Sent the wrong RAM, what do I do?

Jagi · 19 Dec 2025 at 16:13

I had been planning on building a 9950x3d system with an RTX5080, then the RAM crisis happened.

I managed to get a like new set of 64gb (32x2) Corsair Vengence rgb DDR5 ram 6000 MHz Cl38 for £280 on eBay , it said AMD expo in the picture on the listing. However, when the package arrived it is all fine except that the box only says Intel XMP on it.

Will I run into issues if I use this with the 9950x3d? I'm reluctant to rush to return the RAM just because I got such a good price but I don't really want to use an intel CPU.

Apologies if this is a noob question, haven't built a system in years.

product code is CMH64GX5M2B6000C38 if that helps

Space Monkey · 19 Dec 2025 at 16:23

Most RAM sets have both profiles, so try it? If it doesn't work, get a refund?

Jagi · 19 Dec 2025 at 16:43

Space Monkey said:
Most RAM sets have both profiles, so try it? If it doesn't work, get a refund?

Sorry should have clarified this.

I bought the 5080 a few months ago and had planned on building later in the year; then the ram prices went mad, so all I actually have bought so far is the 5080 and this ram so can’t test it.

hornetstinger · 19 Dec 2025 at 16:46

Your board should read the XMP timings and use them, usually see it in BIOS.

coupe69 · 19 Dec 2025 at 18:37

Intel XMP” on the box does not mean it won’t work on AMD. Corsair often prints XMP‑only branding even when the kit runs perfectly on AM5. In fact, most Corsair DDR5 kits, even the ones sold as “EXPO”, are internally just XMP profiles that AMD boards can read and translate.

LePhuronn · 19 Dec 2025 at 20:34

XMP and EXPO are just profiles to save you the faff of finding the best settings for the RAM. Anybody who claims optimisation for, or exclusive compatibility with, a specific platform is telling porkies.

Tetras · 20 Dec 2025 at 03:19

Jagi said:
Will I run into issues if I use this with the 9950x3d? I'm reluctant to rush to return the RAM just because I got such a good price but I don't really want to use an intel CPU.

If you check your board, you may find it is even on the QVL. It doesn't have to be EXPO.

Jimbo · 20 Dec 2025 at 08:01

It will probably work fine.

Dg834man · 20 Dec 2025 at 09:33

If you want to get technical you could use typhoon to find out the manufacturer of the ram chips find the timings/sub timings from the amd version of the ram and put them in manually.

sg0 · 20 Dec 2025 at 16:12

I’m using a Corsair 64gb kit with no expo with a 9950x3d and it’s fine.

Blackwhite · 21 Dec 2025 at 01:56

You won't notice any difference between XMP and Expo

13oots2 · 21 Dec 2025 at 05:36

I am running 4 sticks of 16gb for a total of 64gb, initially I bought 32gb of Corsair Vengeance Expo off Amazon. Later on I bought another 32gb on eBay, I assumed it was Expo, I noticed it was a different shade of grey, it turned out to be XMP. All 4 sticks have the same timings and depending on which sticks are in the first slot are detected as XMP or Expo. The memory works perfectly either way with my 9900x and MSI Gaming Plus WiFi.

Digit · 23 Dec 2025 at 16:30

Just built 2x PC's at work this week (Which I didn't spec...)
One is a AMD 9900X with Corsair 7000MHz CL34 XMP memory and works perfectly fine with Expo set.
The other is a Intel Core Ultra 7 265 with Corsair 6000MHz CL36 AMD memory. And also works perfectly fine with XMP set.

If one or the other didn't boot I would have been swapping the memory around. But I was kind of 99% positive everything would work fine.

ATIorNvidia · 23 Dec 2025 at 16:49

XMP will work.

hornetstinger · 23 Dec 2025 at 16:51

Could be worse saw a articles where the person was sent the PCB where it's just the headspreader and RGB LED's!

Steampunk · 23 Dec 2025 at 17:42

Your RAM will likely have profiles for both XMP and EXPO, and a recent motherboard will be able to read both.

FredFlint · 23 Dec 2025 at 18:08

Digit said:
Just built 2x PC's at work this week (Which I didn't spec...)
One is a AMD 9900X with Corsair 7000MHz CL34 XMP memory and works perfectly fine with Expo set.
The other is a Intel Core Ultra 7 265 with Corsair 6000MHz CL36 AMD memory. And also works perfectly fine with XMP set.

If one or the other didn't boot I would have been swapping the memory around. But I was kind of 99% positive everything would work fine.

I would have put the 7000 kit in the Intel as that would benefit more from the faster RAM than AMD.