Performance Limits: How Mode X Pushed Me Back Into Assembly (Back to the Pascal, Ep. 8)

Created on February 2, 2026

Back in the 90s, I had a graphics programming book with a section on Mode X... but I never really understood how it worked, so I stuck with Mode 13h.

A few weeks ago, I finally decided to dig into it, and yeah... I get it now. Mode X is nice, but it's definitely not a free lunch. To really make it shine, I had to brush up on my rusty assembly skills.