Patent ID: 8429656

Claim:
A method for performing graphics operations using a processor, the method comprising: operating the processor to carry out multiple threads of execution of graphics processing operations, wherein the processor comprises at least one execution unit supporting up to a maximum number of threads of execution; obtaining a defined memory allocation size for allocating, in at least one memory device, a thread-specific memory space for the multiple threads of execution; obtaining a per thread memory requirement corresponding to the thread-specific memory space; determining a thread count limit based on the defined memory allocation size and the per thread memory requirement; and sending a command to the processor to cause the processor to limit the number of threads carried out by the at least one execution unit to a reduced number of threads of execution, the reduced number of threads of execution being less than the maximum number of threads of execution, further comprising toggling the at least one execution unit between a first mode of operation for carrying out the maximum number of threads of execution and a second mode of operation for carrying out the reduced number of threads of execution, wherein toggling between the first mode and the second mode is performed dynamically, without requiring the processor to flush existing threads of execution through a pipeline in the at least one execution unit before starting new threads of execution, wherein in the first mode, the processor does not access the thread-specific memory space, and wherein in the second mode, the processor accesses the thread-specific memory space.