MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs Pareto 26.10
MiniMax M3.1 Flash took 23 min 37 s and $0.095 at list price, Pareto 26.10 took 12 min and $0.097 at list price. MiniMax M3.1 Flash took 2.0× as long, and both cost about the same.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
MiniMax · $0.60/M out · 550 HN pts
Pareto 26.10
Unbiased · $3.20/M out
Pelican
Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle
Watch
Draw a mechanical wristwatch that shows the current local time, with a sweeping seconds hand and a date window. Make it look expensive.
Landing
Build the landing page for Lumen Cycles, a Copenhagen workshop that builds custom cargo bikes to order. Make it look like a real brand you would trust with 4,000 euros.
Breakout
Make a Breakout game I can play right now with the keyboard or the mouse. Give it several levels, a score and some juice.
Logo
Design a logo for Night Heron, an independent bookshop that only opens after dark.
About
Write the opening of the About us page for Patchbay, a three-person studio in Rotterdam that repairs vintage synthesizers. About 150 words.
Patchbay is a three-person studio in Rotterdam dedicated to bringing vintage synthesizers back to life. We repair analog and digital instruments that shaped the sound of music, from classic drum machines and polyphonic synths to quirky, characterful machines that rarely leave a musician’s side. Our work combines technical knowledge with respect for each instrument’s history, because a synth is more than a circuit board: it carries the decisions, compromises, and personality of its original design.
We diagnose faults, restore unreliable voices, and carefully service aging components without erasing the character that made an instrument worth keeping. