Low-power GPU states for reducing power consumption

摘要

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that drives a display from a computer system. During operation, the system detects an idle state in a first graphics-processing unit (GPU) used to drive the display. During the idle state, the system switches from using the first GPU to using a second GPU to drive the display and places the first GPU into a low-power state, wherein the low-power state reduces a power consumption of the computer system.

主权项

1. A method for driving a display in a computer, comprising:
driving the display with a first graphics-processing unit (GPU); switching from using the first GPU to drive the display to using a second GPU to drive the display; saving a GPU configuration state of the first GPU in a video memory in the first GPU and saving an interface configuration state of an interface with the first GPU in a memory in the computer; transitioning the first GPU into a low-power state, wherein transitioning the first GPU into the low-power state comprises powering off the first GPU and the interface, and maintaining power to the video memory; and during a restoring operation, concurrently restoring the interface configuration state from the memory and restoring the GPU configuration state from the video memory.