Yet another Hacker News

Fujitsu launches made-in-Japan next-generation CPU FUJITSU-MONAKA

62 points my123 1 day ago 17 comments

rwmj 28 minutes ago | parent

It's Arm based, although they barely mention that.

thebeardisred 20 minutes ago | parent

Thanks I was, of course, looking and very curious what their tool chain story will be.

minimeow 13 minutes ago | parent

Yes the lack of transparency on ARM architecture and the obfuscation of the RAM capacity with just the slot information is annoying. Not sure if it is deliberate to sell this at a premium to "mainframe" customers or whether its just their marketing folk not being on the ball. Fascinated by the fact Japan has a 2nm process node but I suspect that too is marketing. Perhaps the 2nm portion of the chip is done at TSMC and the rest of the package done in Japan or something like that. It's not like there's a plethora of 2nm Fabs around the planet to choose from.

sherujgr 27 minutes ago | parent

Iam very curious as to how well it'll perform outside of Asia.

esafak 22 minutes ago | parent

And if they'll sell it, seeing as they market it as 'sovereign AI'.

alightsoul 18 minutes ago | parent

Fun fact, Fujitsu used to run their own fabs in Japan until they were sold to UMC and now they're another UMC fab although they are stuck at like the 20nm node. So this is likely made at JASM.

iicc 13 minutes ago | parent

I think they'd say if the CPU was fabbed in Japan, instead there's some very "careful" wording:

>next-generation CPU, FUJITSU-MONAKA [1], designed and developed in Japan

>Fujitsu MONAKA Server, powered by the FUJITSU-MONAKA CPU, enhances sovereign capabilities through domestic manufacturing,

iicc 5 minutes ago | parent

>FUJITSU-MONAKA utilizes a 3D-stacked architecture with a state-of-the-art 2nm process for the core and a 5nm process for the cache and I/O sections.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Advanced_Semiconductor_M...

>The Phase 2 factory was under construction as of January 2025, next to the Phase 1 facility, and is expected to be completed by 2027.[3] Initially planned for manufacturing semiconductors using a 6 nm process, 3 nm was incorporated into production plans for 2028 in 2026

Youden 18 minutes ago | parent

Where are the CPUs fabbed? They make a big deal about "sovereign" but is the CPU actually made in Japan, or do they rely on TSMC?

Also odd how big an emphasis they put on AI inference when they don't build the GPU?

Max-q 16 minutes ago | parent

The article says that it’s manufactured in Japan.

ranger_danger 11 minutes ago | parent

where exactly does it say that? I don't consider "designed and developed in Japan" to be the same as manufactured there

bradyd 9 minutes ago | parent

At the very top of the article: "Achieving world-class AI inference performance through Japan-developed 2nm 3D-stacked CPU and server integrated, developed, and manufactured in Japan"

sgerenser 4 minutes ago | parent

"Japan-developed CPU..." plus the server itself (parts, power supplies, case, etc.) integrated, developed and manufactured in Japan. It sounds like they're weasel-wording it a bit, but I don't think the CPU itself is manufactured in Japan, only "developed."

scrlk 4 minutes ago | parent

That implies that the server is made in Japan? I don't the Rapidus 2nm fab has moved in to HVM.

nicce 10 minutes ago | parent

> put on AI inference when they don't build the GPU?

GPU in AI world is essentially a set of specific matrix calculations that this CPU supports on hardware-level. Thought memory speed seems low.

DashAnimal 5 minutes ago | parent

According to a Feb press release, they're fabbed by TSMC:

> For FUJITSU-MONAKA, the 2nm semiconductors will tape out next year. Due to this, Rapidus would be unable to meet the deadline, so TSMC is handling the manufacturing.

Source: https://global.fujitsu/en-global/pr/news/2026/02/12-01?utm_s...

According to Rapidus webpage, they are explicitly starting mass production of their 2nm in 2027.

Source: https://www.rapidus.inc/en/iim/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

redlewel 9 minutes ago | parent

Would be cool to get ahold of one of these in the US.

I do find it odd that the 2U model has less storage capacity than the 1U on their chart. That doesn't make much sense to me.