An information handling system includes a multi-core processor that processes variable-length code (VLC) bitstream data. The bitstream data includes multiple codewords for interpretation. The processor includes a general purpose unit (GPU) and a special purpose unit (SPU). The GPU includes GPU buffers and the SPU includes SPU buffers. After populating one GPU buffer with bitstream data, the processor populates another GPU buffer with subsequent bitstream data. The processor may populate the GPU buffers in alternating fashion. The processor populates one SPU buffer with bitstream data while parsing bitstream data in the other SPU buffer. The GPU of the processor populates the SPU buffers in alternating fashion. The size of the GPU buffers may be a multiple of the size of the SPU buffers. After the SPU buffers consume the bitstream data from one GPU buffer, the other GPU buffer transfers its bitstream data to the SPU buffers for parsing.