Syllabus

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In this course, we will learn the details of how modern computer systems are organized. We will cover the major hardware components, with an emphasis on high-performance microprocessor architecture. We will explore how the hardware/software interface affects performance and complexity, how performance can be extraced from aggressive microarchitecture design, how memory systems are designed to keep up with high-speed processors, and how I/O systems are constructed. We will also discuss performance analysis techniques, learning how to estimate how well these ultra-complex modern systems perform. We will conclude the course with a discussion of current research topics, exploring how technology shifts are affecting the upcoming generation of microprocessor-based computing systems.