31 votes

Memory is too expensive so I made my own (DIY Core Memory)

7 comments

  1. [6]
    Bonooru
    Link
    This is super cool. Anyone know how much ram you need to actually run Doom?

    This is super cool. Anyone know how much ram you need to actually run Doom?

    1 vote
    1. [4]
      D_E_Solomon
      Link Parent
      This is a really deep rabbit hole that I started going down and don't have enough time to finish this morning. The original requirements from the original release were 4mb of RAM. Once you get to...

      This is a really deep rabbit hole that I started going down and don't have enough time to finish this morning.

      The original requirements from the original release were 4mb of RAM. Once you get to the ports, it's a lot more exciting. The SNES version had fewer features but ran in a constrained environment with around 256k of memory. I think that's the smallest official port - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Doom_ports

      On third party versions, there is a port for the Raspberry Pi Pico that is a technical marvel and fits in 264k of memory - https://kilograham.github.io/rp2040-doom/ There are a few in this size category - some sacrifice features, but I don't think any of the others get much smaller for memory.

      4 votes
      1. [2]
        Weldawadyathink
        Link Parent
        Wikipedia says core memory got to about 1¢ per bit in its heyday. Inflation adjusted to 10¢. The required 4mb of ram would be $419,430.40. The pi pico drops the cost down to $27,033.60. Okay, I...

        Wikipedia says core memory got to about 1¢ per bit in its heyday. Inflation adjusted to 10¢. The required 4mb of ram would be $419,430.40. The pi pico drops the cost down to $27,033.60.

        Okay, I guess current ram prices aren't that bad.

        8 votes
        1. aaronm04
          Link Parent
          If you can make a 3D printer-like machine to automate the core memory assembly, I bet the cost could get lower...

          If you can make a 3D printer-like machine to automate the core memory assembly, I bet the cost could get lower...

      2. Bonooru
        Link Parent
        Even 264k is more than I really want to weave. Alas. Thanks for the info

        Even 264k is more than I really want to weave. Alas.

        Thanks for the info

        1 vote
    2. myrrh
      Link Parent
      ...about 64 cubic feet at peak core memory density, so a four-foot cube might work?..that's WOPR-size, substantially smaller than i anticipated...

      ...about 64 cubic feet at peak core memory density, so a four-foot cube might work?..that's WOPR-size, substantially smaller than i anticipated...

      3 votes
  2. scherlock
    Link
    Pretty interesting build!

    Pretty interesting build!

    2 votes