# Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach

Source: https://listme.name/books/computer-architecture-a-quantitative-approach
Website: https://shop.elsevier.com/books/computer-architecture/hennessy/978-0-12-811905-1

Advanced text on processor, memory and parallel design

Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach is a textbook by John L. Hennessy and David A. Patterson, published by Morgan Kaufmann. It teaches processor and memory design through measurement, comparing design choices with quantitative evidence. The first edition appeared in 1990, and the sixth edition in 2017.

The book covers the design of processors, memory hierarchies and parallel systems. Its central method is to measure and compare designs quantitatively rather than describe them only in words, so readers learn to judge a design by evidence. It treats parallelism within a single processor and across several processors as core design topics.

The book suits graduate students, professional architects and advanced undergraduates who already know digital logic and basic processor organization. It is more demanding than Computer Organization and Design by the same authors, which stays closer to the instruction set and introduces the processor more gently. Its examples focus on processor design rather than programming, so readers who want software-level detail will find Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective more useful.

- Paid | Print
- Price: Sold as a print book; price varies by seller
- Checked: 2026-10-10

## Strengths

- Measurement-based method for comparing designs
- Deep coverage of processors and memory systems
- Covers parallelism beyond a single core

## Limits

- Assumes prior knowledge of digital logic
- Dense for readers new to architecture

## Rankings

- #2 of 8 in [best Computer architecture books](https://listme.name/best/computer-architecture-books), score 91.0: The deepest book here on processor, memory and parallel design, taught through measured comparison of designs. It assumes prior knowledge of digital logic and suits graduate students, so it ranks below the broader introductory textbook.

## Alternatives

- [Computer Organization and Design RISC-V Edition](https://listme.name/books/computer-organization-and-design-risc-v), score 93.0
- [Code](https://listme.name/books/code-the-hidden-language), score 90.0
- [Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective](https://listme.name/books/computer-systems-a-programmers-perspective), score 89.0
- [The Elements of Computing Systems](https://listme.name/books/the-elements-of-computing-systems), score 88.0
- [Digital Design and Computer Architecture](https://listme.name/books/digital-design-and-computer-architecture), score 85.5
- [Inside the Machine](https://listme.name/books/inside-the-machine), score 80.0
- [But How Do It Know?](https://listme.name/books/but-how-do-it-know), score 77.0