AMD FX 9590 8-core AM3+

The FX-9590 was the first 5GHz consumer CPU, and it still holds that title on AM3+. But the 220W TDP and mediocre single-thread performance make it a tough buy in 2024. Only worth it if you're stuck on AM3+ and find a cheap one.

The 5GHz boost clock is the headline, and it does deliver in bursts. PassMark shows 6834 multi and 1807 single. That single-thread number is roughly on par with budget chips from a decade ago, which is exactly what this is. The 8MB of L3 cache helps in some workloads, but the 32nm Vishera architecture is ancient. Multi-thread performance lands at the 47th percentile, so it's fine for older games and basic productivity, but anything modern will choke. And that 220W TDP means you need serious cooling. Like, liquid cooling or a very patient air cooler.

Against something like the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, this thing is a fossil. The 285K runs circles around it in every metric, but it also costs way more and requires a new motherboard and DDR5. The Phenom II X6 is an older AMD chip that's even slower, so the FX-9590 at least beats that. The be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 is a cooler, not a CPU, so that's not a fair fight. If you're comparing to anything modern, the FX-9590 loses. If you're comparing to other AM3+ chips, it's the king of a dead socket.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US you can find it for $222, but in Europe it ranges from EUR 439 to EUR 723 depending on the vendor. That's a massive spread. If you're in Europe, shop around because the cheapest listing is nearly EUR 300 less than the most expensive. Honestly, even at $222 this is a tough sell. You're paying collector prices for a CPU that gets smoked by a modern $100 chip. The only reason to buy this is if you're stuck on AM3+ and refuse to upgrade your whole platform.

The AMD FX-9590 is a weird piece of history. It was the first consumer CPU to hit 5GHz out of the box, which sounds cool until you see the 220W TDP. That's space heater territory. Eight cores, 4.7GHz base, 5.0GHz boost, and a socket that's been dead for years. This thing is a relic, and it acts like one.

Our database puts it at 47.9 out of 100 overall. The multi-thread score is middle of the pack, single-thread is about average, and efficiency is a real letdown at 31.3. If you're on AM3+ and desperate for an upgrade, this is the top of that particular hill. But it's a short hill.

Skip this if you're building a new PC or upgrading from anything made in the last five years. A modern budget CPU will beat it in every way while using a fraction of the power. Also skip it if you don't already own a high-end AM3+ board and a serious cooler, because the 220W TDP will cause instability on weaker hardware.

Buy this if you have an AM3+ board, a beefy cooler, and a nostalgic streak. It's the fastest chip that socket ever saw, and hitting 5GHz is still a fun party trick. But for anyone building a new system or upgrading from something even remotely modern, this is a hard pass. The performance per watt is terrible, and the platform is a dead end.