How does pipelined parallelism allow different graphics-processing stages to run at the same time?

Pipelined parallelism enhances the efficiency of computer graphics by breaking down the complex rendering process into a sequence of distinct, specialized stages. These stages typically include constructing polygons or Bezier surfaces, eliminating hidden surfaces, shading, and rasterization.1

Instead of waiting for a single image to complete the entire rendering pipeline before starting the next, this technique allows the system to work on multiple images simultaneously at different stages of the process. For example, while one image is undergoing the final rasterization phase, a second image can be in the shading stage, and a third can be in the initial construction phase.1

By overlapping these operations, the graphics processor ensures that various components of the hardware are utilized concurrently rather than sitting idle. This approach significantly increases throughput, allowing high-performance graphics processors to render complex scenes and animations much more efficiently than serial processing would allow.1