AMD reveals plans to implement openSIL open-source firmware into next-gen Zen 6 Ryzen & EPYC CPUs for better transparency, security, & development.
AMD openSIL will be production-reaAMD Preps dy to replace AGESA within 2025-2026, Just in time for Zen 6 Ryzen & EPYC releases
AMD's openSIL project, announced in 2023 is now in good shape and looks to be on time for AMD's future processors. At the Open-Source Firmware Conference in Germany, the company revealed its progress on the openSIL project, indicating that the firmware will be ready for production within 2025-2026.
openSIL was open-sourced in June 2023 and is expected to completely take over AMD's AGESA in both client and server processors in the coming years. The progress of this project looks pretty much on time and as per the slides shared by AMD at OFSC 2024, the 6th gen AMD EPYC "Venice" and Ryzen processors based on the Zen 6 core architecture will have this firmware at the production level. Furthermore, AMD has plans for future programs as well, which will allow it to release openSIL code for newer platforms one quarter after the hardware is launched.
As per the information, AMD has already conducted an experimental port to one of its motherboards, and with the launch of Zen 6 processors, openSIL will be used along with AGESA-v10 firmware initially. The AGESA will be replaced eventually by openSIL completely shortly but the Zen 6 will still rely on the pre-x86 Platform Security Processor binaries.
It's expected that the AGESA will be phased out completely by the time Zen 7 CPUs arrive and AMD will strengthen its support for Coreboot, which is another open-source firmware project and will also make more contributions to Tianocore. With the transition to open-source firmware, the dependency on AMD's proprietary code will be reduced and with community involvement, openSIL firmware will allow community collaboration and contribution to developing the firmware for the better.
Not only this will enhance the overall transparency, innovations, and security for AMD's next-gen CPUs, but it could also lead to other hardware manufacturers adapting open-source firmware in the future. At the moment, AMD is active in the development of open-source solutions for various product lines that include Sound Open Firmware, secure Encrypted Virtualization firmware, and openBMC(Baseboard Management Controller software).
AMD Zen CPU / APU Roadmap:
| Zen Architecture | Zen 7 | Zen 6C | Zen 6 | Zen 5 (C) | Zen 4 (C) | Zen 3+ | Zen 3 | Zen 2 | Zen+ | Zen 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Codename | TBA | Monarch | Morpheus | Nirvana (Zen 5) Prometheus (Zen 5C) | Persphone (Zen 4) Dionysus (Zen 4C) | Warhol | Cerebrus | Valhalla | Zen+ | Zen |
| CCD Codename | TBA | TBA | TBA | Eldora | Durango | TBC | Brekenridge | Aspen Highlands | N/A | N/A |
| Process Node | TBA | 3nm/2nm? | 2nm/3nm | 3nm | 4nm | 6nm | 7nm | 7nm | 12nm | 14nm |
| Server | TBA | EPYC Venice (6th Gen) | EPYC Venice (6th Gen) | EPYC Turin (5th Gen) | EPYC Genoa (4th Gen) EPYC Siena (4th Gen) EPYC Bergamo (4th Gen) | N/A | EPYC Milan (3rd Gen) | EPYC Rome (2nd Gen) | N/A | EPYC Naples (1st Gen) |
| High-End Desktop | TBA | TBA | TBA | Ryzen Threadripper 9000 (Shamida Peak) | Ryzen Threadripper 7000 (Storm Peak) | N/A | Ryzen Threadripper 5000 (Chagal) | Ryzen Threadripper 3000 (Castle Peak) | Ryzen Threadripper 2000 (Coflax) | Ryzen Threadripper 1000 (White Haven) |
| Mainstream Desktop CPUs | TBA | TBA | Ryzen **** (Olympic Ridge) | Ryzen 9000 (Granite Ridge) | Ryzen 7000 (Raphael) | Ryzen 6000 (Warhol / Cancelled) | Ryzen 5000 (Vermeer) | Ryzen 3000 (Matisse) | Ryzen 2000 (Pinnacle Ridge) | Ryzen 1000 (Summit Ridge) |
| Enthusiast Mobile CPUs | TBA | TBA | Ryzen **** (Gator Range) | Ryzen 9000HX (Fire Range) | Ryzen 7000HX (Dragon Range) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Mainstream Desktop . Notebook APU | Ryzen AI 500 (Sound Wave)? | Ryzen AI 500 (TBA) | Ryzen AI 400 (Medusa Point / BB) | Ryzen AI 300 (Strix Point) Ryzen *** (Krackan Point) | Ryzen 7000 (Phoenix) | Ryzen 6000 (Rembrandt) | Ryzen 5000 (Cezanne) Ryzen 6000 (Barcelo) | Ryzen 4000 (Renoir) Ryzen 5000 (Lucienne) | Ryzen 3000 (Picasso) | Ryzen 2000 (Raven Ridge) |
| Low-Power Mobile | TBA | TBA | TBA | Ryzen *** (Escher) | Ryzen 7000 (Mendocino) | TBA | TBA | Ryzen 5000 (Van Gogh) Ryzen 6000 (Dragon Crest) | N/A | N/A |
News Source: Phoronix
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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