Saturday, June 20th 2026
AMD to Restore TSME (Memory Encryption) on Consumer Ryzen Processors After Backlash
AMD backpedaled on its recent decision to remove Transparent Secure Memory Encryption (TSME) feature on its consumer Ryzen processors, which was typically enabled by default. The company had, in April, quietly disabled the feature for Ryzen consumer processors through an AGESA update encapsulated into motherboard firmware updates. The idea probably was to restrict TSME to Ryzen commercial-segment processors, sold under the Ryzen PRO brand, besides Ryzen Threadripper WX workstation processors, and EPYC server processors. For reference, Intel offers a similar feature, TME-MK (Total Memory Encryption-Multi-Key) on even its consumer Core processors, and not just its commercial Core vPro processors.
AMD said that it has decided to restore TSME "based on valuable community feedback," and end-users should expect UEFI firmware updates that restore the feature starting next month (July 2026). TSME is a hardware-based feature that leverages fixed-function hardware on the silicon to encrypt the contents of the memory, providing an additional layer of security. Since AMD shares a common IOD design across its Ryzen consumer and Ryzen PRO commercial product lines, the feature is physically present.
In a statement to Tom's Hardware, AMD said:
Source:
Tom's Hardware
AMD said that it has decided to restore TSME "based on valuable community feedback," and end-users should expect UEFI firmware updates that restore the feature starting next month (July 2026). TSME is a hardware-based feature that leverages fixed-function hardware on the silicon to encrypt the contents of the memory, providing an additional layer of security. Since AMD shares a common IOD design across its Ryzen consumer and Ryzen PRO commercial product lines, the feature is physically present.
AMD Memory Guard (Transparent Secure Memory Encryption, or TSME) is a hardware-based memory encryption technology available on our Ryzen PRO desktop and mobile processors where supported in silicon. It is a foundational security feature, and we have no plans to remove support from our Ryzen PRO lineup. This commitment holds now and in the future.
Regarding certain non-PRO Ryzen 9000-series desktop processors, a BIOS option to enable Memory Guard was previously available but was removed in a recent update. Based on valuable community feedback, we will reinstate this option in an upcoming BIOS release in July."
90 Comments on AMD to Restore TSME (Memory Encryption) on Consumer Ryzen Processors After Backlash
Because obviously, whoever makes decision at AMD is a bloody moron!
in the world we live in, we NEED MORE security, NOT LESS of it
www.techpowerup.com/350080/amd-quietly-drops-memory-encryption-feature-from-consumer-ryzen-cpus
Was this something you needed to activate in bios, or was it on by default?
AMD friendly reminder, I wait since 09 / 2025 to get Radeon 7800XT removed features restored.
the time wasted for removing that feature should have been spend better to fix e.g. Power consumption issue by wrongly reading out EDID for Radeon 6000. I doubt that is fixed by now. Or fix no Post Screen with Raeeon 9070 on MSI X670E motherboards.
editThe other News Site claimed AGESA. AGESA should be UEFI, that should be on the motherboard Firmware LEVEL. AFAIK 1.2.7.0 AGESA removed the features silently.
And that means, it should definitely be on, by default in general.
Good that they reverse this questionable decision!
Jokes aside, there are a lot of balls dropping lately at industry giants whom you'd assume have all the talents and whatnot for all that money dedicated not to drop balls left, right and center...
For manufacturers: the AGESA blob.
enterprise/datacenters...sure i get it, but home users? lol
Was this a storm in a cup of tea or the feature is genuinely useful?