A study was made of the changes in the linear dimensions of the ZlM-80 gold-copper alloy samples (with a content of 80 wt.% Gold) during atomic ordering. The initial disordered state in some samples of the alloy was formed by quenching from high temperature, other samples were disordered as a result of severe plastic deformation. It was found that the shape change of samples upon heating strongly depends on their initial state: ordering causes a decrease in the length of hardened wire samples, while the length of the initially deformed samples increases. It is shown that, regardless of the initial state, atomic ordering processes lead to a decrease in the volume of the alloy under study. The results obtained are of both scientific and practical interest.