MacRumors.com

Appleinsider claims that NVIDIA is working on bringing "general-purpose computing on graphics processing units" (GPGPUs) to the Mac.

GPGPUs are described as a new type of graphics processors that can perform complex computations typically reserved for the system's primary CPU.

The technology -- in Nvidia's case -- leverages a proprietary architecture called CUDA, which is short for Compute Unified Device Architecture. It's currently compatible with the company's new GeForce 8 Series of graphics cards, allowing developers to use the C programming language to write algorithms for execution on the GPU.

According to Appleinsider, the GPGPUs can be beneficial in a number of applications with complex mathematical requirements, such as raytracing, scientific applications, cryptography, and audio and image processing.

NVIDIA's $1500 Telsa card is the first example of this class of graphics card. When launched for Mac, these GPGPUs will likely be a high-end build-to-order option for Mac Pros.