12: GPUs - Can I, Should I, and How?

It's Wolf's turn this episode, and this one required research!

GPUs obviously do tons of work. You see it every time you play a graphics intensive game. You know how crypto-miners are using them. You’ve heard AI companies using them for model building. You’ve got this hardware in your machine! Can you use it? Should you use it? Where even to start?

GPUs can help if your problems, data, systems, languages, and architecture align. GPU-based solutions won’t help everyone … but when they do help, oh boy do they really help.

Takeaways
Platform recommendations:

• NVIDIA: Richest ecosystem, start here if you have choice
• AMD: Improving rapidly, good for PyTorch workflows
• Apple Silicon: Excellent for unified memory workloads

Language recommendations:

• Python for quickest wins
• Rust/C++ for maximum control
• JavaScript for web applications

Links

Dave Farley explains what's wrong with Vibe coding https://youtu.be/1A6uPztchXk?si=mzEg4mpbTIjaihnP

How do graphics cards work https://youtu.be/h9Z4oGN89MU?si=JRrumRPfYU6a0A02 

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Wolf can be reached at wolf@RuntimeArguments.fm

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Theme music:
Dawn by nuer self, from the album Digital Sky