virtual GPU (vGPU)

A virtual graphics processing unit (GPU) is a computer processor that renders graphics on a virtual machine's (VM's) host server rather than on a physical endpoint device.

In virtual and remote desktop environments, it is particularly difficult to render and deliver complex graphics to endpoints with adequate performance. The standard GPU was originally developed to offload processing calculations from the CPU for graphics-intensive applications.  NVIDIA introduced the first virtual GPU in 2012 to help solve that problem, reducing lag time when delivering graphics to remote users and providing the same performance they would get from a PC. This is especially useful for users that require computer-aided design or 3-D graphics applications.