Paint.NET x64

Website: Paint.NET

This is the 64-bit version of the popular free image editing software, Paint.NET. It's not as advanced as something like Adobe Photoshop CS3 or Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2, but it does serve well for most image editing tasks.

We used the PDNBench script to test the processing times for a range of images and filters. The multi-threaded software also takes advantage of multi-core processors quite effectively.

For more information on what the benchmark script entails, please see this thread on the Paint.NET forums.



While the Intel E5200 at its stock clock hits the top of the table, the overclock just drives home an absolute advantage that basically eclipses every AMD CPU and pushes them into the middle and further from the good value area. Again, even though the Phenom X3 performance is very good in the graph, it still sits nearer in the red area because the for the price, it doesn't yield that much more.

GIMP Image Editing

Website: GUN Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)

Our GIMP image editing test simulates how well a PC can manipulate a collection of large digital photos, and to achieve a low time requires a PC with a powerful CPU, plenty of quick memory and efficient hard disk drive access.



With the GIMP Image editing test, the overclocked Intel E5200 turns out the clear winner here, and most of the AMD CPUs, including the overclocked 7750 BE are compressed in the middle along with the stock clocked Intel. The triple-core Phenom is well into the red area, affording very little value for money here.