Efficient multi-gpu rendering by testing geometry against screen regions before rendering using a pretest gpu

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program for performing a method, the computer-readable medium comprising:

• program instructions for rendering graphics for an application using a plurality of graphics processing units (GPUs);
• program instructions for dividing responsibility for the rendering of geometry of the graphics between the plurality of GPUs based on a plurality of screen regions, each GPU having a corresponding division of the responsibility which is known to the plurality of GPUs;
• program instructions for performing geometry testing at a pretest GPU on a plurality of pieces of geometry of an image frame generated by an application to generate information regarding each piece of geometry and its relation to each of the plurality of screen regions;
• program instructions for rendering the plurality of pieces of geometry at each of the plurality of GPUs using the information generated for each of the plurality of pieces of geometry.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• memory coupled to the processor and having stored therein instructions that, if executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to execute a method for implementing a graphics pipeline, comprising:
• rendering graphics for an application using a plurality of graphics processing units (GPUs);
• dividing responsibility for the rendering of geometry of the graphics between the plurality of GPUs based on a plurality of screen regions, each GPU having a corresponding division of the responsibility which is known to the plurality of GPUs;
• performing geometry testing at a pretest GPU on a plurality of pieces of geometry of an image frame generated by an application to generate information regarding each piece of geometry and its relation to each of the plurality of screen regions;
• rendering the plurality of pieces of geometry at each of the plurality of GPUs using the information generated for each of the plurality of pieces of geometry.