Updated
Updated · Wccftech · Jun 20
AMD Restores TSME to Ryzen 9000 Chips via BIOS Update After Backlash
Updated
Updated · Wccftech · Jun 20

AMD Restores TSME to Ryzen 9000 Chips via BIOS Update After Backlash

3 articles · Updated · Wccftech · Jun 20

Summary

  • AMD said it will bring Transparent Secure Memory Encryption back to non-PRO Ryzen 9000 consumer chips through a new BIOS update after users discovered the feature had been removed.
  • TSME encrypts data stored in system RAM with a processor-generated key, helping defend against cold-boot attacks that require physical access to the machine.
  • The reversal followed criticism that AMD had stripped the feature silently in a recent AGESA firmware update, leaving even some motherboard vendors unaware until users saw TSME marked unsupported.
  • AMD told Tom's Hardware the change was driven by “valuable community feedback,” turning a transparency dispute into a policy reversal on consumer chip security features.

Insights

After AMD's reversal on memory encryption, what will stop companies from secretly downgrading products you already own?
With AMD's CEO advising the President, how will this backlash shape future US tech transparency regulations?
Is removing security features becoming a new tactic for upselling customers to more expensive 'pro' versions?