AMD appears to have quietly removed a security feature from its consumer Ryzen processors, and many users may not realize their PCs are now potentially more exposed.
According to Tom's Hardware, the feature in question is TSME, or Transparent Secure Memory Encryption. In plain terms, it scrambles the data sitting in a computer's RAM so that someone with physical access to the machine can't easily read sensitive information — passwords, encryption keys and other secrets — straight out of memory. It's the kind of protection that matters most if a laptop or PC is lost, stolen or tampered with.
Tom's Hardware reports that AMD has stripped TSME from consumer Ryzen chips after years of the feature working normally. Testing cited in the report suggests that newer AGESA firmware — the low-level code that helps configure AMD systems — is what disables the encryption. In other words, a routine firmware update may be silently turning the protection off.
Notably, the change does not appear to affect AMD's professional and server-grade products. According to Tom's Hardware, the company's Pro and EPYC processors still retain the memory-encryption capability.
The report also says AMD engineers went "radio silent" when pressed about the change, leaving the reasoning behind the removal unexplained.
Why it matters: a security feature disappearing without notice means everyday Ryzen users could be losing protection against physical attacks on their data without ever being told.