A system and method for frame synchronization in multiple video processing unit (VPU) systems is described. In various embodiments, multiple VPUs cooperatively process frame data for display. According to embodiments, more than one VPU may not reside on a same card such that conventional synchronization methods are available. Frame data synchronization is accomplished in various embodiments by using semaphore mechanisms and by writing values to shared memory locations. For synchronization of execution among multiple VPUs operating on a same command buffer, execution of commands by one or more VPUs is stalled based on a semaphore value or a value in a shared memory location.