NPUs are integrated circuits but they differ from single-function ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). While ASICs are designed for a singular purpose (such as mining bitcoin), NPUs offer more complexity and flexibility, catering to the diverse demands of network computing. They achieve this through specialized programming in software or hardware, tailored to the unique requirements of neural network computations.
For most consumer products, the NPU will actually be integrated into the main CPU, as in the Intel Core and Core Ultra series or the new AMD Ryzen 8040-series laptop processors. At larger data centers or more specialized industrial operations, though, the NPU might be an entirely discrete processor on the motherboard, separate from any other processing units.