Asus has added XMP/EXPO warning notices in their latest motherboard BIOS update. Traditionally, these kinds of notifications have been added to warn users of the dangers of overclocking her CPU. However, following the AMD Ryzen burnout incident, Asus has decided to make it very clear that XMP and EXPO are memory overclocking features. Obviously, Asus, in this particular case, Found on HXL on Twitterwe want to do our best to inform customers that overclocking is not covered under warranty.
Pictured above is an example of a notification from a recently updated Asus motherboard. HXL points out that this is his BIOS 1410 on an unspecified Asus motherboard. Key phrases are: XMP/EXPO speed is not guaranteed due to various system variables. The message is that all overclocking, be it CPU or memory, voids warranty coverage.
Is it fair for Asus to add this memory overclocking warning? First, memory overclocking, be it XMP or EXPO, is not covered by Intel or AMD’s warranty. But Asus was probably as surprised as many others to see AMD’s CPUs burn out and bubble up. Furthermore, there has never been a clear, practical link between CPU/motherboards that break due to memory overclocking. It’s a very complex set of dynamics that’s causing the damage we’ve witnessed.
ASUS is smart now. (BIOS 1410) https://t.co/SZCaliQn8N pic.twitter.com/MTtHWSx0F5April 30, 2023
Asus has a large roster of engineers and other experts to sniff out these kinds of problems before they hit consumers. Severe CPU and motherboard damage has been shown to be easily reproducible without esoteric settings. Asus also knows that overclockers have been pushing the latest AMD CPUs and motherboards for quite some time before their general availability. Additionally, Asus is a big proponent of his EXPO memory overclocking, with ads, product pages and FAQs. Emphasize the benefits of EXPO (opens in new tab) — should be updated with appropriate warnings.
To understand why ASUS’s overclocking warnings have been extended to memory overclocking, read last week’s article with updates from AMD and partners on new BIOS files created to fix hardware-endangering issues. Please refer to the. In a nutshell, AMD gave its motherboard partner her AGESA update. This imposes a 1.3V limit on the SoC voltage when the EXPO memory overclocking profile is used. AMD states that the 1.3V limit has no real impact on overclocking headroom.
Previously, any form of overclocking was not supported, but new BIOS notifications make it clear that features such as XMP/EXPO are indeed overclocking technologies. It’s probably only a matter of time before other vendors follow Asus with similar notifications and popups in her BIOS and utilities.
