A security option discreetly removed, then reintroduced under pressure from the community: AMD is correcting its trajectory on mainstream Ryzen. Change matters because it directly affects TSMEa hardware memory encryption function already present in silicon.
AMD re-enables TSME Ryzen after removal in recent BIOS
In April, AMD silently deactivated Transparent Secure Memory Encryption on its consumer Ryzen processors via an AGESA update integrated into motherboard firmware. The idea seemed to be to reserve this function for professional models Ryzen PROas well as Ryzen Threadripper WX oriented workstations and EPYC server side.
This backpedaling takes on its full meaning when we remember that the function had already been removed from entry and mid-range models, as explained in our previous decryption on the silent disappearance of TSME on mainstream Ryzens and the concerns it has immediately aroused.
Faced with negative feedback from the community, AMD finally confirmed to Tom’s Hardware that the option will return in a future BIOS update expected in July 2026. The company specifies that this decision was taken on the basis of “valuable community feedback”.
A hardware function already present on the chips concerned
TSME relies on dedicated hardware logic integrated into the processor in order to encrypt the contents of the RAM. The goal is to add an additional layer of protection, without relying solely on software mechanisms.
AMD shares a common design basis for its CCD between mainstream Ryzen and Ryzen PRO. In other words, the capability is physically present on the affected chips, which made its removal all the more visible to advanced users.
Ryzen 9000 desktop directly mentioned by AMD
In its statement, AMD explicitly cites “certain non-PRO Ryzen 9000-series desktop processors.” The BIOS option allowing you to activate Memory Guardthe commercial name used here by AMD for TSME, had been removed in a recent update before being reinstated in July.
AMD adds that there is no question of removing this support from the range Ryzen PROtoday and in the future. On this point, the message aims above all to reassure the professional segment, where memory encryption constitutes a more expected security base.
A reversal that is difficult to ignore in the face of Intel
This turnaround also prevents AMD from leaving a blind spot in the face of Intel, which offers a comparable function, TME-MK pour Total Memory Encryption-Multi-Keyincluding on its mainstream Core processors and not just on the references Core vPro. In terms of product perception, removing a security function already accessible on a competing platform was difficult to defend.
Beyond the TSME case, the episode reminds us that a simple AGESA update can now very concretely modify the functional scope of a CPU already marketed. For expert users, this reinforces the importance of BIOS monitoring, not only for performance and compatibility, but also for the security features actually available on the machine.
Source : TechPowerUp
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