Can I use Intel RAM on an AMD motherboard?

DDR5 represents a significant shift from the norm when it comes to AMD and Intel compatibility. With DDR4 you needed to make sure your motherboard and CPU supported the speed in question, but it was all pretty straightforward. The introduction of AMD EXPO and Intel XMP 3.0 profiles with DDR5 means that overclocked memory (memory designed to run faster than the rather pedestrian JEDEC specifications), requires you to buy kits designed with your platform in mind. These kits will work on your platform with the minimum of fuss and with the greatest chance of just working.

For instance, if you have an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, then you’d want to buy AMD EXPO memory, for instance this CORSAIR VENGEANCE 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30 kit. This memory kit stores the frequency and latency settings using AMD EXPO technology so setting it up for optimal performance on your motherboard simply requires a quick trip the UEFI/BIOS and selecting the profile from a drop-down list. You don’t have to set the timings by hand or worry about the memory not working. Easy.

But what if you have bought a DDR5 kit for an Intel platform, and then make the switch to AMD and want to take your memory with you? Will this Intel XMP 3.0 memory work with your new AMD chip? In theory it doesn’t have the required AMD EXPO information and so you could find yourself struggling to get it working in your UEFI/BIOS. The same is true if you just buy Intel XMP DDR5 intending to use it with an AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU. In theory it won’t work.

That's the theory.

In practice there’s a good chance that the memory will work, albeit with a few caveats. This is because motherboard manufacturers put in a lot of effort to ensure that as many memory kits as possible just work with their motherboards. These motherboards can read the XMP data from the memory sticks, and pass the settings along, often allowing you to select the profiles just like the dedicated AMD EXPO kits.

You may find that the interface for doing this is slightly different, often with proprietary names for doing so. For example, if you have a TUF Gaming X670E-PLUS motherboard then you’ll find you have access to ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP) which can help get your memory running at optimal speeds. Gigabyte meanwhile will happily display the XMP and EXPO profiles if present, making life easier. MSI and ASRock have similar offerings to make your memory life easier.

One thing worth noting here is that Intel XMP kits tend to be rated for higher frequencies than are supported by AMD motherboards. AMD has stated that DDR5-6000 is the sweet spot speed for AMD Ryzen 7000-series CPUs. So, if you have something like DDR5-7200, you may find that you simply can’t hit the full speed with that kit when paired with your AMD CPU. You should be able to get it working, just not at a fast speed setting. This is why we still recommend picking an AMD EXPO kit where possible.

One piece of advice here: check the motherboard Qualified Vendor List (QVL) to see which memory kits are supported. This is mainly relevant when looking to buy memory kits for an existing motherboard and CPU combination but can still be useful if you already have the memory and want to make sure it should work.

This is defined by the motherboard memory support, but you should find that most AMD EXPO memory sticks will work on Intel motherboards. Generally the timings for AMD EXPO memory are not as tight as those for Intel XMP, which means that while you may not hit the same kind of performance as you will with a dedicated Intel XMP kit, but it should work.

There’s no guarantee of course, and you should check your motherboard QVL for memory, but we’d be surprised if it didn’t work at all.

We’d still recommend buying memory for your target platform where possible though, so for an Intel 14700K say, you should ideally grab something like DOMINATOR TITANIUM 48GB DDR5-7200 CL36.