picCOLOR, HEXUS Crypto, Realstorm 2004, Wav-to-MP3 encoding
picCOLOR 4.0
I've worked with Dr. Mueller, picCOLOR's author, along with Scott Wasson from The Tech Report, to create a special version of picCOLOR that can exploit a four CPU system. I've run that alongside the existing Build 479 for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows.
picCOLOR has a large number of its composite tests engineered to be multi-threaded, so it really shines on multi-processor and HyperTheaded systems. Under 32-bit Windows the Opteron 275 system is faster than the 840 EE system, which in turn is quicker than the FX-55. 2.6GHz really helps, but what picCOLOR really enjoys is the ability to stretch its legs onto another core.
Under XP 64-bit, picCOLOR really starts to fly. The Opteron 275 system with Build 479 is faster than the dual-core, single Opteron 175. With the special four-thread build that further boosts performance in a couple of picCOLOR's rotation functions, 7.66 is by far and away the quickest picCOLOR overall score seen to date. Four thread finery.
Image processing is an application that really benefits from multi-threaded programming, and it shows with picCOLOR.
HEXUS Crypto
My own little single-threaded benchmark is crying out for some multi-threading love.
It crashes under XP 64-bit currently, something I'll have to fix. Under XP 32-bit, core speed and a fast floating point unit is all that matters, the 840 EE trailing the Opteron 275 system which sits with three quarters of its executing resources idle, which in turn trails the mighty Athlon FX-55.
Realstorm 2004
Realstorm is another single-threaded application that doesn't benefit from extra execution resources, at least not directly.
Under XP 32-bit, Realstorm is fastest on the FX-55, then the Opteron 275 system, then the 840 EE. Under 64-bit XP, Realstorm gets faster still by some 20%. Impressive stuff, and that's just a 32-bit binary running unmodified on a 64-bit OS.
Wav-to-MP3 encoding
Another single-threaded test where a fast FPU rules the roost. Under XP 64-bit, things get quicker, even with 32-bit binaries.
