OMSCS High Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA) Review (non-CS undergrad)

In this video I review Georgia Tech's High Performance Computer Architecture (CS 6290) course.
Official course page: omscs.gatech.e...
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:34 Lectures
1:24 Projects
2:22 Pros
3:19 Cons
4:00 Recommendations
4:50 GIOS Comparison
6:54 Conclusion

[@apexxx09]

I really liked your breakdown, will be going through the rest of your vids! Might be too late for a question (my time ticket's for tomorrow morning lol) but did you feel you would've been fine with taking a week or two off during the course semester? That's the only reason I'm leaning towards taking HCI as my first course, since I've got a Peru trip and then a Euro trip lined up lol. Keep up the good work!

[@sam_cant_code]

Thanks! I actually got married and went on a week long honeymoon to Hawaii the semester I took HPCA. HCI is the easier class, but its workload is so constant that HPCA is probably the better choice if you’re looking to take a trip

[@thomasmcnutt252]

thanks for posting this video! I've been undecided on whether to take HPCA or GIOS in the fall. I am leaning towards HPCA first and your advice might be the final push I need

[@sam_cant_code]

It really is a great class, I think you’ll enjoy it!

[@jeremylam8549]

Did u mean that the lecture is harder in HPCA than is in GIOS? Then would it better to take GIOS first then HPCA? Also, another question I have is, do you think is beneficial to take both given u mentioned content wise, both are largely similar.

[@sam_cant_code]

Yes, in my opinion the lecture material in HPCA is harder than in GIOS. I recommend taking HPCA first because the material is at a lower level of abstraction and so to me it makes more sense to start there and then build on top with GIOS. That might just be how my brain works though, for some it might make more sense the other way around. And there is a lot of overlap, but at different levels of abstraction, and the courses are different enough that I recommend taking both, especially if you didn't do CS in undergrad.

[@yea-yea]

Hi Sam, great video! Could you tell me how much time you appr. invested in average for this course?

[@sam_cant_code]

I’d say 10-15hrs/wk

[@yea-yea]

@@sam_cant_code Thank you! One more question: What was the order of the courses you have taken during the program so far?

[@sam_cant_code]

I’m posting these reviews in the order that I took the classes, so: AI4R, CN, GIOS, HCI, SDP, IIS, HPCA, GE, DM and GA

[@bya364]

How long did each project take you? I spent about 100/60/40 hours on the three GIOS projects with very little C background. Thanks for the review

[@sam_cant_code]

That was pretty much how long each project took me. Although I only did about half of PRJ4, and that took me about 20 hours

[@bya364]

@@sam_cant_code For GIOS or HPCA? Was asking how long the HPCA projects took so I can gauge based on GIOS

[@sam_cant_code]

Oh, definitely less than the GIOS projects. I probably averaged about 20 hours per project in HPCA