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Milos Prvulovic
and
Catherine Gamboa
Udacity's High Performance Computer Architecture course covers performance measurement, pipelining and improved parallelism through various means. Learn online with Udacity.
Register for this course and see more details by visiting:
OpenCourser.com/course/nxwgif/udacity
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What's inside
Syllabus
Course Information
Introduction
Metrics and Evaluation
Pipelining
Read more
Syllabus
Course Information
Introduction
Metrics and Evaluation
Pipelining
Read more
Traffic lights
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause and
possible dealbreakers
Explores high performance computer architecture, which is foundational for learners who aspire to become experts in computer science and engineering
Taught by Milos Prvulovic and Catherine Gamboa, the instructors are recognized for their expertise in computer architecture
Develops fundamental skills of performance measurement, pipelining, and parallel computing
Covers memory ordering, virtual memory, and memory consistency, which are critical concepts for understanding computer systems
Examines cache coherence, synchronization, and many-core systems, which are highly relevant topics in modern computer architecture
Requires learners to have prior knowledge of computer architecture and programming
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Reviews summary
Deep dive into computer architecture
According to students, this course offers an incredibly deep dive into High Performance Computer Architecture, covering both fundamental and advanced topics like pipelining, ILP, and memory hierarchies. Learners consistently highlight its comprehensive and relevant content, making it a valuable resource for serious learners and professionals seeking a strong theoretical foundation. However, it is also frequently described as extremely challenging and dense, often assuming significant prior knowledge and prerequisites, making it unsuitable for beginners. There is a notable divide regarding its practical application, with some wishing for more hands-on programming assignments or real-world case studies.
Divided opinions on hands-on practical elements.
"I sometimes felt it lacked hands-on programming assignments, leaning more towards conceptual understanding..."
"The lack of practical coding assignments made it harder for me to connect the theory to real-world scenarios."
"I often found myself wishing for more hands-on labs or practical examples to solidify the abstract concepts."
"The sections on cache coherence and memory consistency were particularly strong and directly applicable to my work."
Assignments test understanding, but can be difficult.
"The problem sets are challenging yet incredibly rewarding, forcing you to truly grasp the material."
"The problem sets were a good way to test knowledge, but without clearer initial explanations, they became frustrating."
"The problem sets were tough but fair, really pushing me to think."
Delivers a robust conceptual understanding.
"It's heavily theoretical, which is what I was looking for, but newcomers might find it steep."
"The theoretical grounding is solid, and the concepts are well-illustrated."
"The emphasis on theoretical understanding is clear, which is beneficial for researchers and academics."
Provides comprehensive and precise technical details.
"This course is simply exceptional. The depth and clarity with which complex topics like pipelining, ILP, and memory hierarchies are explained are unparalleled."
"Excellent coverage of advanced architecture topics... It's a goldmine for anyone looking to truly understand modern computer architecture."
"As a hardware engineer, I found this course incredibly insightful. It refined my understanding of performance bottlenecks and optimization strategies."
Course lectures can be fast-paced and packed.
"My main struggle was the delivery. Some explanations felt rushed, and I often had to re-watch sections multiple times..."
"The lectures are dense and assume too much prior knowledge."
"Some parts felt like watching a university lecture without the interactive elements."
Assumes significant prior knowledge, not for beginners.
"This course is extremely difficult to follow... assumes too much prior knowledge. As someone relatively new... I was quickly overwhelmed."
"Absolutely beyond my current skill level... This course needs a clearer warning about who it's for."
"A strong prior understanding of assembly and basic architecture is definitely needed, more than I initially thought."
"It moves at a fast pace and expects you to be comfortable with low-level concepts."
Activities
Be better prepared
before
your course. Deepen your understanding
during
and
after
it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered
in High Performance Computer Architecture with these
activities:
Mentor Junior Students in Computer Architecture
Show steps
Share your knowledge and passion for computer architecture by mentoring junior students.
Browse courses on
Mentoring
Show steps
-
Volunteer as a mentor for a student organization or program.
-
Identify a junior student who is interested in computer architecture.
-
Provide guidance, support, and resources to your mentee.
Discuss Multi-Processing and Synchronization
Show steps
Engage with peers to discuss multi-processing and synchronization concepts and share insights.
Browse courses on
Multi-Processing
Show steps
-
Join or start a study group focused on multi-processing and synchronization.
-
Participate in discussions and ask questions related to these topics.
-
Collaborate on projects that involve multi-processing and synchronization.
Practice Pipelining and Parallelism Techniques
Show steps
Enhance your understanding of pipelining and parallelism techniques through dedicated practice.
Browse courses on
Pipelining
Show steps
-
Solve coding challenges that involve pipelining and parallelism.
-
Implement pipelined and parallel algorithms in a programming language.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a White Paper on a Recent Advance in Computer Architecture
Show steps
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments by researching and writing about a recent advance in computer architecture.
