← Back to Blog

What is the difference between tensorflowgpu and tensorflow

In this blog, we will learn about TensorFlow, an open-source software library for dataflow and differentiable programming widely embraced in the machine learning community for its ease of use, flexibility, and scalability. If you are a data scientist or software engineer involved in machine learning, you have likely encountered TensorFlow. Specifically, we will delve into the distinctions between the two available versions: TensorFlow and TensorFlowGPU.
By Saturn Cloud | | Miscellaneous | Updated:

If you are a data scientist or software engineer working with machine learning, you have probably heard of TensorFlow. TensorFlow is an open-source software library for dataflow and differentiable programming across a range of tasks. TensorFlow has been widely adopted in the machine learning community due to its ease of use, flexibility, and scalability. However, there are two versions of TensorFlow available: TensorFlow and TensorFlow-GPU. In this article, we will explore the difference between these two versions of TensorFlow.

Table of Contents

  1. What is TensorFlow?
  2. What is TensorFlow-GPU?
  3. What is the difference between TensorFlow and TensorFlow-GPU?
  4. Common Errors and Solutions
  5. Conclusion

What is TensorFlow?

TensorFlow is an open-source software library for numerical computation using data flow graphs. It was developed by the Google Brain team and released under the Apache 2.0 open-source license in November 2015. TensorFlow is designed to be a flexible and scalable system for building and training machine learning models. It can be used to build a wide range of models, from simple linear models to complex deep learning models.

TensorFlow has a Python API that makes it easy to use and integrate with other Python libraries. It also has a C++ API for performance-critical applications. TensorFlow supports a wide range of hardware, including CPUs, GPUs, and TPUs (Tensor Processing Units). However, the performance of TensorFlow on CPUs is limited due to the sequential nature of CPU processing.

What is TensorFlow-GPU?

TensorFlow-GPU is a version of TensorFlow that is optimized for use with NVIDIA GPUs (Graphics Processing Units). NVIDIA GPUs are highly parallel and can perform many calculations simultaneously, making them ideal for machine learning applications. TensorFlow-GPU takes advantage of this parallelism to accelerate the training of machine learning models.

To use TensorFlow-GPU, you must have an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture) support. CUDA is a parallel computing platform and programming model developed by NVIDIA for general computing on GPUs. It allows developers to write programs that can run on the GPU, taking advantage of the parallelism and performance of the GPU.

What is the difference between TensorFlow and TensorFlow-GPU?

The main difference between TensorFlow and TensorFlow-GPU is that TensorFlow-GPU is optimized for use with NVIDIA GPUs. This means that TensorFlow-GPU can take advantage of the parallelism and performance of NVIDIA GPUs to accelerate the training of machine learning models. TensorFlow, on the other hand, can run on a wide range of hardware, including CPUs, GPUs, and TPUs, but its performance on CPUs is limited.

Another difference between TensorFlow and TensorFlow-GPU is the installation process. To use TensorFlow-GPU, you must have an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA support, and you must install the appropriate NVIDIA drivers and CUDA toolkit. This can be a complicated process, especially if you are not familiar with the NVIDIA ecosystem. TensorFlow, on the other hand, is easier to install and can run on a wider range of hardware.

Which version of TensorFlow should you use?

The answer to this question depends on your hardware and your use case. If you have an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA support and you need to train machine learning models quickly, then TensorFlow-GPU is the best choice. TensorFlow-GPU can take advantage of the parallelism and performance of NVIDIA GPUs to accelerate the training of machine learning models.

If you do not have an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA support or if you do not need to train machine learning models quickly, then TensorFlow is a good choice. TensorFlow can run on a wider range of hardware, including CPUs, and its performance on CPUs is adequate for many use cases.

Common Errors and Solutions

a. CUDA Toolkit Compatibility:

Error: "CUDA_ERROR_NO_DEVICE: no CUDA-capable device is detected."

Solution: Ensure that the installed CUDA Toolkit version is compatible with your GPU. Update the toolkit if necessary.

b. CuDNN Compatibility:

Error: "Failed to get convolution algorithm. This is probably because cuDNN failed to initialize."

Solution: Verify that the installed CuDNN version matches the TensorFlow GPU requirements. Update CuDNN if needed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, TensorFlow and TensorFlow-GPU are two versions of the same software library for building and training machine learning models. TensorFlow-GPU is optimized for use with NVIDIA GPUs and can take advantage of the parallelism and performance of NVIDIA GPUs to accelerate the training of machine learning models. TensorFlow, on the other hand, can run on a wider range of hardware and is easier to install. The choice between TensorFlow and TensorFlow-GPU depends on your hardware and your use case.

About Saturn Cloud

Saturn Cloud is your all-in-one solution for data science & ML development, deployment, and data pipelines in the cloud. Spin up a notebook with 4TB of RAM, add a GPU, connect to a distributed cluster of workers, and more. Request a demo today to learn more.

Start for free