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← GPUs Lesson 4 / 6

Why a GPU Is Not a CPU

Who fills in all those color-numbers? A CPU is one brilliant chef cooking one dish at a time. A GPU is a crowd of simpler helpers who each color one dot — but all at the same moment.

How many GPU workers?

Each tick, the CPU's one worker colors 1 dot; the GPU's 16 workers color 16 at once. Ticks so far: 0.

CPU · 1 worker
GPU · 16 workers
CPU pixels
0 / 64
GPU pixels
0 / 64

The catch: GPU workers are simpler and only win when every pixel follows the same rule. For one tricky decision, the smart CPU still wins.