Question Hardware Vendor Lock (AMD PSB etc.)

[Michael24]

View: https://youtu.be/SX0eYfcPFn4?si=6i9hh_SzLAGFvopd&t=983


I didn't even know that this exists.
Is this AMD only or does Intel have it's own equivalent?
How do i know if a Vendor uses it or not? Is it mentioned in the specs or do i have to ask?
The guy in the video said that Supermicro and HP are not using it while Lenovo and Dell are using it.

I will buy a new workstation most likely in Q1 2025 and i was interested in the Lenovo Thinkstation P7 (Intel not AMD).
But if the P7 is using this too i will definitely go with supermicro or hp. (I tend to supermicro anyway's)

If somebody knows more about this subject please let me know

BTW:
I think this is ridiculous and should be outlawed for environmental reasons alone. (And i'm not a tree hugger by any means.)

 

[USAFRet]

How about a summary of the issue, rather than expecting us to watch a 20 minute video.

 

[Michael24]

How about a summary of the issue, rather than expecting us to watch a 20 minute video.

The Video starts at the relevant point.

 

[Michael24]

Well a quick summary is that if a Vendor like Lenovo uses AMD PSB you cannot pull the CPU and put it in a Computer from a different brand.
I wanna know:

1. If the CPU breaks can you replace it with a regular retail cpu or do you have to buy a replacement from the Vendor of your Machine
2. Is this only an AMD thing or does Intel have a feature like this aswell? (I think it's AMD only but i'm not sure)

 

[USAFRet]

Well a quick summary is that if a Vendor like Lenovo uses AMD PSB you cannot pull the CPU and put it in a Computer from a different brand.
I wanna know:

1. If the CPU breaks can you replace it with a regular retail cpu or do you have to buy a replacement from the Vendor of your Machine
2. Is this only an AMD thing or does Intel have a feature like this aswell? (I think it's AMD only but i'm not sure)

1. Obviously, you can't put an AMD CPU on an Intel motherboard. And vice versa.

2. The receiving motherboard BIOS needs to know how to work with the CPU.


What particular CPUs are you looking at?

 

[stuff and nonesense]

Op is asking about a “fuse” that is built into AMD CPUs that has been deliberately blown by Lenovo and Dell motherboards.

This locks the CPU to the Lenovo/Dell motherboards, you couldn’t take the used CPU and put it into a retail MSI (or other) motherboard and have it work.

I don’t know what processors or what PC systems are affected by the electronic vandalism or why it exists. The only thing I can think is that it prevents the resale of a used bare CPU on eBay.

 

[USAFRet]

Op is asking about a “fuse” that is built into AMD CPUs that has been deliberately blown my Lenovo and Dell motherboards.

This locks the CPU to the Lenovo/Dell motherboards, you couldn’t take the used CPU and put it into a retail MSI (or other) motherboard and have it work.

I don’t know what processors or what PC systems are affected by the electronic vandalism or why it exists. The only thing I can think is that it prevents the resale of a used bare CPU on eBay.

ahhh...got it.

 

[stuff and nonesense]

Well a quick summary is that if a Vendor like Lenovo uses AMD PSB you cannot pull the CPU and put it in a Computer from a different brand.
I wanna know:

1. If the CPU breaks can you replace it with a regular retail cpu or do you have to buy a replacement from the Vendor of your Machine
2. Is this only an AMD thing or does Intel have a feature like this aswell? (I think it's AMD only but i'm not sure)

1, from AMD via serve the home,

AMD processors are shipped unlocked from the factory, and can initially be used with any OEM’s motherboard. But once they are used with a motherboard with PSB enabled, the security fuses will be set, and from that point on, that processor can only be used with motherboards that use the same code signing key. (Source: AMD statement to STH)

2, I haven’t seen anything about a cpu hardware lock to vendor bios on Intel platforms.

It only matters if you want to sell a bare cpu instead of a motherboard/processor combination. I’d buy hardware that does the job you want most effectively and efficiently. If you look at STH website there is an article naming a few motherboard manufacturers from when this vandalism was exposed.

If you are building a AMD PC for yourself or buying a system that is not a dell or Lenovo system then ask the sales people if the “feature” is used.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

If I recall, Linus did a video on this (I didn’t watch the above video), but they had a similar thing.

View: https://youtu.be/bFNJVaO9E-o?feature=shared

 

[BFG-9000]

This is pretty heinous.

Imagine an eBay seller who sells such a CPU and it doesn't work for the buyer because they don't have the correct brand motherboard. They send it back and it works perfectly for the seller! The seller might even have left this enabled in their BIOS and tested all their CPUs on the same board...

Ostensibly this is for "a hardware root-of-trust that will verify the integrity of the initial UEFI firmware phases, thereby preventing persistent firmware implants" AKA BIOS viruses. But the CPU isn't locked to a particular board or model, only vendor/brand so how does this secure chain-of-trust really?

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Right. It actually reminds me, so Linus did that video, they did another video recently where his folks were split into 3-4 teams to see who who were trying to build PCs at a certain budget price point, but they were using parts they had in stock for the builds. One of the teams ended up grabbing that particular processor and could not get the system to boot before realizing.

I suppose I can see from a security perspective but man if you were shipping second hand parts, how would you feel getting one of these CPUs?

 

[Michael24]

The seller might even have left this enabled in their BIOS and tested all their CPUs on the same board...

I have seen Linus Video aswell. Are you sure this BIOS Settings disables ASP / Vendor Lock? (Meaning if you disable it and then replace the CPU the new CPU will NOT get Vendor locked?)

But even if that is the case. If your Motherboard Battery gets empty it'll reset this setting and vender locks your CPU so it's risky still. *

Edit:
* Probably not the case. I guess there will be a prompt you have to confirm before the CPU gets vendor locked.