Abstract: The video output system in a computer system reads pixel information from a frame buffer to generate a video output signal. However, the video output system must often compete with other memory users in order to access a frame buffer in a shared memory system. When memory bandwidth resources are limited, the performance of a computer system will suffer. To reduce the performance drop, a dynamic color mode switching system has been introduced. The dynamic color mode switching system detects when memory bandwidth resources are limited and then instructs the video output system to switch to a color mode that reduces the amount of reads from the memory system without any user intervention.

Abstract: The video output system in a computer system reads pixel information from a frame buffer to generate a video output signal. However, the video output system must often compete with other memory users in order to access a frame buffer in a shared memory system. When memory bandwidth resources are limited, the performance of a computer system will suffer. To reduce the performance drop, a dynamic color mode switching system has been introduced. The dynamic color mode switching system detects when memory bandwidth resources are limited and then instructs the video output system to switch to a color mode that reduces the amount of reads from the memory system without any user intervention.