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A TPU is Google's custom AI chip designed from scratch for the giant matrix multiplications that modern models live on, unlike GPUs which were built for graphics first

TPUs are purpose-built AI chips for matrix math in modern models, distinct from GPUs which originated for graphics workloads. ✦ AI generated

system-design-refresh · ByteByteGo Newsletter · 2026-08-15 · original ↗

A TPU (Tensor Processing Unit) is Google's custom AI chip, designed from scratch for the giant matrix multiplications that modern models live on. GPUs were built for graphics first. TPUs were built for deep learning from day one.

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