Intel canceled Timna on September 29, 2000, before the planned value-PC processor reached retail. The immediate technical problem was the difficulty of adapting its Rambus-oriented memory design to cheaper SDRAM; Intel also saw less commercial need for a separate integrated chip as Celeron systems with 810-series graphics chipsets were already serving the target market, according to contemporary EE Times reports.
What Timna was supposed to be
Intel presented Timna in February 2000 as a P6-based processor for value PCs. The planned chip combined a CPU core, memory controller, and graphics. Intel said it intended to introduce the processor in the second half of 2000; that was a target, not evidence that the design was finalized or shipped. Intel’s February announcement described the integration as a way to deliver features and cost benefits for value computers.
Why the memory design became a problem
Timna’s original memory plan was built around Direct Rambus DRAM, while its value proposition depended on supporting less expensive SDRAM. A Memory Translator Hub (MTH) was part of Intel’s approach to using SDRAM with the Rambus-oriented design. When problems with the MTH forced delay and further interface work, the adaptation became a technical obstacle to Timna’s planned introduction.
Intel’s May 10, 2000 notice documents a related but carefully bounded issue: noise could cause intermittent resets, reboots, or system hangs on MTH-equipped Intel 820 motherboards using SDRAM, and data corruption was possible under extreme conditions. Intel offered motherboard replacement for affected boards. The notice explicitly distinguishes those systems from RDRAM systems, which did not use the MTH. It does not announce Timna’s cancellation. Intel’s MTH notice therefore establishes the component problem and its scope, not that every Intel 820 system was affected.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
- Boxed Intel Pentium Processor G4400 (3M Cache, 3
- Design that delivers high availability, scalability, and for maximum flexibility and price/performance
- Made in China
- Instruction set is 64 bit. Instruction set extensions are intel sse4.1 and intel sse4.2
In June, EE Times reported that Intel had canceled the MTH and delayed Timna while reworking its memory interface, with introduction then pushed toward the first quarter of 2001. By September, the publication reported that Intel judged the SDRAM adaptation too problematic and likely to impede introduction further. The June report and the September cancellation report describe the progression from component trouble to ending the project.
Why Intel also saw little market need
The technical difficulty was not the only factor reported at the time. In the September 29 report, an unnamed Intel spokesman told Jack Robertson that customers did not need Timna in the targeted price range. The report said Celeron processors, 810 integrated-graphics chipsets, and lower-cost motherboards were already serving the sub-$600 PC segment. That figure describes the market positioning reported at the time, not a measured market result.
Rank #2
- 4 MB smart Cache
- # of Cores 2
A separate EE Times report by David Lammers quoted an unnamed Intel spokesman saying standalone Celeron systems with 810 and 810e chipsets gave OEMs more design flexibility and the ability to design products with longer cycles. It also identified manufacturing capacity as another consideration. These are contemporary reported explanations, not details from an Intel cancellation press release, and they do not establish that any one factor alone caused the decision. Lammers’s report supplies that additional product-strategy context.
Timna timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| February 15, 2000 | Intel announced the planned P6-based integrated value-PC processor and targeted the second half of 2000 for introduction. Intel announcement |
| May 10, 2000 | Intel announced replacement for affected MTH-equipped Intel 820 SDRAM motherboards after identifying noise-related instability and potential data corruption under extreme conditions. Intel notice |
| June 6, 2000 | EE Times reported cancellation of the MTH and a Timna delay as Intel reworked the memory interface. Report |
| September 29, 2000 | EE Times reported that Intel ended the Timna program, citing technical difficulty alongside market and product-strategy considerations. Robertson report |
Did Timna ever go on sale?
No. Intel canceled the program before Timna reached retail, so it should be understood as a planned processor rather than a released product. Celeron with an 810-series chipset was the contemporary alternative described in the cancellation coverage, not a current-equivalence claim or a recommendation for a present-day purchase.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Intel Pentium Processor Up to 3.68GHz, 4GB DDR4, 128GB SSD
- 15" Micro-Edge HD(1366x768) IPS Display, Intel UHD Graphics
- 1x USB Type C, 2x USB Type A, 1x HDMI, 1x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack
- Super-Fast WiFi and Bluetooth Combo, Integrated Webcam
- Windows 11 OS, AC Charger Included, Dale Blue
Rank #4
- Intel Pentium Processor Up to 3.68GHz, 16GB DDR4, 128GB SSD
- 15" Micro-Edge HD(1366x768) IPS Display, Intel UHD Graphics
- 1x USB Type C, 2x USB Type A, 1x HDMI, 1x Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack
- Super-Fast WiFi and Bluetooth Combo, Integrated Webcam
- Windows 11 OS, AC Charger Included, Dale Blue
Rank #3
- 2 Cores / 4 Threads
- Socket Type LGA 1200
- Compatible with Intel 400 series chipset based motherboards
- Intel Optane Memory Support
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
