A method for use in a processor for arbitrating between multiple processes to select wavefronts for execution on a shader core is provided. The processor includes a compute pipeline configured to issue wavefronts to the shader core for execution, a hardware queue descriptor associated with the compute pipeline, and the shader core. The shader core is configured to execute work for the compute pipeline corresponding to a first memory queue descriptor executed using data for the first memory queue descriptor that is loaded into a first hardware queue descriptor. The processor is configured to detect a context switch condition, and, responsive to the context switch condition, perform a context switch operation including loading data for a second memory queue descriptor into the first hardware queue descriptor. The shader core is configured to execute work corresponding to the second memory queue descriptor that is loaded into the first hardware queue descriptor.