AMD EXPO Ultra Low Latency Tested: Benchmarks
We examine how fast EXPO ULL really is in games and present the benchmark results.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
When planning this article, one question arose: Which memory kits should we compare with the ULL models to keep the test fair? Since new RAM kits launching during the current "chip crisis" can realistically only be aimed at new buyers, we cover two possible scenarios. For the first, representing budget-conscious and value-oriented buyers, we use an off-the-shelf DDR5 kit with Micron D-die ICs and a DDR5-6000 EXPO profile at CL36, model CP16G30C36U5W. For the second, representing power users and our test reference, we use a DDR5-6000 Hynix A-die kit rated at CL28, model F5-6000J2836G16GX2. These two kits allow us to determine whether upgrading to a ULL kit would be worthwhile in either case.
In other words, we are testing whether buying an expensive new ULL kit is worthwhile compared with established alternatives. Given current memory prices, buyers will understandably think carefully about where to invest such a substantial amount. The rest of the test system consists of an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and an Asrock X670E PG Lightning. The graphics card is the same model used for all our CPU benchmarks: a GeForce RTX 5090. Its purpose is to keep the tests outside the GPU limit so that CPU and RAM performance can be evaluated properly.
EXPO ULL Benchmarks
The headline promises up to 14 percent more fps, and Death Stranding 2 does indeed deliver this unusually large increase. AMD claimed an average gain of 13 percent over JEDEC DDR5-5600, and this game achieves one percentage point more even when compared with an off-the-shelf EXPO kit. That is where the good news largely ends. The ULL kits also lead the other eleven benchmarks, but the differences are not large enough to justify their higher prices over conventional kits. In some cases, our reference kit even places between the ULL models, showing that optimizing a few specific timings does not necessarily make a substantial difference. The standard Crucial kit is consistently slower, but would users notice the difference between 71.9 and 74.6 fps in Gothic Remake? Or between 134.4 and 137.9 fps in F1 25?
Meinung
Conclusion: EXPO ULL
Ultra Low Latency leaves us with mixed feelings. The optimized timings consistently provide additional performance, and being able to unlock that performance at the push of a button is genuinely useful. However, EXPO has supported this degree of configuration since its introduction. The fact that manufacturers are only now using it in the form of a supposedly "new" feature—and charging more for it—leaves a sour taste. We welcome the additional performance, but at their current prices, we cannot recommend the new ULL kits.
