in the US.

A vending machine run with Anthropic's AI went out of business after it was convinced to give away items for free and sell a video game console.

Scientists increasingly can't predict what AI will do

Most AI systems are so-called "black box" models, where we only see inputs and outputs while the inner workings remain obscure. This piece, written prior to the launch of ChatGPT, cautions developers to know why and how a system produces its results, and not to sacrifice explainability for accuracy.

Elon Musk's Neuralink's N1 chip can wirelessly read brain signals from over 2,000 electrodes

The device is a battery-powered brain implant that transmits data via Bluetooth. Neuralink's near-term objectives for the device focus on unlocking new treatments for paralysis, neurological disorders, and some psychiatric conditions.

Neuralink brain implants have enabled a paralyzed person to play video games

As one of twelve test subjects in Neuralink's PRIME study, Rob Greiner's implant translates his brain's activity into digital commands for the 'Battlefield 6' game. He can now also design 3D models and 3D-print objects using his thoughts.