Is there a way to set the process and GPU priority to a maximum value to avoid side effects from other processes? We developed an live image video processing application for tv video streams on linux PCs and our goal is to use the new Mac Pro for the next version. The processing time is should not be larger than 12-14ms. At the moment I see a lot of variations in the execution time even the code for the CPU or GPU does the same (e.g. clearing the background with OpenGL or modifying pixels for the whole screen with the same comand).
Can I use the Mac for Realtime Image Processing
I don't know about the GPU, but there is a way to prioritize processes and even threads. It's called quality-of-service (QoS), and there are four classes, the highest of which is Interactive, which is the one you probably want. Check it out in the documentation for more information. My only caution is to be careful about how you use it to avoid unnecessarily hogging system resources.
The latest thunderbolt displays' refresh time is 12ms - are you including that in your spec?