Optimizing Frame Rate Performance

Optimizing Frame Rate Performance

The most important aid for optimizing frame rate performance is taking timing measurements in single-buffer mode only. For more detailed information, see "Taking Timing Measurements".

In addition, follow these guidelines to optimize frame rate performance:

Reduce drawing time to a lower multiple of the screen refresh time. This is the only way to produce an observable performance increase.
Perform non-graphics computation after glXSwapBuffers().
A program is free to do non-graphics computation during the wait cycle between vertical retraces. Therefore, issue a glXSwapBuffers() call immediately after sending the last graphics call for the current frame, perform computation needed for the next frame, then execute OpenGL calls for the next frame, call glXSwapBuffers(), and so on.
Do non-drawing work after a screen clear.
Clearing a full screen takes time. If you make additional drawing calls immediately after a screen clear, you may fill up the graphics pipeline and force the program to stall. Instead, do some non-drawing work after the clear.