Does GPU improve anything other than gaming?

When considering a better GPU anywhere, it always with thoughts of better gaming. So does a better GPU improve anything else?

 

that's pretty much what it's made for.

 

It improves processes that involves graphic rendering

 

In most cases, not really. That's why generally speaking, 'general use' laptops, business notebooks, and notebooks intended for school use have integrated graphics. I always had a negative opinion of integrated graphics until I recently got this gateway notebook, and it runs beautifully. It even plays older games like WoW okay too.

GPU does more than gaming though, because it takes a workload off of your system RAM and CPU, depending upon what you're doing. But the more powerful the gpu, the more power it drains and the more heat it gives off. It's all a balance. But in general, people spend $$ on their graphics cards to maximize gaming.

 

The GPU will help with any program that has graphics. Games are the most obvious example, but they aren't the only graphics intensive thing you can do on a computer.

Having a GPU will also take some of the load off off of your system RAM and CPU. Theoretically prolonging their life.

 

a gpu also helps with encoding hi def video.

 

Yep, for HD movies, a GPU is definitely something good to have.

And also many design software can use a good GPU.

 

video editing especially HD
photoshop
cinema 4D and other 3d design software rquires a good GPU..
however Good does not mean anything other than a non-shared GPU

 

Folding@Home on the GPU.

 

Another great comment by ScifiMike!

I'm not familiar at all with photoshop, but I do not think it uses the GPU. I remember hearing something about GPU acceleration being added to the next version of photoshop for windows, but I'm not sure about that.

As people mentioned, it will help with a lot of CAD/CAM software, as well as with HD video. Aside from HD video, pretty much anything that runs in 3D and isn't really simple will benefit from a dedicated GPU.

Also, with desktops, dedicated GPU's are useful for multi-display setups and things like that.

 

Pretty much having a dedicated GPU allows you the right to make fun of people who have a computer with an integrated card and try to say that theirs is better because it has more ram ... LOL

 

It's essential for engineers using AutoCad (like me). So it's a win-win situation to be able to game casually and draw and render in AC.

 

this is sort of cutting edge, but nvidia recently released an SDK that allows people to write applications designed to run on the gpu instead of the cpu.

a decent gpu could have anywhere from 16 to 200+ processors on it, so it might be something cool that will take off in the future. not really happening yet.

but yeah, some specialized things can already run on the gpu. future versions of photoshop perhaps. the gpu can help with HD video playback too. plus just HAVING a gpu (even a low end one) will mean more processor and memory resources are available for your applications, and not being hogged by the need to draw pixels on the screen.

 

i thought photoshop was very much cpu dependent. doesnt require gpu much at all.