GPU | 圖形處理器

  • 圖形處理器(GPU)是什麼?
    類似中央處理器(簡稱CPU),圖形處理器(簡稱GPU)是電腦或伺服器內的處理器,但扮演不同功能。CPU架構比較複雜,功能比較泛用,而GPU所採用的平行運算架構比較單純,控制單元(control unit)和算術邏輯單元(ALU)的設計比較精簡,快取空間較小,也因此核心數較多,適合處理簡單、專精的運算工作。

    舉例來說,CPU產品中ARM處理器因為採用精簡指令集架構(RISC),核心數已經比x86系列CPU來得多,但目前最多大致是兩百顆,而GPU的核心數可能是幾千顆。因此,CPU是電腦或伺服器的通才,具備完整的工具箱,能扛起任何運算任務;而GPU則是專才,它的工具箱比較簡略,但數量很龐大,適合快速執行很多簡單的工作,例如繪製電腦螢幕上的影像,或是使用於人工智慧訓練,用來處理大量圖像資訊。

    傳統GPU是用來輔助昂貴的CPU,主要功能是渲染電腦遊戲的視覺效果。隨著科技進步,個人電腦產品中出現所謂的獨立顯示卡(簡稱獨顯),這種產品有時也被稱作GPU,但其實是一張插在主機板上的擴充卡,內部裝有GPU。獨顯GPU享有專屬的記憶體、散熱片等零件,所以一般來說,效能遠遠超過主機板或CPU內建的GPU。因此,獨顯已成為電競不可或缺的明星商品之一。

    近年來,科學家和電腦工程師們發現,GPU也很擅長處理圖像數據,可用來進行繪圖以外的工作。這種GPU稱為通用圖形處理器(GPGPU)高效能運算(HPC)人工智慧(AI)發展背後的重要功臣,就是搭載大量GPGPU的伺服器產品。

  • 為何需要?
    消費市場中,搭載強力GPU的獨立顯示卡,能提供沉浸式的電競或媒體觀賞體驗。加密貨幣引起的「挖礦潮」也導致GPU需求大增。

    前面提到,GPU採用平行運算架構,適合快速渲染高畫質、效果逼真的電腦影像,並將其快速投射在螢幕上,讓遊戲玩家能享受高解析度、高每秒幀數,沉浸式的遊戲體驗。同樣的道理,GPU也是內容創作者必備的道具,能協助渲染電腦影像和剪輯影片,更快完成新的作品。GPU運算對專業創作者極為重要,大型公司可能自行架設伺服器和工作站,小型工作室也可以遠端連線算圖農場,藉由租賃的運算資源有效完成和發表新作品。

    伺服器內的GPU(嚴格來說,應稱為GPGPU),能處理各種不同運算工作,包括電腦視覺機器學習深度學習。能夠寫文章、畫圖和剪輯影片的生成式AI,其實也是GPU運算促成的科技應用,GPU對AI訓練與推論都很重要,尤其是人工智慧訓練仰賴GPU的平行運算效能快速處理大數據,讓AI模型學會辨識人們希望它能看懂的資訊。許多領先業界的伺服器品牌,提供結合軟硬體的完整解決方案,可用於各種不同垂直市場,包括製造業、運輸業、醫療健保、文化教育、休閒娛樂等。

  • 技嘉的特色
    在獨立顯示卡市場,技嘉科技是全球知名的業界領袖,完整的獨立顯示卡產品線搭配不同品牌的GPU,包括AMD和NVIDIA。技嘉的個人電腦產品,例如AORUS和AERO兩大系列的筆記型電腦,也搭載效能優異的GPU產品。

    技嘉獨顯產品主要分為四大產品線,分別是AORUS、AERO、EAGLE、GAMING。AORUS系列是電競級的高階顯卡,除了搭載最先進的GPU,還搭配提升效能與穩定性的輔助套件,例如部分產品使用技嘉「水之力」Waterforce液冷系統,用冷卻液直接排放晶片產出的熱能。EAGLE、GAMING為主流玩家所打造,提供效能與價位間最優質的平衡。AERO系列則是為創作者所設計,滿足渲染影像、剪輯影片與創造視覺內容的各種需求,透過GPU運算提升創作過程的便利性與效率,並採用銀白設計的簡約外觀,深受消費者愛戴。

    除此之外,技嘉也投入開發結合CPU與GPU資源的異質運算伺服器產品,供企業和科學研究機構使用。技嘉G系列GPU協同運算伺服器的特色,是可擴充性高的高密度GPU系統,適合用來進行數據分析和科技研發。知名的全球使用案例,包括歐洲核子研究組織(CERN)用技嘉G482-Z51分析大型強子對撞機(LHC)產出的數據;1894年發現冥王星的美國洛厄爾天文台,則使用技嘉G482-Z50協助尋找外太空的「第二顆地球」。技嘉G593系列產品,則是市面上最強大的AI伺服器之一,將輝達NVIDIA推出的HGX H100 8-GPU運算模組,與AMD EPYC™ 9004 CPU結合創造G593-ZD2伺服器,或是與第四代Intel® Xeon®可擴充CPU結合創造G593-SD0伺服器,非常適合進行人工智慧訓練。無論是顛覆性的科學發明或是造福全人類的新科技產品開發,搭載圖形處理器的技嘉伺服器產品,皆能扮演關鍵角色。

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