Late last year I performed a massive 10-Way CPU Shootout. It looked at 10 different CPUs, each tested with three different GPUs. Each configuration was tested in 1080p HD and Eyefinity, across three games. Sum total it was 180 different tests. The AMD FX-9590 was released into retail this past summer - available with and without a custom closed loop liquid cooler from Cooler Master. Given the now wide scale retail availability of both the FX-9370 and the FX-9590, it seemed like a good time to put the finishing touches on a new article.

So, we'll revisit the original premise, but with updated hardware. Is a higher end CPU needed to unlock the power of an R9 290, or the power of a CrossFire configuration? Or, is money still better saved on a CPU to upgrade video cards or purchase an SSD (which are cheaper than ever)? As before we'll start the review with a look at raw CPU power, and compare that to processor prices. Since their original launch, the AMD FX-9370 and FX-9590 have dropped significantly in price. Does that matter, or make the price issues moot?

The previous project was weeks in the testing. For this redux I tested each of the five processors across three games, each of those across seven GPU configuration, in both 1080p HD and Eyefinity 3x 1080p HD. This results in a ton of tests - 210 to be exact (5 x 3 x 7 x 2). Thirty more tests than the first article. Click for the details...