AMD introduced EXPO Ultra Low Latency (EXPO ULL) technology as an evolution of its AMD EXPO RAM profiles for Ryzen platforms. The concept was straightforward: maintain well-known DDR5 speeds, particularly with the common 6,000 MT/s kits on AM5, but tighten sub-timings to reduce latency and boost performance without requiring users to manually adjust advanced settings. According to AMD, EXPO ULL can offer an average of 4% more FPS compared to non-ULL EXPO memories, with certified kits available starting this week.
The issue is that the first commercial batch of these modules is not arriving as a free upgrade. The initial listed kits, G.SKILL Trident Z5 NeoX RGB, in a DDR5-6000 32GB format, have turned out to be a considerable disappointment. These EXPO ULL models are appearing with markups ranging from 10% to 79% compared to equivalent Trident Z5 Neo kits with ‘standard’ AMD EXPO. This is a noticeable price jump for a practically insignificant performance improvement.
G.SKILL Trident Z5 NeoX RGB RAM at 6,000 MT/s CL28 with EXPO ULL Costs Almost Double its Non-ULL Counterpart
The most striking difference is seen in the DDR5-6000 kit with CL28 latencies. The new G.SKILL Trident Z5 NeoX RGB RAM with AMD EXPO ULL is already listed in the United States for $999.99. In contrast, the equivalent Trident Z5 Neo, but ‘only’ with AMD EXPO, is listed for $559.99. This means an additional $440 for the ULL profile, equating to a 79% premium for a 4% performance increase. For the CL26 model, the difference is also substantial: $1,099.99 compared to $699.99, meaning $400 more, or a 57% increase in price.
Ironically, AMD had denied that implementing this technology would increase its price. David McAfee, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Ryzen and Radeon, had previously stated that AMD EXPO ULL kits should not involve a radically higher cost, as the technology relies on extending sub-timings within the SPD profile to further optimize memory. Based on that explanation, partners expected to bring these modules to prices “effectively the same” as current kits. However, these modules have arrived, and we can now see that if you want this small performance edge, you have to pay for it.
G.SKILL, for its part, defines the Trident Z5 NeoX RGB as an enhanced version of the current Trident Z5 Neo RGB. The company explains that with AMD EXPO ULL, new sub-timings are added within the memory profile to improve latency at the same speed and with the same CAS latency, particularly on desktop Ryzen processors without 3D V-Cache. It’s understandable that a user with significant disposable income might want that extra 4% performance by paying 79% more. However, we understand that such a user profile likely already owns an AMD Ryzen X3D, for whom this improvement would not be truly noticeable. The idea behind X3D CPUs is to not depend on RAM speed and latency for performance gains or losses.
