User: DeepLearning_Student
Subject: GPU needed for machine learning or CPU is enough?
I want to start learning deep learning and neural networks. Do I need GPU for this or can I manage with just CPU? I have laptop with i5 processor and 8GB RAM but no dedicated GPU. Should I upgrade or its ok for learning purpose?

Reply by: AI_Trainer_Pro
For learning and small datasets CPU is fine. You can start with basic neural networks on CPU. But once you move to bigger datasets or complex models like CNNs, RNNs then training time becomes very long on CPU. What I suggest is use your laptop for learning concepts and use Google Colab for actual training. Colab gives free GPU access which is perfect for students.

Reply by: CloudGPU_User
Colab is good suggestion. Also look at Kaggle notebooks which also provide free GPU. These platforms are sufficient for learning and even some serious projects. Only when you need to train very large models or have proprietary data that cant go to cloud, then you need local GPU. For now save your money and use free cloud resources.

Reply by: Gaming_ML_Enthusiast
If you do decide to buy GPU later, go for NVIDIA cards. CUDA support is essential for deep learning frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow. AMD cards are cheaper but software support is not as good. Even older GTX 1660 or RTX 2060 is much better than no GPU for deep learning work.