Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach by Hennessy and Pattersonby Hennessy and Patterson
Shares rank 2 of 3 computer architecture textbooks by recommenders
People recommend it as a foundation for understanding hardware, algorithms and data structures, and as a book to keep returning to over a career.
People recommend it as a foundation for understanding hardware, algorithms and data structures, and as a book to keep returning to over a career.
5 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Good first step into architecture
“I recommend learning computer architecture first.”
Comment from 14 Aug 2026 in “Need Help Learning Assembly” Seen as exchange rate for algorithms
“It's the real life exchange rate for algorithms and data structures”
Comment from 4 Jan 2026 in “Ask HN: Reading list for being a better engineer?” Can replace dozens of books
“would serve the role of the "dozens of books" hyperbole rather well”
Comment from 15 Sep 2026 in “The Inference Hardware Revolution of 2026” Kept as a lifelong reference
“Hennessy/Patterson for life.”
Comment from 17 Feb 2026 in “Can a Computer Science Student Be Taught to Design Hardware?”
Other computer architecture textbooks people recommend
The two most recommended other computer architecture textbooks, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RISC-V System-on-Chip Designby Harris and Harris | 6 | 1 | 86% | 1 | — | — |
| Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approachby Hennessy and PattersonThis page | 5 | 0 | 100% | 5 | — | — |
| Computation Structuresby Ward and Halstead | 5 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
4 of the 5 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“would serve the role of the "dozens of books" hyperbole rather well”
“I recommend learning computer architecture first.”
“Hennessy/Patterson for life.”
“It's the real life exchange rate for algorithms and data structures”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.