Inside the Machine
Computers perform countless tasks ranging from the business critical to the recreational, but regardless of how differently they may look and behave, they're all amazingly similar in basic function. Once you understand how the microprocessor—or central processing unit (CPU)—works, you'll have a firm grasp of the fundamental concepts at the heart of all modern computing. Inside the Machine, from the co-founder of the highly respected Ars Technica website, explains how microprocessors operate—what they do and how they do it. The book uses analogies, full-color diagrams, and clear language to convey the ideas that form the basis of modern computing. After discussing computers in the abstract, the book examines specific microprocessors from Intel, IBM, and Motorola, from the original models up through today's leading processors. It contains the most comprehensive and up-to-date information available (online or in print) on Intel’s latest processors: the Pentium M, Core, and Core 2 Duo.
Stats for nerds
27recommend
33mentions
30people
2010–2026years
88% recommend12% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- There isn't really an ELI5 version of computer architecture but you could start with the book Inside the Machine by Jon Stokes. Then you can get into SIMT.
- As I recall it, Intel brought about Hyperthreading on Northwood and later Pentium 4s as a way to help with issues in it's long pipeline. As I remember it described at the time, P4 had 30+ stages in it's pipeline. Many of them did not need to be used in a given thread. Furthermore, if a branch prediction engine guessed wrong, then the pipeline needed to be cleared and started anew. For a 30+ stage pipeline, that's a lot of wasted clock cycles.
So hyper-threading was a way to recoup some of those losses. I recall reading at the time that it was a "latency hiding technique". How effective it was I leave to others. But it became standard it seems on all x86 processors in time. Core and Core 2 didn't seem to need it (much shorter pipelines) but later Intel and AMD processors got it.
This is how it was explained to me at the time anyways. I was working at an OEM from '02-'05, and I recall when this feature came out. I pulled out my copy of "Inside the Machine" by Jon Stokes which goes deep into the P4 architecture, but strangely I can only find a single mention of hyperthreading in the book. But it goes far into the P4 architecture and why branch misses are so punishing. It's a good read.
Edit: Adding that I suspect instruction pipelines are not so long that adding additional threads would help. I suspect diminishing returns past 2.
- You should also checkout Inside the Machine: An Illustrated Introduction to Microprocessors and Computer Architecture by Jon Stokes for a more real world introduction. - https://archive.org/details/inside-the-machine-an-illustrate...
- I would split the books into two categories: those that improve the way you structure your code and deliver a software solution, and those that improve your technical understanding of the software platform and the computer you're using.
The first are books like Pragmatic Programmer, Mythical Man Month, Code Complete, Design Patterns, talks by Alan Kay on software systems and OOP, even Game Engine Architecture etc. A lot of the content there is distilled experience which is much faster to learn from a book than gain the hard way on the job.
The other books are practical deep dives. Here I would recommend a variety of books like Inside the Machine by Stokes, Computer Architecture by Hennessy, 21st Century C by Klemens, Crafting Interpreters by Nystrom, Compilers by Aho, Effective Java, Nature of Code by Shiffman, Ray Tracing Challenge by Buck, Hands on Hacking by Hickey, and others, depending on your interest and area of focus.
- I'm not sure if it's quite what you're looking for, but Inside the Machine by Jon "Hannibal" Stokes of Ars Technica has a good overview of computer architecture in general, plus detailed looks at some different processors.
From the Introduction:
"Inside the Machine is an introduction to computers that is intended to fill the gap that exists between classic but more challenging introductions to computer architecture, like John L. Hennessy’s and David A. Patterson’s popular textbooks, and the growing mass of works that are simply too basic for motivated non-specialist readers. Readers with some experience using computers and with even the most minimal scripting or programming experience should finish Inside the Machine with a thorough and advanced understanding of the high-level organization of modern computers. Should they so choose, such readers would then be well equipped to tackle more advanced works like the aforementioned classics, either on their own or as part of formal curriculum."
- Computer Architecture by Hennessy and Patterson is the classic introductory text.
It's dated, but Inside the Machine by Jon Stokes is also a good read if you're after something a bit lighter.
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