Computer Architecture

Microprocessor design from the inside

This Princeton-offered course is about how complex modern microprocessors are designed. The emphasis is on microarchitecture, the internal organization that determines how instructions are executed.

Skills in focus

The listed skills include simulation and performance tuning, which suggests that designs are judged by measurement as well as by theory. Those skills matter to anyone who needs to reason about why one processor runs a workload faster than another.

Who should take it

• Students with a solid background in digital logic and computer organization
• Engineers who want to understand processor performance trade-offs

The advanced level listed means it is best approached after introductory architecture material. It is a deeper step on from general computer organization, aimed at understanding design trade-offs.