Editing Multiple buffering (section)

{{Short description|Use of more than one buffer to hold a block of data}}{{Multiple issues|{{more citations needed|date=November 2023}}
{{tone|date=November 2023}}
{{jargon|date=November 2023}}}}[[File:Comparison double triple buffering.svg|thumb|320px|Sets '''1''', '''2''' and '''3''' represent the operation of single, double and triple buffering, respectively, with [[Screen tearing#Vertical synchronization|vertical synchronization]] (vsync) enabled. In each graph, time flows from left to right. Note that '''3''' shows a [[swap chain]] with three buffers; the original definition of triple buffering would throw away frame C as soon as frame D finished, and start drawing frame E into buffer 1 with no delay. Set '''4''' shows what happens when a frame (B, in this case) takes longer than normal to draw. In this case, a frame update is missed. In time-sensitive implementations such as video playback, the whole frame may be dropped. With a three-buffer swap chain in set '''5''', drawing of frame B can start without having to wait for frame A to be copied to video memory, reducing the chance of a delayed frame missing its vertical retrace.]]

In [[computer science]], '''multiple buffering''' is the use of more than one [[buffer (computer science)|buffer]] to hold a block of [[data]], so that a "[[readers-writers problem|reader]]" will see a complete (though perhaps old) version of the data instead of a partially updated version of the data being created by a "[[readers-writers problem|writer]]". It is very commonly used for computer display images. It is also used to avoid the need to use [[dual-ported RAM]] (DPRAM) when the readers and writers are different devices.