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8-bit computer update

10 videos recommended on HN
YouTube
14 HN users recommended this video12 months2017–2023 score 15
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

HN repeatedly recommends the series it launched as the best way to understand how a CPU works, praised for Eater's clear teaching.

Ben Eater's short update announcing his plan to build another 8-bit computer from scratch on camera. It kicks off the breadboard computer series that became widely known.

“I think I learned more from Ben Eater’s “Building an 8-bit breadboard computer” series [0] than my intro to computer architecture course at university.” (HN, 2022)

6 strong recommendations · 8 recommendations · 1 citations · Other · intro

15 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@brox Sep 2018 Strongly recommends
on HN thread Ask HN: Favorite teachers on YouTube?
I find Ben Eater's 8-bit computer from scratch series really wonderful, mainly because of his skills as an educator and the effort he puts into the material: [this video] Check out his latest videos on low-level data transmission techniques as well.
Great educator and effort in material.
@gtsteve Apr 2020 Strongly recommends
on HN thread “Hello world” from scratch on a 6502 (2019) [video]
I love this guy's videos, I've been watching them for a year or so now. He also made a series [0] where he built the CPU, microcode and all using logic gates and components. As a pure software guy I found it very enlightening. [0] [this video]
Enlightening CPU-from-logic-gates series for software people.
@dnautics Sep 2020 Strongly recommends
on HN thread Ask HN: Resources to encourage teen on becoming computer engineer?
Read more
1) the video series on building an computer from scratch is fantastic. It's valuable information no matter where in the tech stack you wind up in (or even if you don't wind up in tech) but also having a deep knowledge of these systems will be of considerable value down the line, because we aren't training kids in hardware as much anymore. [this video] 2) If their interest is a bit higher in the stack (like robotics e.g.), and they don't mind getting in the weeds and asking for help in the community, I would target learning with a raspberry pi system. My preferred target is Nerves; it's a bit more bare-bones, and there aren't drivers for everything, but the community is fantastic (the elixir slack / nerves is the place to be), and it's easy to get to a point where you are dropped into an IDE and you can just code .
Valuable foundational hardware knowledge regardless of career.
@djmips Jan 2019 Recommends
on HN thread MegaProcessor (2017) [video]
If this interests you, you'll probably really like or already have seen Ben Eater's great YouTube series on building an 8 bit computer. (2016 as well) [this video]
Great series on building an 8-bit computer.
@bloodorange Jun 2020 Recommends
on HN thread An Intro to Compilers (2017)
I have a feeling you might like this: [link] It's a popular course about building a computer from nand gates and eventually building a Tetris like game on it. All of this is done on a hardware simulator of course. If you are keen on real hardware, you might find this interesting: [this video] It's a series of videos where Ben Eater explains how to build an 8-bit computer using breadboards and basic elements of circuits. I find that his explanations are quite good as well.
Breadboard 8-bit computer with good explanations.
@klelatti Sep 2020 Recommends
on HN thread Z80, the 8-bit Number Cruncher (2011)
Not 100% sure this is precisely what you're looking for but Ben Eater's YouTube series on building an 8 bit computer is great to help build understanding how a microprocessor works. [1] [this video]
Helps understand how a microprocessor works.
@bishopdynamics Oct 2020 Recommends
on HN thread Can You Build a CPU?
If you're looking to get a much better understanding of /why/ things work, you should check out Ben Eater's videos on YT [this video]
Explains why things work.
@mrspeaker Sep 2021 Recommends
on HN thread Sir Clive Sinclair has died
I recently had the feeling of those early home-computing days from the Ben Eater's "8-bit computer from scratch" videos/kits. Really fun project: [this video]
Fun project evoking early home computing.
@santadakota Jan 2023 Recommends
on HN thread What Happens When a CPU Starts
Ben Eater's fantastic video series on building a breadboard 6502 based computer and an 8-bit breadboard computer from scratch might be appreciated in this thread. 6502 playlist: [link] 8-bit build playlist: [this video] He also sells kits if one is interested in playing along.
Fantastic series on breadboard computers.
@ruslan Jan 2023 Recommends
on HN thread What Happens When a CPU Starts
Starting procedure on MOS6502 is not that simple as it is told in the article. It spends some 7 clocks on doing internal initialization and only then fetches address of first jump from reset vector (0xFFFC/0xFFFD). I find Ben's Eater series on building simple 8-bit breadboard computer using 6502 CPU very educating and entertaining. [this video]
Educational, entertaining breadboard 6502 computer build.

Citations, criticism and jokes

@zurkog Aug 2017 Cites it
on HN thread Build an 8-bit computer from scratch
Read more
This was so cool as a book. Ben Eater did a fantastic job of making these videos, explaining each concept, but the computer he builds (the SAP, or Simple As Possible) is directly from "Digital Computer Electronics" (c) 1977 by Albert Paul Malvino. He even goes so far as to mention it and shows a copy of the book in his first video: [this video] I stumbled across the book 4 years ago when I followed this instructable: [link] The instructable is nowhere near as detailed as Ben's videos, but it was all I had at the time, and it recommended that book. Note: when I purchased the book 4 years ago, it was only $5, now I'm seeing it for upwards of $99: [link] The paperback is only $22, but it lists an additional author not present on the 1977 version, so I don't know if it's the exact same book.
Ben Eater's series builds Malvino's SAP computer.

Video list and Hacker News comment labels from HackerTube (prompted by @karpathy), released under ODC-By 1.0, built on the open-index/hacker-news archive. Hacker News data is provided by Y Combinator; comments remain the work of their authors. Video titles, channel names and thumbnails belong to their creators and are shown via YouTube. HackerTube Watch is an unofficial edition. Data export of 2026-10-31.

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