Triple Buffering in Rendering APIs
3 days ago
- #TripleBuffering
- #GraphicsProgramming
- #VSync
- VSync and double buffering can cause frame rate stuttering or tearing.
- Triple buffering adds a third buffer to prevent GPU stalls and improve smoothness with VSync on.
- Double buffering uses two buffers (front and back) for presenting and rendering, leading to potential stalls or delays.
- VSync ON with double buffering prevents tearing but can cause uneven frame pacing.
- VSync OFF with double buffering reduces latency but may cause tearing.
- Triple buffering uses three buffers (front, back-1, back-2) to keep the GPU busy, improving smoothness.
- VSync ON with triple buffering eliminates tearing and reduces stutter but slightly increases latency.
- VSync OFF with triple buffering minimizes latency but still risks tearing.
- Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) dynamically adjusts the monitor's refresh rate to match GPU output, reducing tearing and latency.
- Modern APIs like Vulkan and Direct3D 12 support triple buffering with specific swapchain settings.
- Practical implementation involves managing frames in flight, using fences/semaphores, and measuring performance metrics.
- Common pitfalls include excessive memory usage, assuming MAILBOX mode support, and unbounded CPU-GPU latency.