Method and device to augment volatile memory in a graphics subsystem with non-volatile memory

摘要

Methods and devices to augment volatile memory in a graphics subsystem with certain types of non-volatile memory are described. In one embodiment, includes storing one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM). The NVRAM is directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands. The method also includes a graphics processor executing a graphics application. The graphics processor sends a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM. The method also includes directly loading the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor in response to the memory load command.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
storing one or more static or near-static graphics resources in a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), the NVRAM being directly accessible by a graphics processor using at least memory store and load commands; executing, by a graphics processor, a graphics application, wherein the graphics processor sends a request using a memory load command for an address corresponding to at least one of the one or more static or near-static graphics resources stored in the NVRAM; in response to the memory load command, directly loading the requested graphics resource from the NVRAM into a cache for the graphics processor; storing a graphics processor memory management unit address map in a volatile memory location accessible to a graphics memory manager logic component; managing, by the graphics memory manager logic component, a logical address to physical address map for each of a plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application, the one or more static or near-static graphics resources being part of the plurality of graphics resources related to the graphics application; and including, by the graphics memory manager logic component, a static/near-static tag for each of the plurality of graphics resources in the graphics processor memory management unit address map, the static/near-static tag indicating the resource will not be dynamically changing in a frequent manner.