Homebrew PC features 2MHz hand-wrapped CPU

BMOW (Big Mess O' Wires) is a DIY PC, complete with a hand wrapped 8-bit CPU. Built by a game developer named Steve Chamberlain, this bad boy operates at 2MHz and sports 512KB memory, two-color video output, and a 512 x 480 display. According to Wired, the processor is closest in design to the MOS Technology 6502 (previously seen in such classic machines as the Apple II, Commodore 64, and some early Atari game consoles), and it took him about a year and a half from design to finish. Visitors to the Maker Faire in San Francisco can see the machine in person (and play chess on it, to boot) over the weekend. The rest of yinz can feel free to hit the read link for meticulous build details and lots of colorful pictures.

[Via Wired]

[va jj Posted May 29th 2009 3:16PM]

just a matter of time before someone overclocks this thing to 5mhz.

[superhobo Posted May 29th 2009 3:28PM]

12 megahurtz with liquid electrons!

[richb93 Posted May 29th 2009 3:26PM]

Would be cool for an audio device. Could get some sick circuit bends out of that.

[DegreeThis Posted May 29th 2009 3:27PM]

SkyNET, is that you?

[JS Posted May 29th 2009 3:27PM]

Awesome.

[Hazman Posted May 29th 2009 3:28PM]

The complexity of even fairly old processor designs such as this frightens me. It works fine as it is, but it only takes a tiny, virtually undetectable imperfection or flaw in order to bring the whole thing crashing down.

[rcorrino Posted May 29th 2009 3:29PM]

Can I Hackintosh this? It should run System 6 without multifinder.....
Triple Boot?
Can he make a few more of this so I can use it in a cluster?
Just asking......

[warmonk Posted May 29th 2009 3:31PM]

what're we waiting for? Let's get some liquid nitrogen and overlock this badboy.

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 3:31PM]

what're we waiting for? Let's get some liquid nitrogen and overclock this badboy.

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 5:02PM]

Bender also sports a 6502 processor

[Altairantares Posted May 29th 2009 3:35PM]

Hey at least now AMD has someone they have a chance at competing succesfully with...

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 3:35PM]

Wow, a hand-built CPU? I take my hat off...this, people, is true nerdcore.

[liamf555 Posted May 29th 2009 3:36PM]

So I'm guessing Vista has no problems running on this?

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 3:37PM]

wow, i can't imagine the patience somebody needs to make something like this :D

[glennS Posted May 29th 2009 3:43PM]

Wow! I bow before this monument to nerdiness.

[Don Corleone Posted May 29th 2009 3:51PM]

excellent geekwork!

[upsidedown Posted May 29th 2009 4:06PM]

Did anyone read his project goals?

My original goals were:

- Keep the hardware complexity to a minimum. I’m not an electrical engineer.

I am not an electrical engineer either and there is no way I could accomplish this.

[Ethan Posted May 29th 2009 4:07PM]

I think somebody made a circuit board in Littlebigplanet, not this complex though.

[decypher44 Posted May 29th 2009 4:17PM]

Damn tweekers.

[excelsium Posted May 29th 2009 4:30PM]

so this is the nerd version of knitting.

[Bandit5317 Posted May 29th 2009 4:39PM]

This guy should be working for IBM, Intel, or AMD with at least a six-figure salary. He built by hand what took a small army of engineers to design and robots to build in the 80s.

[Please forgive me Posted May 29th 2009 10:35PM]

Agreed. I'm in awe and can only offer my full respect.

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 4:41PM]

Waiting for the 45nm version...

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 4:51PM]

Since when is engadget from pittsburgh?

[barakus Posted May 29th 2009 4:51PM]

I think I just jizzz by looking at this o.O

[The WC Posted May 29th 2009 5:38PM]

TMI, man. TMI.

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 5:14PM]

Mad Skillz!

[Jerome36 Posted May 29th 2009 5:24PM]

I heard Intel is already bribing computer manufacturers to NOT put this CPU in their machines.

[MichaelofBenetton Posted May 29th 2009 6:16PM]

can it play crysis

[Oli D Posted May 29th 2009 6:59PM]

Crysis - 64bit

This - 8bit


This comment 1.5 years ago - original

This comment after it has already been done - annoying

[Method2Madness Posted May 30th 2009 10:41PM]

Please put your face in a pile of maggots and take a deep breath. Kthx.

[weirdo557 Posted May 29th 2009 6:39PM]

imagine a beowulf cluster of these!

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 7:56PM]

YES YINZ! Nice to see a "burgher" up in the Engadget domain. A little shout out to the Pittsburgh Penguins shooting for the cup this weekend.

[Switchbitch Posted May 29th 2009 8:42PM]

You have to play chess to boot it?

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 10:27PM]

nice

[(Unverified) Posted May 29th 2009 11:21PM]

Yinz? from the Burg n at?

[niallers Posted May 30th 2009 7:23AM]

Im sure there were times where he was calling it BWOT "Big Waste O' Time"

[(Unverified) Posted May 30th 2009 11:46AM]

This guy should join a bombsquad.
"Don't cut the red wire, or was it the blue one?"

[retsel Posted May 30th 2009 3:30PM]

I want to take that guy back in time with me to Ancient Rome

[Timo Posted May 30th 2009 11:26PM]

Psst! Now listen here, ya jagoff! Yinz don't use yinz ahtside da 'Burgh! Yinz got that? People will get all nebby n'at. Keep it on the dahnlow.

[Surfs2Much Posted May 31st 2009 9:29PM]

The 6502 was not just in Atari game consoles. In fact, Atari computers, upon which the 5200 was based, featured the processor. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_5200

Ahh, programming BBS auto login subroutines in assembler on the 6502...those were the days

[Sirius Posted Jun 1st 2009 7:57AM]

I can't think of a more apt publication to publish this...