General Performance Tips

• Data size. Mid-range graphics systems are optimized for word-sized and word-aligned data (one word is four bytes). Pixel read and draw operations are fast if the data is word aligned and each row is an integral number of words.

• Extensions. The following extensions are hardware accelerated:

  • "The Logical Operation Blending Extension"

  • "The Polygon Offset Extension"

  • "The ABGR Extension"

    Other available extensions are implemented in software.

• Flushing. Too many flushes, implicit or explicit, can adversely affect performance:

  • In single buffer mode, you may need to call glFlush() after the last of a series of primitives to force the primitives through the pipeline and expedite graphics processing (explicit flushing).

  • In double buffer mode, it is not necessary to call glFlush(); the glXSwapBuffers() call automatically flushes the pipeline (implicit flushing).