Which is better and why you should activate it

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Anyone who buys new RAM for their gaming PC will notice: There is RAM that is actively advertised with XMP or EXPO. But what’s the point and does it matter whether I choose XMP or Expo? And what is AMP or X-AMP that is only found in AMD?

You’ve bought new RAM and have probably already stumbled upon abbreviations like XMP or EXPO. Behind this is technology from Intel and one from AMD. We will explain to you exactly what that is in the following article. We also explain how you can activate it and which one is better.

XMP and EXPO in detail

What is XMP? XMP stands for “Extreme Memory Profiles”. Simply put, these are Intel overclocking profiles for the main memory (RAM). XMP uses a chip on your main memory (SPD) to provide higher frequencies and faster timings for your memory. Your RAM then retrieves the appropriate profile in order to properly overclock the RAM.

  • XMP 2.0: Version for DDR4 memory. Offers two XMP profiles by default.
  • XMP 3.0: Version for DDR5 memory. Offers up to three XMP profiles as standard and two additional customizable user profiles.

    • What is EXPO? EXPO stands for “Extended Profiles for Overclocking” and is AMD’s counterpart to Intel’s XMP. EXPO also involves overclocking profiles for RAM. EXPO also provides profiles to get more performance out of memory, which are then automatically retrieved.

    Before EXPO, AMD’s technology for RAM was called AMP or X-AMP. You can still find the old terms on older AM4 mainboards. However, AMD only relies on EXPO for the AM5 socket. You can read about the most important differences between AM4 and AM5 on MeinMMO.

    Activate XMP or EXPO

    Activate XMP or EXPO:

  • To activate XMP or EXPO, open your computer’s BIOS. To do this you press the key that is mentioned. This can vary depending on the manufacturer, usually it is one of the F keys or the Del key.
  • In the BIOS settings you look for the setting for XMP, EXPO or memory speed. The name of the setting may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer.
  • You activate XMP/EXPO, save the setting and then restart your PC. As a rule, the BIOS asks you again whether you really want to apply the setting. Then you can also see whether you accidentally changed anything else.

    • I can’t find the XMP and EXPO in the BIOS: Some manufacturers offer a “simple” mode and an advanced mode in the BIOS. XMP is often hidden behind the advanced settings.

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    XMP vs EXPO: What should I use?

    XMP or EXPO, which is better? Simply put: Expo is optimized for AMD, XMP is optimized for Intel. If you buy an AMD CPU, then you should ideally choose RAM with EXPO, while with Intel you should choose RAM with XMP.

    None of them are therefore better, just better optimized for the corresponding platform. If you want the best performance, buy the right product for your platform.

    Is XMP compatible with AMD or vice versa? Yes, in principle you can also use XMP with an AMD CPU and a suitable motherboard. First of all, these are just profiles that are stored in the RAM module. However, there is a small chance that RAM with XMP will not perform at its best.

    By the way, it also works the other way around: you can also use RAM with an EXPO profile with an Intel CPU.

    Our tip: If you buy a new motherboard and suitable RAM, pay attention to the manufacturer’s instructions. This usually also states whether, for example, your new AMD mainboard supports XMP or your Intel mainboard can handle EXPO. In the case of RAM, it is usually also stated on the packaging.

    XMP and EXPO: Is it worth it?

    The English-language website Techspot did the test and tested 13 games with XMP and EXPO activated. And according to the testers, the performance varies greatly:

    AMD and Expo:

  • The very fast Ryzen 7 7800x3D hardly benefits from EXPO; the gains here are around 4% compared to when the profile is not activated.
  • The older, slower Ryzen 7 7700X, on the other hand, has around 12% more performance with the same RAM than without EXPO.

    • Intel and XMP:

  • The Intel i7 14700K benefits from only 4% additional performance with XMP activated.
  • The older i7 12700K, on ​​the other hand, gains around 12% more performance with XMP.

    • Is it worth it? Techspot itself explains that it all depends on the CPU and, depending on the processor, an activated profile can provide significantly more performance. In order for this to be worthwhile at all, you also have to buy memory with a very high clock speed. As a rule, these are additional costs of 30 to 40 euros.

    Buying the right graphics card: If you want to get more out of your gaming PC, consider buying a new graphics card. But does it really matter whether I end up choosing AMD or Nvidia? MeinMMO introduces you to the similarities and differences between AMD and Nvidia and explains what you should consider before buying your next graphics card: When it comes to a graphics card, how important is whether I buy AMD or Nvidia?

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