AMD reinstates an option for memory encryption on certain non-PRO Ryzen 9000-series desktop CPUs after users criticized the company for removing it. Multiple outlets report that the encryption capability—referred to by AMD as “Memory Guard”—was previously available but disappeared after a recent firmware/BIOS update, without prior warning. The change prompted complaints from consumers, who said the removal felt covert and raised concerns that AMD could be trying to steer customers toward more expensive chips.
AMD said the removal applied to a BIOS option that had previously existed and was removed in a recent update. In response to community feedback, the company plans to restore that option in an upcoming BIOS release in July. AMD has not provided a detailed explanation for why the protection was disabled in the first place, leaving room for speculation.
The reported theories include the possibility that maintaining the feature became harder as chip designs evolved, or that AMD removed it for performance or latency reasons, since encrypting and decrypting memory can add overhead. Some users also pointed out that many gamers may have little need for encryption and sometimes disabled similar features voluntarily.
