==== Is GPU lightmap baking faster than CPU baking? ====

It depends. Though CPU and GPU baking result in identical qualities, there are differences:

  * GPU baking is usually faster than CPU baking with high-end graphics cards.

  * CPU baking is available on all computers, whereas GPU baking is available only on machines having dedicated GPU.

  * If your graphics card is simultaneously used for the monitor and GPU baking, the computer might sometimes lag until the baking finishes.