Best Computer Hardware Design & Architecture Books of 2025

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Computer hardware design and architecture books are essential resources for anyone looking to build or understand the inner workings of computers. These books cover topics such as computer organization, digital logic design, microprocessor architecture, and memory systems. They provide detailed explanations and diagrams to help readers understand the complex concepts involved in computer hardware design. Some popular titles in this category include "Computer Organization and Design" by David A. Patterson and John L. Hennessy, "Digital Design and Computer Architecture" by David Harris and Sarah Harris, and "The Elements of Computing Systems" by Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced computer engineer, these books are an invaluable addition to your library.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Computer Hardware Design & Architecture Books
Clean Architecture: A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design (Robert C. Martin Series)
Clean Architecture: A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design is a must-read for current or aspiring software architects, system analysts, and programmers. In this book, Robert C. Martin provides practical solutions and universal rules for software architecture that can significantly improve developer productivity. The author draws on his over 50 years of experience in software development to explain the critical choices that architects need to make and why they are essential to project success. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in software architecture and design.
Building Microservices: Designing Fine-Grained Systems
Building Microservices: Designing Fine-Grained Systems is a comprehensive guide to building, managing, and scaling microservices architectures. With practical advice and real-world cases, author Sam Newman provides a holistic view of the latest solutions for modeling, integrating, testing, deploying, and monitoring autonomous services. The book also covers topics on user interfaces, container orchestration, and serverless. Readers will learn how to align system design with organizational goals, independently deploy microservices, and manage security. Overall, this is an essential read for architects, developers, testers, and IT operators who want to deliver software faster and more reliably.
Terraform: Up and Running: Writing Infrastructure as Code
"Terraform: Up and Running: Writing Infrastructure as Code" is a must-read for anyone interested in DevOps and infrastructure management. The book offers a hands-on approach to learning Terraform, a powerful tool for managing infrastructure as code across different cloud platforms. The author, Yevgeniy Brikman, provides clear explanations and code examples that make it easy for both novice and experienced developers to learn and implement Terraform. The book is updated for version 1.0 and beyond, making it an essential resource for anyone looking to keep up with the latest trends in infrastructure management. Overall, "Terraform: Up and Running" is an excellent resource for anyone looking to streamline their infrastructure management processes.
Software Engineering at Google: Lessons Learned from Programming Over Time
This book presents a candid and insightful look at how some of the world's leading practitioners construct and maintain software, based on their experience at Google. It covers Google's unique engineering culture, processes, and tools, and how these aspects contribute to the effectiveness of an engineering organization. The book emphasizes the difference between programming and software engineering, with a focus on developing proper engineering practices to make codebases sustainable and healthy. Overall, "Software Engineering at Google: Lessons Learned from Programming Over Time" is a valuable resource for software engineers who want to learn how to manage living codebases that evolve and respond to changing requirements and demands.
Basic Technical Mathematics
This hardcover book, titled "Basic Technical Mathematics" by Pearson, is intended for readers in the field of computer hardware design and architecture. However, the reviewer never opened the book, as they took an online class and did not need it. It is worth noting that the book does not come with access codes. Therefore, if access codes are required for a course, this book may not be the best option. Overall, without having read the book, it is difficult to provide a detailed review. However, potential buyers should be aware that access codes are not included.
Solutions Architect's Handbook: Kick-start your career as a solutions architect by learning architecture design principles and strategies, 2nd Edition
The Solutions Architect's Handbook, 2nd Edition, is an essential guide for anyone aspiring to become a successful solutions architect. The book covers everything from the fundamentals and design patterns to creating secure and reliable architectures in AWS cloud. It also includes new chapters on disruptive technologies such as IoT, quantum computing, data engineering, and machine learning. The author provides a detailed understanding of solution architecture and how it fits into an agile enterprise environment. This handbook is an excellent resource for keeping skills sharp in the cloud era and is highly recommended for both new and existing solutions architects.
Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture
The book "Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture" is a must-read for those who develop enterprise applications. Written by Martin Fowler, a renowned software engineering expert, this book provides an in-depth analysis of the complex aspects of enterprise architecture. It presents proven solutions to recurring problems in enterprise architecture and enables readers to make the right choices when faced with a difficult design decision. This book is unique because it distills over forty recurring solutions into patterns, making it an indispensable handbook of solutions. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for enterprise developers who want to build powerful applications that are easily implemented.
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design)
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach is a classic textbook that has been a must-read for computer design practitioners, instructors, and students for over two decades. The latest edition, authored by Hennessy and Patterson, winners of the 2017 ACM A.M. Turing Award, is updated with the latest developments in processor and system architecture, including examples from the RISC V instruction set architecture. The book includes a new chapter on domain-specific architectures and an updated chapter on warehouse-scale computing. This book is an excellent resource for demystifying computer architecture, and the new edition continues the tradition of focusing on the most exciting computing innovations.
Architecture Patterns with Python: Enabling Test-Driven Development, Domain-Driven Design, and Event-Driven Microservices
This book, "Architecture Patterns with Python" by Harry Percival and Bob Gregory, introduces high-level software design patterns such as hexagonal/clean architecture, event-driven architecture, and domain-driven design (DDD) to help Python developers manage application complexity. The authors provide concrete examples in idiomatic Python, avoiding the verbosity of Java and C# syntax. The book covers patterns such as dependency inversion, CQRS, and reactive microservices. It is a must-read for Python developers interested in learning software design patterns and getting the most value out of their test suites.
Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager: How to Be the Leader Your Development Team Needs
This book, titled "Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager: How to Be the Leader Your Development Team Needs," is a comprehensive guide for engineers transitioning into management. Dr. James Stanier, a computer science Ph.D. and former software engineer turned manager, shares practical techniques and tools to manage teams successfully. The book covers a wide range of topics, including how to organize information, delegate effectively, manage your own boss, hire and fire, and improve workplace diversity. It also provides insights into the psychology of managing staff, such as coaching and mentoring, handling sensitive information, and navigating workplace politics. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for engineers who want to become effective and supportive leaders.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is computer design and architecture?
Computer design is concerned with the determination of what hardware should be used and how the parts should be connected. This aspect of computer hardware is sometimes referred to as computer implementation. Computer architecture is concerned with the structure and behavior of the computer as seen by the user.
2. How do I become a computer hardware architect?
Besides the relevant education, Computer Architects are expected to have around five years' experience in working IT systems before they're considered qualified enough. Certifications such as a Network+ certificate can help demonstrate the skills needed to land a Computer Architecture position, as well.
3. What are the topics in computer architecture?
Trends in computer architecture. State-of-the-art microprocessor design. Memory system design. Hardware reliability.
During our computer hardware design & architecture book research, we found 1,200+ computer hardware design & architecture book products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 6,685 customer reviews through our big data system to write the computer hardware design & architecture books list. We found that most customers choose computer hardware design & architecture books with an average price of $36.54.

Wilson Cook is a talented writer who has an MFA in creative writing from Williams College and has published more than 50 books acquired by hundreds of thousands of people from various countries by now. He is an inveterate reading lover as he has read a vast amount of books since childhood.