Patent ID: 8427474

Claim:
A method for load balancing across multiple graphics processing units (GPUs), the method comprising: retrieving an integrated GPU (IGPU) percentage from an IGPU percentage array that designates a portion of a frame that a first GPU is to Z-render; determining an IGPU clip rectangle that encompasses a plurality of pixels in the frame corresponding to the IGPU percentage; configuring the first GPU to Z-render the portion of the frame encompassed by the IGPU clip rectangle, wherein the first GPU writes a minimum Z-value to a Z-buffer for each pixel encompassed by the IGPU rectangle; configuring a second GPU to render the frame using information based on the minimum Z-values included in the Z-buffer, wherein the second GPU renders all of the pixels in the frame including the plurality of pixels in the portion of the frame encompassed by the IGPU clip rectangle; configuring the first GPU and the second GPU to write data to a feedback array that indicates respective processing times of the first GPU and the second GPU; determining a new IGPU percentage based on information included in the feedback array and the IGPU percentage array; and writing the new IGPU percentage to the IGPU percentage array.