A computer system and method optimized for real-time multimedia applications are presented. The computer system, including a dedicated multimedia engine directly to a real-time data cache, provides increased performance over current computer architectures. The multimedia engine includes at least one DSP engine which coupled through at least one I/O channel to I/O ports. Obtaining multimedia commands and data from main memory and/or the real-time data cache, the multimedia engine performs a number of multimedia operations including audio and video functions. A CPU, coupled through a chip set logic or bridge logic to the main memory, generates multimedia commands and data. The CPU groups multimedia commands and data into separate command and data elements, and writes the command and data elements to a multimedia address space in main memory. The CPU also writes element structure information to the multimedia address space. The element structure information includes location information used to retrieve multimedia commands and data from main memory. The real-time data cache allows multimedia data from an external source to be stored in a location other than main memory, and allows this multimedia data to be shared by the CPU and the multimedia engine. The real-time data cache may also store multimedia commands and data for use by the multimedia engine.