Similar to a math coprocessor in concept, a programmable chip that can speed video performance by carrying out graphics processing independently of the microprocessor. Graphics coprocessors can speed up performance in two ways: by taking over tasks the main processor would lose time performing and by optimizing for graphics. Video adapter cards with graphics coprocessors are expensive compared to those without them, but they speed up graphics operations considerably. Among the coprocessor's common abilities are drawing graphics primitives and converting vectors to bitmaps.

A special-purpose CPU-with its own set of commands, data formats, and an instruction counter-that executes a sequence of display instructions to create a drawing or graph on the display device.

See coprocessor.