
Ask HN: Where can one learn about how computers work? - shliachtx
A friend of mine wants to understand how computers work. I began explaining how binary works and a (very) basic introduction to how the processor, RAM, and graphics card work, but I am looking for a book or other (online?) resource that I can recommend to him (and possibly even read&#x2F;watch myself) to get a more thorough understanding.<p>I would appreciate any references, including but not limited to: logic gates, RAM, units of measurement (MHz, MB, etc.), and input&#x2F;output.<p>Thank you in advance.
======
logn
_Computer Organization and Architecture_ by Stallings

[http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Organization-Architecture-
Sta...](http://www.amazon.com/Computer-Organization-Architecture-Stallings-
Communications/dp/013293633X)

------
zurn
After you get past the components, some computer architecture will do you
good. See eg
[https://www.coursera.org/course/comparch](https://www.coursera.org/course/comparch).
There's also the classic Hennessy & Patterson book.

------
bra-ket
Building a Modern Computer from First Principles: [http://www.amazon.com/The-
Elements-Computing-Systems-Princip...](http://www.amazon.com/The-Elements-
Computing-Systems-Principles/dp/0262640686)

------
esert
Here's a talk by Richard Feynman where he explains how computers work
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKWGGDXe5MA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKWGGDXe5MA)

------
nyddle
Charles Petzold, "Code".

------
rdc12
Nand2Tetris, looks quite good but I havn't read it myself

------
angersock
I always recommend _Code_ by Microsoft Press--good introduction to the
fundamentals of computer engineering.

~~~
spb
After _Code_ , I recently discovered Brian Kernighan's _D is for Digital_ ,
published in 2011, which gives a much more concrete description of how modern
computing works.

