Enable this AMD setting to get the most out of your RAM

RAM is an often overlooked part of a computer, but it has more of an effect on performance than you might think. With RAM prices skyrocketing due to component shortages, many people are currently stuck with their existing RAM sticks. To improve performance and keep your RAM at its maximum potential, you can use features like AMD EXPO.

AMD EXPO is a setting found in your computer’s BIOS. It will essentially overclock your RAM for you, allowing it to reach its highest advertised speeds to ensure smooth performance. It’s usually not enabled by default unless you buy a newer pre-built gaming PC, so you may have been running with subpar RAM performance without even realizing it.

However, this is not a universal solution to your PC’s problems. As is the case with many PC tweaks, you may encounter compatibility issues and other issues. Still, it’s generally a good idea to enable AMD EXPO to make sure your RAM is running at full power. Here’s how to activate it.

You can only activate AMD EXPO from your computer’s BIOS. To access the BIOS, turn off your PC and press the BIOS key several times: it’s usually something like Delete, F2, or F10, but it varies depending on your motherboard manufacturer. It will usually indicate which key to press when your computer starts up.

In the BIOS, you will boot into “EZ Mode”. This is a simple version of the BIOS settings menu that allows you to change the most important items. You will see AMD EXPO on the left side of the screen. Click the drop-down menu and choose the profile that best matches your hardware configuration. If you’re not sure which one to choose, just choose profile 1 for the best stability.

After selecting an AMD EXPO profile, you will see your RAM speed listed next to the drop-down menu. If everything looks good and matches what your RAM is capable of, click the Save and Exit button in the lower right corner of the BIOS screen to restart your rig.

So why should you enable AMD EXPO? Well, RAM speed can have a surprisingly big effect on your system. You may think that your RAM is working perfectly since Windows is showing its full memory capacity, but the clock speed of your RAM is just as important.

Gaming is the main reason why you want to enable AMD EXPO. Newer titles require more and more RAM, and slower RAM simply won’t be able to handle fast resource loading and other heavy tasks without stuttering. Faster RAM will improve your framerate and more importantly your low FPS by 1%. This essentially means that your absolute lowest base framerate won’t be as bad, making everything much smoother.

Faster RAM speeds can also have significant benefits outside of gaming. Video editing software, rendering software, and other heavy applications require a ton of power to run. You won’t notice a huge difference with light tasks like web browsing and video streaming, but if you use your computer for work or creativity, AMD EXPO will help you get the most out of your hardware.