Can I run XMP RAM in non XMP capable devices?

[#1]

Question

Can I run XMP RAM in non XMP capable devices?

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Answer

XMP was developed by Intel. It is a collection of different software-side settings for RAM.

Nowadays, this profile is used by all manufacturers, not only Intel. The parallel used JEDEC profile is the predecessor. In order to run an XMP RAM with an active XMP profile, it is necessary that both the mainboard and the CPU are capable of XMP.

You can also use this memory without XMP, in which case the JEDEC settings provided by the mainboard are loaded. As a result, the memory doesn't always necessarily work with the clock frequency specified by the manufacturer or the CL timings aren't reached. RAM can be run in different speeds and CL timings without any problems.

You can read out in the BIOS whether the motherboard is XMP capable. If an XMP profile can be loaded, the board is XMP capable.

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The information in this article refers to:

• Devices with exchangeable RAM memory

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• 2024-10-02 Version 2.0
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Review Date: 2025-04-02