This Man Built A Huge Computer To Play Tetris
James Newman has successfully built an enormous computer in the living room of his bungalow in Cambridge. Called the “Megaprocessor,” it has taken him nearly four years and £40,000 to complete this 33ft (10m) wide and 6ft (2m) high behemoth!
Watch James give a full tour of the Megaprocessor!
The computer is essentially a microprocessor blown up thousands of times to the size of an entire room – containing 10,000 LED lights, 40,000 transistors and weighing in at a whopping half a tonne.
And what’s he done so far? Well, he’s managed to play Tetris on this beast, albeit with great difficulty… It is a beast of a computer after all.
Beyond this use, James believes he has built an incredible educational tool – using the massively expanded electronics for a closer look at the inner workings. Each component on this huge device lights up as it carries out a task, demonstrating the fundamentals of computing.
So far, he’s planned a few open days for people to come along and check it out. In fact, we’ll be popping along and filming a live stream on our Facebook page, so tune in on Saturday 16th July!
Alongside the scientists, 50% of the British public and the future health of young people across the nation, I have one simple request: delay Freedom Day, please.