CPU-GPU Computing

Abstract

Heterogeneous and hybrid computing has been heavily studied in the field of parallel and distributed computing in recent years. It can work on a single computer, or in a group of computers connected by a high-speed network. The former is the topic of this chapter. Its key points are how to cooperatively use devices that are different in performance and architecture to satisfy various computing requirements, and how to make the whole program achieve the best performance possible when executed. CPUs and GPUs have fundamentally different design philosophies, but combining their characteristics could avail better performance in many applications. However, it is still a challenge to optimize them. This chapter focuses on the main optimization strategies including “partitioning and load-balancing”, “data access”, “communication”, and “synchronization and asynchronization”. Furthermore, two applications will be introduced as examples of using these strategies.