A Polish DIY Enthusiast Constructs a CPU from Vintage Memory Chips
An innovative project showcases how a single person can build a fully functional CPU using outdated technology.
You might be reading this on a gaming PC you built yourself, but you probably can’t say you built the processor from scratch with your own hands and a soldering iron. One DIY enthusiast did just that in a project that’s an impressive look at how computers work, and how far they’ve come.
Originally reported by Tom’s Hardware, Polish computing YouTuber Majsterkowanie i nie tylko (MINT for short) posted a video on his channel earlier this month showcasing a working homemade CPU built with retro parts inspired by 8-bit microprocessors from the early days of PCs. MINT even specifically mentions the Zilog Z80, a notable processor from the late 1970s that was also used in early laptops during the 1980s.
Watch On YouTube
Watch On YouTube
The project took three months to finish and originated from MINT’s love for retro computers. In the video, translated from Polish with AI assistance, he remarks: “It started with collecting a large amount of old memory chips. I started experimenting with them and quickly realized you can make some really cool things out of these seemingly useless old items.”
Initially, MINT was using those outdated memory chips for basic tasks, such as managing a motor or light dimmer. However, he later discovered that by combining several of these chips, he could create a fully functioning 8-bit CPU.
Over the forty-minute video, MINT details the extensive process of achieving this goal. Not only did he construct and solder the CPU himself, but he dedicated hundreds of hours to writing the associated code. For anyone curious about the inner workings of computers, MINT’s video provides an intriguing exploration of the components and their interactions during command execution.
Ultimately, the result is the EPROMINT CPU. As part of its proof of concept, MINT connected it to a small VFD display and programmed it to display scenes from The Matrix. Though pixelated, it operates successfully.
As MINT puts it: “It doesn’t require a team of people or a multimillion-dollar budget to build, yet it’s a fully functional processor, and simple enough I can explain how it works.”
