Abstract: Methods and systems for storing texels in memory banks in a manner that allows the retrieval of four neighboring texels within a single cycle are disclosed. The four neighboring texels are stored in separate memory banks according to a predetermined set of combinations of 2-D (u, v) coordinate pairs. In interpolating the color value of a color texel C(u, v), a texel buffer retrieves the four neighboring texels in a single cycle to reduce the memory access time. In one embodiment, a plurality of memory banks in the texel buffer are designed in an interleave mode. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of memory banks in the texel buffer are implemented in a noninterleave mode. In both embodiments, a texel buffer retrieves the four neighboring texels of a color texel C(u, v) within a single cycle according to a predetermined set of criteria.