In this course, you will learn to design the computer architecture of complex modern microprocessors.
All the features of this course are available for free. It does not offer a certificate upon completion.
Computer Architecture
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7
(3,452 reviews)
Advanced level
Designed for those already in the industry
Flexible schedule
Approx. 49 hours
Learn at your own pace
97%
Most learners liked this course
Skills you'll gain
Details to know
Assessments
2 assignments
Taught in English
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
There are 21 modules in this course
This lecture will give you a broad overview of the course, as well as the description of architecture, micro-architecture and instruction set architectures.
What's included
8 videos2 readings
This lecture covers the basic concept of pipeline and two different types of hazards.
What's included
4 videos1 reading
This lecture covers control hazards and the motivation for caches.
What's included
5 videos1 reading
This lecture covers cache characteristics and basic superscalar architecture.
What's included
5 videos1 reading
This lecture covers the common issues for superscalar architecture.
What's included
4 videos1 reading
This lecture covers different kinds of architectures for out-of-order processors.
What's included
5 videos2 readings
This lecture covers the common methods used to improve the performance of out-of-order processors including register renaming and memory disambiguation.
What's included
5 videos
This lecture covers the basic concept of very long instruction word (VLIW) processors.
What's included
5 videos3 readings
This lecture covers the common methods used to improve VLIW performance.
What's included
6 videos1 reading1 assignment
This lecture covers the motivation and implementation of branch predictors.
What's included
5 videos1 reading
This lecture covers the advanced mechanisms used to improve cache performance.
What's included
6 videos1 reading
This lecture covers more advanced mechanisms used to improve cache performance.
What's included
4 videos2 readings
This lecture covers memory management and protection.
What's included
5 videos2 readings
This lecture covers the vector processor and optimizations for vector processors.
What's included
6 videos1 reading
This lecture covers different types of multithreading.
What's included
6 videos1 reading
This lecture covers the concepts of parallelism, consistency models, and basic parallel programming techniques.
What's included
4 videos1 reading
This lecture covers the solutions for the consistency problem in parallel programming.
What's included
5 videos
This lecture covers the implementation of small multiprocessors.
What's included
5 videos2 readings
This lecture covers the design of interconnects for a multiprocessor.
What's included
4 videos2 readings
This lecture covers the design of interconnects for multiprocessor and network topology.
What's included
5 videos1 reading
This lecture covers the motivation and implementation of directory protocol used for coherence on large multiproccesors.
What's included
6 videos2 readings1 assignment
Instructor
Instructor ratings
4.5 (823 ratings)
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Electrical Engineering
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
Microsoft
University of Alberta
Why people choose Coursera for their career
Felipe M.
Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."
Jennifer J.
Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."
Larry W.
Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."
Chaitanya A.
"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
Learner reviews
4.7
3,452 reviews
- 5 stars
78.37%
- 4 stars
16.09%
- 3 stars
3.32%
- 2 stars
0.83%
- 1 star
1.36%
Showing 3 of 3452
PO
5
Reviewed on May 7, 2017
Quite intense but also quite rewarding. Dr. Wentzlaff's class are captivating and well prepared. The exames are a little bit exhausting, but effectively measure what was learned.
PS
5
Reviewed on Jan 18, 2021
Great course, but quite difficult. I recommend working through all of the problem sets. The video lectures are more important than the textbook readings.
AL
5
Reviewed on Sep 5, 2021
I have a slight background in computer Architecture, taking this course allowed me to have a refreshier. Espeically being able to download the videos and do it all on my own time.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.