AMD silently removes memory encryption from consumer Ryzen CPUs (tomshardware.com)

Article summary

AMD has removed memory encryption from its consumer Ryzen CPUs, a feature that was previously available but not officially advertised. The removal of this feature, known as Transparent Secure Memory Encryption (TSME), was discovered by a user who noticed it was no longer supported on his CPU after a firmware update. AMD has not officially acknowledged or explained the removal of the feature, which has raised concerns among users who rely on it for security. The feature is still available on AMD's Pro series CPUs.

Main themes

• CPU security features
• Market segmentation
• Firmware updates
• Transparency and disclosure
• Consumer vs. Pro products

What commenters say

• The removal of TSME from consumer Ryzen CPUs is a deliberate decision by AMD to reserve the feature for its Pro series, and is an example of market segmentation.
• The feature was likely accidentally enabled on consumer chips and is now being disabled, but the lack of transparency from AMD is concerning.
• Silently removing a feature in a firmware revision is unacceptable, regardless of whether it was documented or not, and undermines trust in the company.
• The power consumption and heat generation added by RAM encryption are not significant concerns for most users, and the benefits of the feature outweigh the costs.
• The removal of TSME is not a significant issue for most consumer users, who do not face the same threat vectors as enterprise environments, and the feature is not necessary for general use.
• AMD's decision to remove TSME from consumer CPUs reduces security for users without a legitimate reason, and is an example of the company prioritizing profits over user needs.
• The lack of competition in the consumer CPU market allows companies like AMD to make decisions that prioritize their own interests over user needs, without fear of consequences.