  We show how to accelerate the direct solution of the Boltzmann equation using
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). In order to fully exploit the computational
power of the GPU, we choose a method of solution which combines a finite
difference discretization of the free-streaming term with a Monte Carlo
evaluation of the collision integral. The efficiency of the code is
demonstrated by solving the two-dimensional driven cavity flow. Computational
results show that it is possible to cut down the computing time of the
sequential code of two order of magnitudes. This makes the proposed method of
solution a viable alternative to particle simulations for studying unsteady low
Mach number flows.
