What does a video card (GPU) primarily process?

The primary function of a video card, or graphics processing unit (GPU), is to process video and graphics data. This involves rendering images, animations, and visual effects to be displayed on the monitor. GPUs are optimized for parallel processing, allowing them to handle thousands of calculations simultaneously, which is especially beneficial for tasks such as rendering 3D graphics and processing high-resolution video.

In contrast, general computing tasks typically rely on the central processing unit (CPU) for computation. Audio signals are processed by dedicated sound cards or integrated audio components rather than the GPU. Similarly, network communications are managed by network interface cards (NICs) and not by video cards. The specialized design of GPUs makes them crucial for tasks that require high-performance graphics, making their primary role centered around video and graphics data processing.