CPU vs GPU vs NPU: Does your phone also hang? Know which of these chips is responsible for this

News India Live, Digital Desk: Today’s era (2025) is completely of technology. Whenever we go to the market or online to buy a new smartphone or laptop, a long list of specifications appears. “Octa-core processor,” “Adreno GPU,” and a new name being heard a lot these days is “NPU” (Neural Processing Unit). Often shopkeepers or websites confuse us with heavy words and we buy anything without understanding. But do you really know what these three small chips inside your device actually do? Why do you need GPU to play a good game and NPU for ChatGPT or AI? Let us understand this biggest confusion of tech today with very simple examples.1. CPU (Central Processing Unit) – Head of the household, first of all let’s talk about CPU. You can call it the “brain” of your phone or computer, or the “manager” of the house. Function: When you open WhatsApp, use a calculator, or save a file, all this logic is handled by the CPU. In simple language: Just as the head of the house takes all the decisions and assigns work to everyone else, similarly the CPU controls the entire system. If it is weak, the phone will run slowly and apps will open late.2. GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) – Your Artist and Gamer Now comes the turn of GPU. Think of it as a “painter” or a “graphic designer”. Function: All the beautiful colors, videos, and animations that you see on your phone’s screen are the result of the GPU. Especially when you play PUBG, BGMI or any heavy game, the entire burden is not borne by the CPU but by the GPU. In simple language: If the video is playing intermittently or the game is lagging, then understand that the ‘artist’ (GPU) of your device is weakening. 3. NPU (Neural Processing Unit) – New ‘Smart’ Assistant (The Game Changer) This is the name which is most talked about these days (in 2025). Earlier this work was done by CPU, but now a separate chip comes for it. Function: The job of NPU is to handle Artificial Intelligence (AI). When you take a photo and the background gets automatically blurred, or you make someone disappear from the photo with the ‘magic eraser’, or you talk to Siri/Google Assistant, all this is handled by the NPU. Why is it needed? AI tasks are very complex. If the CPU does this work then the battery will drain very quickly and the phone will get hot. NPU does the same thing in a jiffy with less power. That’s why emphasis is being laid on powerful NPU in today’s AI phones. How do all three work together? (Teamwork) Let’s say you’re playing a high-graphics game on your phone: The CPU will open the game and run its rules. The GPU will show you the best visuals and action on the screen. And if an AI character in the game is talking to you, the NPU will handle it.