Browse courses on
Technical Writing
Show steps
-
Research recent advancements in computer architecture.
-
Analyze the impact and significance of these advancements.
-
Organize and outline your findings in a logical structure.
-
Write a white paper that clearly explains the advancement and its implications.
Explore Advanced Caches and Memory Management
Show steps
Deepen your knowledge of advanced caches and memory management techniques through guided tutorials.
Show steps
-
Follow online tutorials on advanced cache architectures and memory management.
-
Implement advanced caching and memory management strategies in a project.
Participate in a Computer Architecture Design Competition
Show steps
Challenge yourself by participating in a computer architecture design competition to test your skills and expand your knowledge.
Browse courses on
Performance Optimization
Show steps
-
Research and identify computer architecture design competitions.
-
Form a team or work individually to design and implement a high-performance computer architecture.
-
Submit your design to the competition.
-
Analyze the feedback and results of the competition.
Design and Implement a High-Performance Cache System
Show steps
Apply your knowledge to design and implement a high-performance cache system, strengthening your understanding of cache architectures.
Browse courses on
Performance Optimization
Show steps
-
Research and analyze different cache design techniques.
-
Design a cache system based on your analysis.
-
Implement the cache system in a programming language.
-
Evaluate the performance of your implemented cache system.
Mentor Junior Students in Computer Architecture
Show steps
Share your knowledge and passion for computer architecture by mentoring junior students.
Browse courses on
Mentoring
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Volunteer as a mentor for a student organization or program.
- Identify a junior student who is interested in computer architecture.
- Provide guidance, support, and resources to your mentee.
Discuss Multi-Processing and Synchronization
Show steps
Engage with peers to discuss multi-processing and synchronization concepts and share insights.
Browse courses on
Multi-Processing
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Join or start a study group focused on multi-processing and synchronization.
- Participate in discussions and ask questions related to these topics.
- Collaborate on projects that involve multi-processing and synchronization.
Practice Pipelining and Parallelism Techniques
Show steps
Enhance your understanding of pipelining and parallelism techniques through dedicated practice.
Browse courses on
Pipelining
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Solve coding challenges that involve pipelining and parallelism.
- Implement pipelined and parallel algorithms in a programming language.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a White Paper on a Recent Advance in Computer Architecture
Show steps
Stay up-to-date with the latest developments by researching and writing about a recent advance in computer architecture.
Browse courses on
Technical Writing
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Research recent advancements in computer architecture.
- Analyze the impact and significance of these advancements.
- Organize and outline your findings in a logical structure.
- Write a white paper that clearly explains the advancement and its implications.
Explore Advanced Caches and Memory Management
Show steps
Deepen your knowledge of advanced caches and memory management techniques through guided tutorials.
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Follow online tutorials on advanced cache architectures and memory management.
- Implement advanced caching and memory management strategies in a project.
Participate in a Computer Architecture Design Competition
Show steps
Challenge yourself by participating in a computer architecture design competition to test your skills and expand your knowledge.
Browse courses on
Performance Optimization
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Research and identify computer architecture design competitions.
- Form a team or work individually to design and implement a high-performance computer architecture.
- Submit your design to the competition.
- Analyze the feedback and results of the competition.
Design and Implement a High-Performance Cache System
Show steps
Apply your knowledge to design and implement a high-performance cache system, strengthening your understanding of cache architectures.
Browse courses on
Performance Optimization
Show steps
Show steps
Show steps
- Research and analyze different cache design techniques.
- Design a cache system based on your analysis.
- Implement the cache system in a programming language.
- Evaluate the performance of your implemented cache system.
Career center
Learners who complete High Performance Computer Architecture will develop knowledge and skills
that may be useful to these careers:
For more career information including salaries, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/nxwgif/udacity
Reading list
We've selected nine books
that we think will supplement your
learning. Use these to
develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a
deeper understanding of the topics covered in
High Performance Computer Architecture.
This classic textbook covers the fundamentals of computer architecture, providing a strong foundation for understanding the material covered in the course.
Focuses on the design of superscalar processors, which are a type of high-performance processor that is covered in the course.
Provides a comprehensive overview of parallel computer architecture, which topic discussed in the course.
Provides a detailed overview of performance evaluation techniques for computer architectures, which topic discussed in the course.
Provides a comprehensive overview of computer architecture, covering many of the topics discussed in the course.
Provides a detailed overview of microprocessor architecture, which topic discussed in the course.
Provides a comprehensive overview of computer organization and architecture, covering many of the topics discussed in the course.
Provides a comprehensive overview of computer architecture and design, covering many of the topics discussed in the course.
Provides a comprehensive overview of computer architecture and organization, covering many of the topics discussed in the course.
For more information about how these books relate to this course, visit:
OpenCourser.com/course/nxwgif/udacity
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