AMD plans to phase out AGESA: Switch to openSIL from 2026

AMD typically releases AGESA (AMD Generic Encapsulated Software Architecture) firmware updates at intervals of several months, functioning as a set of libraries designed to initialize and boot its processors. Recently, the Ryzen 7000 series CPU burnout issue has thrust AGESA firmware back into the spotlight, with AMD striving to incorporate necessary code to address existing architectural flaws, such as limiting SoC voltage.

As reported by Phoronix, AMD plans to replace the current AGESA firmware with a more open-source solution dubbed openSIL (Open Source Silicon Initialization Library), capable of supporting both client and server chips to streamline the UEFI firmware creation process for platforms. During the 2023 OCP Regional Summit held in Prague last month, AMD introduced openSIL and discussed how it could supplant AGESA in its chips’ operations.

AMD’s openSIL project is an open-source firmware solution that, like the existing AGESA firmware, enables platforms to work with various CPU architectures, storage subsystems, DRAM, and numerous other utilities. Each AGESA firmware iteration adds or removes certain elements, primarily serving to expand CPU and platform capabilities. openSIL offers numerous advantages, including a lightweight design, enhanced security, and flexible platform libraries that can be extended according to customer and x86 host requirements.

AMD will introduce initial openSIL support with its fourth-generation EPYC server CPU family (Genoa / Bergamo) and, from 2026, will feature it in client CPUs. The first openSIL firmware is expected to be utilized in 2026, likely with the Zen 6 architecture CPU codenamed “Morpheus.” Given its superior versatility compared to AGESA, openSIL is anticipated to have a broader scope in the future.