Clocked Unbuffered Dual In-Line Memory Modules (CUDIMMs) have been available to consumers for a while now, but AMD has fallen behind Intel in providing true support for the more-advanced RAM. However, this could all change soon, following a surprise update to the EXPO specification.
While AMD hasn’t announced any changes to its Extended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO) tech, a changelog to hardware monitoring tool HWiNFO suggests one is en route. As part of the software’s latest beta, namely v8.35-5890, the application now enjoys “added AMD EXPO 1.20 support.”
The developers of HWiNFO provide no further details as to what changes AMD EXPO 1.20 brings, but X user and Ryzen enthusiast 1usmus has been quick to chime in with their claim that it signals CUDIMM support. Unfortunately, they also say that you’ll need an entirely new motherboard chipset to enjoy the full benefits of this memory type.
A motherboard based on a new chipset is required for full CUDIMM support. Everything currently available, including solutions with double BIOS capacity, is merely a cosmetic product 😬
— 1usmus 🇺🇦 (@1usmus) December 24, 2025
By “full CUDIMM support”, 1usmus is referring to support for the Clock Driver (CKD) that separates this type of RAM from standard DIMMs. Right now, Ryzen 9000 and 8000 series processors can use the newer memory but in a ‘bypass mode’ which effectively negates the benefits of the CKD. Meanwhile, Ryzen 7000 chips are completely incapable of using any CUDIMM kits.
If what 1usmus claims is true, then this EXPO revision won’t affect the current state of CUDIMM support among AM5 CPUs. It’s unclear whether this is due to an unavoidable hardware incompatibilities with existing chipsets or a businesses decision by AMD, but the truth of that matter should reveal itself in due time.
1usmus goes a step further by claiming that recent motherboard refreshes that include 64MB BIOS capacities are merely “cosmetic product[s]”. This would make one of the key attractions of high-end boards like the MSI MEG X870E Godlike X largely moot. You should view all rumours with a healthy degree of scepticism, and the same wisdom applies here, but this likely seems the case.
Regardless of how AMD plans to roll out support for the new RAM standard, I’ll welcome it. I took a look at some CUDIMM sticks earlier this year, namely a 48GB kit of TeamGroup T-Force Xtreem DDR5-8800, and the benefits of its reliably higher speed are clear. It’s a terrible shame that the technology has largely gone under the radar as interest in the likes of the Core Ultra 9 285K and the Z890 platform as a whole has been lacklustre to say the least.
Of course, the ongoing consumer DRAM crisis could stifle momentum behind CUDIMM even further as memory of all kinds remains difficult to acquire at affordable prices. Here’s hoping that we’re not still expected to pay through the nose for DDR5 come the launch of Zen 6, which is when I presume AMD will debut its new 900 series chipsets.
For more on the latest from AMD, make sure you’re following the Club386 Google News feed. The team will be attending CES 2026 at the beginning of the year, so expect a flood of coverage on everything Team Red has in the works.
