Apparatus, systems, or methods for a programmable circuit to facilitate a processor to boot a computing device having the processor. A programmable circuit may include non-volatile storage and firmware stored in the non-volatile storage. The firmware may configure the programmable circuit as a memory controller of a memory device coupled to the programmable circuit, to facilitate the processor to boot the computing device having the processor, the programmable circuit, and the memory device, into operation. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed.