A method includes the following operations: (1) executing an application that that generates a series of video frames using a graphics processing unit (GPU); (2) determining that a first video frame in the series has been completely written to a back buffer; (3) determining whether a current scan line of a second video frame is outside of a specified region, where the second video frame is stored in a front buffer and is being read out line by line following receipt of a monitored synchronizing signal; (4) presenting the first video frame to the front buffer without frame transitions, if the current scan line is outside of the specified region and is in a vertical blanking interval (VBI); and (5) presenting the first video to the front buffer with frame transitions, if the current scan line is outside of the specified region and is not in the VBI.