Findings and field notes.
What our benchmarks found, how we run them, and notes on building AI products you can trust.
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Model launches · · 8 min readGemini 4 argon review: Opus-level product data at a quarter of the cost, until you ask it to sell
We ran Gemini 4 Argon through six benchmarks on launch day. It matched Claude Opus 5.5 on product data at a quarter of the cost, then added five times as many unsupported claims when asked to sell.
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Model launches · · 6 min readClaude Opus 5.5 vs Muse wonder full: Eight crafts, and Opus still wins most
We asked Claude Opus 5.5, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full to make eight crafts in a web page, from a thrown bowl to an ice swan. Full closed part of the gap that standard Wonder left, with an agent and second chances. Opus still made the more convincing object in most of them.
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Model launches · · 7 min readMuse wonder review: Good analysis, work that still needs checking
We tested standard Muse Wonder on six evaluations. Survey analysis was strong; product copy, slide layout and decisions against a clock still needed work. Full is outside this API comparison.
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Model launches · · 8 min readClaude Haiku 5.5 is far better than Haiku 4.5 at a tenth of the price. GPT-6 Luna still beats it at business work
We ran Claude Haiku 5.5 through our business benchmarks and 18 playground tests on launch day. It is a big step up from Haiku 4.5 and very cheap, but GPT-6 Luna, at the same price, beat it on listings, decks and ad planning.
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Model launches · · 7 min readMistral Large 4 is fast, cheap and Europe's best model. On business work, it still makes things up.
We ran Mistral Large 4 through our four business benchmarks on launch day. It is quick, inexpensive and careful with structured data, but it added unsupported claims to most product listings and finished last on slide decks.
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Model launches · · 5 min readGemini 3.6 Flash wins the minute. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite wins the second.
Google's two new fast models split BulletBench's hardest latency tests: Gemini 3.6 Flash topped the 60-second board, while Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite nearly won Lightning without losing a single game on time.
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Model launches · · 3 min readGoogle Gemini 3 review: The benchmarks actually match the hype
So, on Tuesday Google launched Gemini 3. The hype was massive leading up to this, and honestly? It is justified. It is really, really good. Trying to explain how good is difficult without getting bogged down in…
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Model launches · · 4 min readGPT-5.1 first look: Smarter, warmer… but not a breakthrough
2025’s flagship model season kicked off on 12 November with the unexpected arrival of GPT-5.1, with OpenAI getting their release out before Gemini 3. While we’re still waiting for API access (and therefore can’t run proper…