So if I want to be a computer hardware engineer

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Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I'm probably going to get owned, but AFAIK a "computer hardware engineer" would just be an EE.

A computer engineer specializes in software. You could write software for the hardware. ;)
 
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LeiZaK

Diamond Member
May 25, 2005
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Originally posted by: Eli
I'm probably going to get owned, but AFAIK a "computer hardware engineer" would just be an EE.

A computer engineer specializes in software. You could write software for the hardware. ;)
Click to expand...

This sounds about right to me.
 
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newb111

Diamond Member
Oct 8, 2003
6,991
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Originally posted by: Eli
I'm probably going to get owned, but AFAIK a "computer hardware engineer" would just be an EE.

A computer engineer specializes in software. You could write software for the hardware. ;)
Click to expand...

Correct. A computer engineer (also known as computer systems engineer) is a software engineer with a hardware emphasis. If you want to be a straight hardware engineer, that would be EE.
 
OS

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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Originally posted by: newb111
Originally posted by: Eli
I'm probably going to get owned, but AFAIK a "computer hardware engineer" would just be an EE.

A computer engineer specializes in software. You could write software for the hardware. ;)
Click to expand...

Correct. A computer engineer (also known as computer systems engineer) is a software engineer with a hardware emphasis. If you want to be a straight hardware engineer, that would be EE.
Click to expand...


edit, i should take that back, it really depends on the school/program/job/semantics, etc.


 
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Casawi

Platinum Member
Oct 31, 2004
2,366
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Well,

Dual major is my advice to you. Being a computer engineer without experience isn't worth sh*t, it is very hard to find a job for recent college grads. EE, sure u can find a job, but if you like computers... then yeah you should double major.
That is what I did, I would of never gotten a job where I wanted with just a computer or just electrical engineering. I like HW/SW integration, writing software for hardware u designed is where its at. After a few years when u get the experience, you can make a lots of money just doing consultant work. After all it is fun and can't get boring, to me at least .
 
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Casawi

Platinum Member
Oct 31, 2004
2,366
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yeah I don't recommend majoring in something because of average salaries, that is wrong in all aspects. Those salaries are usually for experienced people too, don't assume you would start at anything above 60k.
 
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Atheus

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2005
7,313
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What exactly do you want to do? I've met people who think 'computer hardware engineer' is the guy who puts your PC together from parts. No. A hardware engineer is another way of saying 'electronic engineer'. You would design digital logic for things like motherboards and graphics cards and your work would look something like this.
 
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gamepad

Golden Member
Jul 28, 2005
1,893
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So a computer engineer is more of a programmer than a hardware engineer?

I thought the terms "computer engineer" and "computer hardware engineer" were the same, so the salaries listed confused me.

I guess it makes sense now. Thanks for clarifying.
 
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krotchy

Golden Member
Mar 29, 2006
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MY school has 3 degrees

EE - Electrical Engineer, Analog or Digital, Optics, Power theory etc.
ECE - Electrical and Computer Engineer - Same as EE with extra programming courses to better integrate software and hardware (Tends to take fewer Analog type classes)
CE - Computer Engineer - Purely software engineering. AKA Database and Firmware programmer. More than just a programmer, but purely software.

 
JEDIYoda

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,986
3,321
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Computer degrees are a dime a dozen!!
Unless of course you are writing code or directly involved in product developement say for a company like NVidia etc etc......

As was stated earlier entry level is still entry level no matter what degree you have.

You can have all the head knowledge in the world and be terrible at applying what you know to everyday hands on stuff!!
 
WhoBeDaPlaya

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,414
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Depends on your school. Nothing wrong with officially being a computer engineer, but taking a fair bit of electrical engineering classes.
Personally, I'm the reverse - an electrical engineer who has also taken a lot of computer engineering classes (OS, architecture, networking, embedded systems, etc.)
 
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Casawi

Platinum Member
Oct 31, 2004
2,366
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In my case I ended up working with SmartRFID systems intergration, I got hired as an Electronic Engineer and I was EE and CpE. If you like both I highly recommend the dual degree. I mean if you don't like power and/or DSP and not an EM guy, I recommend taking computer classes like the EE dude up there WhoBeDaPlaya. Good luck with some of them CpE classes ..lol
The cool part about a dual if you work in teh right place you get to move around lot and do different things and you're a lot more useful.
 
MrDudeMan

MrDudeMan

Lifer
Jan 15, 2001
15,069
94
91
People are confusing what the degrees actually do. You can take a variety of classes from either degree. I am technically CE but I took several EE classes and I program like its going out of style. If you are a CE or EE you can do whatever you want in the field if you can sell yourself in the interview. Engineering is learning how to problem solve and teach yourself. If you can demonstrate your ability to comprehend the big picture and solve it efficiently, cost effectively, and make the final product worth something, it doesn't matter if you took EM fields or not.

