An Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) is a single-chip processor from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) that combines a general-purpose AMD64 central processing unit (CPU) with a 3D integrated graphics processing unit (IGPU) on one die. Formerly known as Fusion, it is a series of 64-bit microprocessors.
Definition
An Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) is AMD's name for a chip that puts both the CPU and an integrated GPU on a single die. The term was formerly used under the 'Fusion' branding, and these are 64-bit microprocessors built around AMD's general-purpose AMD64 architecture.
Context in Gaming
Because an APU handles both general computing and graphics on one chip without a separate discrete GPU, it is commonly found in budget gaming setups, laptops, consoles, and compact platforms where power cost and space matter. The integrated GPU shares system memory rather than having its own dedicated video RAM.
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