| Feature | CPU (Central Processing Unit) | GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) |
|---|
| Few (typically 4 to 64), but highly powerful. | Thousands (sometimes 10,000+) of simpler, smaller cores. |
| Processing Style | Sequential/Serial: Excels at doing one thing at a time very quickly. | Parallel: Excels at doing thousands of the same task simultaneously. |
| Primary Goal | Low Latency: Minimize the delay in processing a single command. | High Throughput: Process massive amounts of bulk data at once. |
| Ideal Workloads | Operating systems, web browsing, database management, and running complex software. | 3D rendering, video editing, gaming, AI/machine learning, and data mining. |
| Role in System | The master orchestrator; the server or PC cannot boot or run without it. | The specialist; acts as an accelerator offloading heavy mathematical tasks from the CPU. |