System on a chip (SoC)

A system on a chip, or SoC, is an integrated circuit that combines many elements of a computer system into a single chip.

An SoC always includes a CPU, but it might also include system memory, peripheral controllers, such as for USB and storage, and more advanced peripherals such as GPUs, specialized neural network circuitry, and radio modems, such as for Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The use of SoCs makes computers smaller, faster, cheaper, and less power-hungry.