Major advances in computer architecture are typically associated with landmark instruction set designs. Computer architecture's definition itself has been through bit changes. The following are the main concern for computer architecture through different times:

• 1930-1950: Computer arithmetic
  • Microprogramming
  • Pipelining
  • Cache
  • Timeshared multiprocessor
                         
• 1960: Operating system support, especially memory management
  • Virtual memory
                             
• 1970-1980: Instruction Set Design, especially for compilers; Vector processing and shared memory multiprocessors
  • RISC
                        
• 1990s: Design of CPU, memory system, I/O system, multi-processors, networks
  • CC-UMA multiprocessor
  • CC-NUMA multiprocessor
  • Not-CC-NUMA multiprocessor
  • Message-passing multiprocessor