Nvidia introduced the GeForce 256 and popularized the term GPU.
Nvidia announced the GeForce 256 in 1999 and marketed it as the world’s first graphics processing unit, or GPU. The chip integrated transform and lighting calculations that had often been handled by a computer’s central processing unit, helping improve real-time 3D graphics.
Founded in 1993, Nvidia first became widely known for graphics processors used in personal computers and video games. Its technology later expanded into professional visualization, automotive computing, data centers, and artificial-intelligence workloads.
Nvidia’s growth dramatically changed its position among the world’s largest companies by market capitalization. Investors increasingly valued its chips and software as infrastructure for machine learning. The term GPU is now used broadly, including for products made by competitors, but Nvidia’s GeForce 256 launch is the key historical milestone associated with the label.