AMD said EXPO ULL should be close to regular EXPO pricing, but early listings show otherwise
AMD introduced EXPO Ultra Low Latency at Computex 2026 as an updated memory profile for Ryzen systems. The company said the new profiles can improve gaming performance by 4% on average over standard EXPO memory. AMD also suggested that EXPO ULL kits should not require a large price premium over existing EXPO modules. The first G.Skill retail listings now show a different result.
[AMD’s] understanding from the partners is [that] they expect to bring these in at effectively the same price points that the current kits are at.
— AMD’s David McAfee, VP and general manager of Ryzen and Radeon (as transcribed by Tom’s Hardware)
First EXPO ULL listings show large premiums
G.Skill’s Trident Z5 NeoX RGB series has appeared at Newegg in 32GB DDR5-6000 configurations. The lineup currently includes C26, C28, C30 and C36 variants, all with AMD EXPO ULL support. The DDR5-6000 C26 kit is listed for $1,099.99. The matching Trident Z5 Neo DDR5-6000 C26 kit is listed at $699.99, which makes the NeoX version 57% more expensive.
Source: Newegg
The largest gap is on the C28 model. The Trident Z5 NeoX DDR5-6000 C28 kit is listed for $999.99, while the standard Neo version is $559.99. That is a 79% premium for the ULL version.
The price gap is smaller on looser timings. The C30 NeoX kit is listed at $619.99, compared to $544.44 for the matching Neo kit. The C36 NeoX kit is $549.99, compared to $499.99 for the standard version.
AMD EXPO ULL memory vs standard kits:
- Trident Z5 NeoX DDR5-6000 C26: $1,099.99, +57%
- Trident Z5 NeoX DDR5-6000 C28: $999.99, +79%
- Trident Z5 NeoX DDR5-6000 C30: $619.99, +14%
- Trident Z5 NeoX DDR5-6000 C36: $549.99, +10%
Lower tRAS and lower voltage on some kits
The NeoX kits do bring different timings. The C26, C28 and C30 variants lower tRAS from 96 cycles on standard Neo kits to 32 cycles on NeoX. The C36 kit lowers tRAS from 96 to 76 cycles. The C26 and C28 NeoX kits also run at 1.35V. Their matching Trident Z5 Neo models require 1.45V and 1.40V respectively. The C30 and C36 kits remain at 1.35V on both series.
G.Skill said Trident Z5 NeoX uses AMD EXPO ULL with additional memory sub-timing settings. The company also said users need a compatible motherboard with a supported BIOS version to enable the profile.
AMD had a good idea at the worst possible time. EXPO ULL may improve latency, but the company’s price expectations were too optimistic. Memory brands and retailers have turned it into another premium tier instead.
Source: Newegg via Tom’s Hardware
