GPU minimum latency dispatch for short-duration tasks

A method comprising:

• dispatching, by a thread dispatcher of a graphics processing unit (GPU), normal priority commands to one or more executions units, wherein the normal priority commands are pulled from a normal priority command streamer and wherein the normal priority command streamer is to receive the normal priority commands through a command path implemented by an operating system on a central processing unit (CPU) in communication with the graphics processing unit;
• determining, by the thread dispatcher, that a high priority command streamer includes at least one high priority command, the high priority command streamer to dispatch high priority commands from an application, wherein the high priority commands are added to a high priority command buffer in the graphics processing apparatus by the application using a high priority command application programming interface (API) and bypass the command path implemented by the operating system, the high priority command streamer to receive the high priority commands from the high priority command buffer;
• causing the one or more execution units to save their states;
• and
• dispatching the at least one command from the high priority command streamer to the one or more execution units.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• dispatch, by a thread dispatcher of a graphics processing unit (GPU), normal priority commands to one or more executions units, wherein the normal priority commands are pulled from a normal priority command streamer and wherein the normal priority command streamer is to receive the normal priority commands through a command path implemented by an operating system on a central processing unit (CPU) in communication with the graphics processing unit;
• determine, by the thread dispatcher, that a high priority command streamer includes at least one high priority command, the high priority command streamer to dispatch high priority commands from an application, wherein the high priority commands are added to a high priority command buffer in the graphics processing apparatus by the application using a high priority command application programming interface (API) and bypass the command path implemented by the operating system, the high priority command streamer to receive the high priority commands from the high priority command buffer;
• cause the one or more execution units to save their states;
• and
• dispatch the at least one command from the high priority command streamer to the one or more execution units.