audio processing unit (APU)

The Audio Processing Unit (APU), also known as the audio accelerator, increases the performance ofpersonalcomputers(PCs) by taking over the processing power for audio signals, like its graphical counterpart, the Graphics Processing Unit( GPU), and thus relieving the load on the central processing unit.

Unlike conventional sound cards, the Audio Processing Unit (APU), which forms the central processor component of sound cards, offers a comprehensive range of functions with audio compression and decompression. The APU units' feature set over DigitalSignal Processing( DSP) is evident in its advanced APU architecture, which supports multi- channel stereo playback and surround sound. It also supports programming interfaces like DirectX and sound systems like Dolby Digital.