This DIY CPU Plays Videos

For many people, the best way to learn a new skill is to dive right in and create something. If you want to learn about artificial intelligence, you might build and train a small predictive model. Or if it is computer engineering that you want to better understand, designing a custom CPU might be one of the best paths forward. Of course you have to start small to avoid getting swamped by the details and giving up the exercise. You would not want to start by trying to replicate ChatGPT or an Intel Core Ultra CPU, for instance.

YouTuber “MINT after hours” recently set out to build a custom CPU to better understand how computers work at a low level. The result, called EPROMINT, was intentionally kept simple to ensure that the goal was achievable. This 8-bit CPU is somewhat reminiscent of the 6502s and Z80s that were popular in the 1980s. But in some ways, it is superior.

Despite being constructed of macro-scale DIP chips on perfboard, EPROMINT has a more flexible instruction set and more powerful ALU than the CPUs of yesteryear that inspired its design. But while this 8 MHz behemoth might have some advantages over 40-year-old chips, its performance is not at all impressive by today’s standards.

That does not mean that EPROMINT does not have some tricks up its sleeve, however. As MINT after hours just demonstrated in a new video, when hooked up to a simple display, the CPU has what it takes to play videos. Sure, they may be monochrome and low-resolution videos, but they are very recognizable and have pretty decent frame rates to boot. There is now no question that EPROMINT can play The Matrix, but I still wonder, can it play Doom?

That may be a stretch, but we have seen some pretty wild things in the past. While we wait to see if MINT after hours makes an attempt at running Doom, be sure to check out the video below. You have to see the CPU in action to really appreciate what this 8-bit beast can do.