Why are APU's so much smaller than GPU's

stixx1 · Aug 22, 2014

OK i have a simple yet troubling question, i got really bored and ended up watching a video on a tear down of the 'new' ps4 hardware. To my shock the CPU and GPU are all confined within under 400mm of each other with no fans directly ontop of either. Now I know how APU's work, they are extremely clever and a very good move for cheap and powerful gaming from AMD however what puzzles me is how you can make such a powerful graphics processor in such a small amount of space. (The ps4 equals a 7870 apparently) Now if you were to compare the 7870 Graphics card, without fans, it's still huge compared to the whole APU - how do they do this?!?!? And why arn't graphics cards tiny like APU's?!?!

Rybo · Aug 22, 2014

Graphics chips underneath all the wonderful cooling are rather tiny.

stixx1 · Aug 22, 2014

Rybo :

So the actual Graphics card, all the circuitry and all that is needed is the tiny graphics chips and memory controller?

avenseth12 · Aug 22, 2014

To be very clear there is no comparison between a spearte video card's performance and an integrated APU like what AMD sells. Those apu have no comparison to cpu/gpu setups. Here is an example:

http://www.gamersnexus.net/game-bench/1352-titanfall-pc-gpu-benchmark-full-version

Scroll down to the chart showing the huge difference in frames per second between the apu and a cpu/gpu setup.

USAFRet · Aug 22, 2014

Now if you were to compare the 7870 Graphics card, without fans, it's still huge compared to the whole APU - how do they do this?!?!?

A current 'graphics card' is basically the same complexity as a current motherboard.
That is what you should be comparing it to.

The actual chip is quite small.

stixx1 · Aug 22, 2014

avenseth12 :

Ok, but i'm under the impression that it is said that the APU in the ps4 has the same GPU processing power as a HD 7870 - but the 7870 card is much bigger, why is this?

stixx1 · Aug 22, 2014

USAFRet :

All that is used to do the graphics proccessing is the Graphics Chip? then what is the need for the rest of the card?

USAFRet · Aug 22, 2014

stixx1 :

The VRAM, the circuitry needed for the chip to talk to the VRAM, circuitry to control the cooling, etc, etc, etc.

stixx1 · Aug 22, 2014

USAFRet :

stixx1 :

The VRAM, the circuitry needed for the chip to talk to the VRAM, circuitry to control the cooling, etc, etc, etc.

So i guess in the PS4 using the APU, all of that Jazz is on the MOBO?

USAFRet · Aug 22, 2014

stixx1 :

Yes.

stixx1 · Aug 22, 2014

USAFRet :

Cheers, all i needed to know!

Unolocogringo · Aug 22, 2014

On a video card you have to have everything necessary to make it function.
The chip itself is not very big.
Memory chips,
RAMDACs which converts the information from the chip to analog for 15pin D-sub monitors(the little blue monitor connector) DVI (which carries digital and analog signals.,DVI-D (dual digital) and HDMI (Digital and sound) connectors and their voltage circuitry.
Voltage controller for the GPU.
Voltage controller for the memory.
voltage and speed controller for the fan.
Bios chip. sometimes 2.
Sound controller.
Then you have to design the PCB to have traces to connect all of these so that there is enough space between the traces and components so that the do not create EMI interference with each other.

With an APU this is all located on the motherboard.

Unolocogringo · Aug 22, 2014

Man late again.
Maybe one day I will learn to type faster. (Probably not.)

stixx1 · Aug 22, 2014

Unolocogringo :

Sorry about that! Thanks for your responce though, you did indeed answer my question. Cheers

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Why are APU's so much smaller than GPU's

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