Deep Learning: Advanced Backbones and Efficient GPU Training

Overview

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Master advanced deep learning architectures and efficient training techniques using PyTorch Lightning, timm, ConvNeXt, Vision Transformers, RoPE, SwiGLU, RMSNorm, and Weights & Biases. This course equips you to design, train, and benchmark modern backbones on limited GPU hardware for real-world production use. Module 1 introduces modern backbone architectures, tracing the evolution from ResNets to ConvNeXt and Vision Transformers, covering patch embeddings, multi-head self-attention, and position encodings. Module 2 dives into training dynamics and stabilization techniques including RMSNorm, SwiGLU activations, and Rotary Position Embeddings (RoPE) for stable, scalable training. Module 3 focuses on efficient training on limited GPUs using mixed precision (FP16/BF16), gradient accumulation, efficient data pipelines, and distributed training with DDP/FSDP in Lightning. Module 4 covers experiment tracking with TensorBoard and W&B, profiling FLOPs and throughput, and a hands-on ViT vs. CNN Showdown project with fine-tuning in timm. By the end of this course, you will: - Build and fine-tune ConvNeXt and Vision Transformer backbones using PyTorch Lightning and timm - Apply RMSNorm, SwiGLU, and RoPE to stabilize and scale deep transformer training - Implement mixed precision, gradient accumulation, and DDP/FSDP for efficient multi-GPU training - Design controlled CNN vs. ViT experiments with W&B tracking and PyTorch profiling Disclaimer: This is an independent educational resource created by Board Infinity for informational and educational purposes only. This course is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially associated with any company, organization, or certification body unless explicitly stated. The content provided is based on industry knowledge and best practices but does not constitute official training material for any specific employer or certification program. All company names, trademarks, service marks, and logos referenced are the property of their respective owners and are used solely for educational identification and comparison purposes.

Syllabus

Modern Backbone Architectures (ConvNeXt & Vision Transformers)

Explore the evolution of deep learning backbones from classical CNNs to ConvNeXt and Vision Transformers, understanding their mechanics, trade-offs, and industry relevance.

Training Dynamics & Stabilization Techniques

Learn modern stabilization and efficiency techniques including RMSNorm, SwiGLU activations, and Rotary Position Embeddings that power state-of-the-art transformers.

Efficient Training on Limited GPUs

Master practical techniques for training large models on limited hardware including mixed precision, gradient accumulation, and distributed training strategies.

Experimentation, Tracking & The ViT vs CNN Showdown Project

Learn to track experiments professionally and apply all course concepts in a hands-on ViT vs CNN Showdown project using fine-tuning with timm and PyTorch Lightning.