Basically, a computer engineer is a hybrid of a computer scientist and an electrical engineer. Each program is different but that is the basic definition. I am currently working at Intel doing software/debug type stuff, but I could just as easily move to analog or digital circuit design since I do that very heavily as a hobby (and in college). I also took a communications class so I have the range to work on RF systems or signal processing. My point is you are only as limited as you want to be.
 
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Casawi

Platinum Member
Oct 31, 2004
2,366
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Yeah I totally agree, but I assumed that is the case for most engineers. College gives you the tools only, I learned a lot more after college than I did in college. But you're I totally agree. For example, I work for a week with this software engineering firm on this project. I was curious and asked one of the programmers what was his background in, and he astonished me and said he was an English major in college, he writes software for companies. Well I guess all you need is English to do anything..lol
 
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Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
Computer Science is programming, i have no idea where these guys are coming off saying computer engineering = software engineering, software engineering doesnt exsist anymore, and is now CS.
 
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Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
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ostif.org
CHEM 110 Chemical Principles
CHEM 111 Experimental Chemistry
CSE 121 Introduction to Programming Techniques
CSE 122 Intermediate Programming
CSE 221 Object Oriented Programming with Web-based Applications
CSE 260 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science
CSE 271 Introduction to Digital Systems
CSE 275 Digital Design Laboratory
CSE 311 Introduction to Systems Programming
CSE 331 Computer Organization & Design
CSE 411 Operating Systems
CSE 430W Computer Engr. Project Design
CSE 431 Introduction to Computer Architecture
CSE 465 Data Structures & Algorithms
ECON 002 Microeconomic Analysis and Policy
ECON 004 Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy
ECON 014 Principles of Economics
E E 210 Circuits & Devices
E E 310 Electronic Circuit Design I
E E 317 Signals & Systems; Continuous and Discrete Time
ENGL 015 Rhetoric & Composition
ENGL 030 Honors Freshman Composition
MATH 140 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
MATH 141 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II
MATH 220 Matrices
MATH 231 Calculus of Several Variables
MATH 250 Differential Equations
PHYS 211 Mechanics
PHYS 212 Electricity and Magnetism
PHYS 214 Wave Motion & Quantum Physics
CAS 100 A/B Effective Speech
STAT 418 Probability

You also have to take engineering and EE electives.
 
MrDudeMan

MrDudeMan

Lifer
Jan 15, 2001
15,069
94
91
Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Computer degrees are a dime a dozen!!
Unless of course you are writing code or directly involved in product developement say for a company like NVidia etc etc......

As was stated earlier entry level is still entry level no matter what degree you have.

You can have all the head knowledge in the world and be terrible at applying what you know to everyday hands on stuff!!
Click to expand...

Computer degrees? What is a computer degree? If you are talking about IT, then yes, they are a dime a dozen. Go through a computer engineering program and them come back and talk.


Originally posted by: krotchy
MY school has 3 degrees

EE - Electrical Engineer, Analog or Digital, Optics, Power theory etc.
ECE - Electrical and Computer Engineer - Same as EE with extra programming courses to better integrate software and hardware (Tends to take fewer Analog type classes)
CE - Computer Engineer - Purely software engineering. AKA Database and Firmware programmer. More than just a programmer, but purely software.
Click to expand...

This is definitely not the norm. It may be true at your school, but computer engineers are usually a hybrid, not just purely a programmer. That is why computer science exists.
 
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Casawi

Platinum Member
Oct 31, 2004
2,366
1
0
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Computer Science is programming, i have no idea where these guys are coming off saying computer engineering = software engineering, software engineering doesnt exsist anymore, and is now CS.
Click to expand...

Yeah I am pretty sure software engineering still exists, and it somewhat different then computer science.
 
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aka1nas

Diamond Member
Aug 30, 2001
4,335
1
0
Originally posted by: Acanthus
Computer Science is programming, i have no idea where these guys are coming off saying computer engineering = software engineering, software engineering doesnt exsist anymore, and is now CS.
Click to expand...

I think they were referring more to systems engineering rather than software engineering. I.E. something more like embedded programming and similarly low level programming that would be only lightly covered in a traditional CS degree.

Software Engineering is getting a lot more focus in my Uni at least. They are making a seperate Master's Degree option for it, though I will probably finish too soon to switch if I wanted to.
 
AgaBoogaBoo

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Here at Purdue, CompE and EE majors are pretty much identical, set apart by I think 4 classes? CompE's 4 classes that are different are for programming, the rest of the requirements are identical.

There are significantly less job offers for CompE's than EE's.
 
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