In recent years, GPU is favored by database manufacturers and researchers for its ultra-high-speed computing capacity and huge data processing bandwidth. The database branch—GPU accelerating database or GPU database (GDBMS) is developing vigorously. With the characteristics of high throughput, low response time, high cost performance, and easy to expand, integrated with artificial intelligence (AI), business intelligence (BI), spatial-temporal data analysis, data visualization, GDBMS have the potential to change the world pattern of data analysis field. This study surveys the four core components of GDBMS: query compiler, query processor, query optimizer, and storage manager, hoping to promote the future research and commercial application of GDBMS.