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IS THERE A NEW KING OF IMAGE UPSCALING? TOPAZ PHOTO AI 3.1 VS AIARTY IMAGE ENHANCER

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Introduction

With the explosive rise of AI-generated images being hampered by much lower resolutions compared to non-AI photos, there has been a huge demand for upscaling tools to boost image quality. Among these tools, Topaz Labs has consistently emerged as the best among its peers, as highlighted in my last comparison video just last June. However, recently one kind viewer, Monica, alerted me to a new upscaler with an impressive feature set. In this article, I thought it would be useful to compare the upstart AiArty with the current gold standard Topaz Labs Photo AI 3.1 to find out which one is better. Let's dive right in.

Quick Overview of AiArty Image Enhancer

Before diving into the comparison, let's run through a quick overview of the new upscaler named AiArty Image Enhancer. According to its website, AiArty is the new flagship app of GT Software, a company that has been around since 2006, although it used to sell multimedia software, not AI tools. It was only this past June 2024 that the company launched AiArty.

The company describes AiArty as a generative AI image enhancement software. In my past tests, I found that other generative AI-based upscalers, like the Universal Upscaler from Leonardo (recently acquired by Canva), were capable general-purpose upscalers but tended to introduce distorted content and imaginative details, making them not the best choice if all you wanted was an authentic-looking result. We shall see if AiArty suffers the same problem.

Key Features of AiArty

AiArty claims to have used 6.78 million images to train its model. It boasts being able to upscale any photo to a maximum of 32K—though for this test, I shall limit upscaling to no more than 4K. Its enhancer features compare similarly to Topaz Labs, including:

  • De-blur: Enhances blurry, grainy, pixelated, and soft images.
  • De-noise: Uses deep learning algorithms to reduce noise and reconstruct images.
  • Detail Enhancement: A specially trained AI model for preserving and generating image details like skin, hair textures, and lines.
  • Sharpening: Emphasizes edges and fine details.

One nice feature of AiArty is that it is a desktop app, not web-based, allowing for snappier importing/exporting and batch processing. Additionally, you can purchase a perpetual license for $ 15, which is cheaper than Topaz Labs' Photo AI, priced at $ 200.

Slideshow Comparison and Results

For this test, I've largely used the same challenging input images I've used in previous tests. Here, I'll give my analysis and verdict.

Topaz Labs Photo AI 3.1

Topaz Labs Photo AI, as expected, worked great across the board, upscaling images of any size competently without artifacts. It stood out notably in:

  • Corals Detail: Recovered far more details than AiArty.
  • Face Recovery: Upscaled and sharpened blurred faces more effectively.
  • Detail Enhancement: Made certain textures, like rocks, appear sharper and more detailed.

AiArty Image Enhancer

While Topaz Labs shined in some images, AiArty performed better in others:

  • Feather Texture: Preserved the texture of bird feathers more effectively.
  • Night Scene: Rendered details in window textures more clearly.
  • Image Sharpness: Consistently produced sharper results across multiple test images.

Verdict

After examining the performance across varied images, the overall winner for this test is AiArty Image Enhancer. Despite being a new entrant to the market, AiArty provided sharper, clearer, and more detailed results across most images. Its generative AI also never produced unnatural textures or weird details, an issue seen in other generative upscalers.

This is a significant and surprising result as one wouldn't expect a new upstart to outperform a quality company like Topaz Labs, which has been a long-standing leader in upscaling technology. Such developments are indicative of the fast-moving tech world.

Key Takeaways

This result is fantastic news for consumers. More competition and options mean better tools at potentially lower prices. Do try AiArty and let me know your thoughts. For those interested in more content, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share to help keep the videos coming. Until the next time, see you!

Keywords

FAQ

Q: What company developed AiArty Image Enhancer? A: AiArty Image Enhancer was developed by GT Software, a company that has been around since 2006.

Q: What is the maximum resolution AiArty can upscale an image to? A: AiArty can upscale any photo to a maximum resolution of 32K.

Q: How does AiArty handle detailed enhancement? A: AiArty uses a specially trained AI model to preserve and generate image details, focusing on aspects like skin, hair textures, and lines.

Q: How much does AiArty cost? A: AiArty is available for a perpetual license price of $ 15.

Q: How does AiArty compare to Topaz Labs in terms of image sharpness? A: In the tests, AiArty consistently produced sharper results compared to Topaz Labs Photo AI 3.1.

Q: What type of app is AiArty? A: AiArty is a desktop app, which facilitates faster importing/exporting and batch processing.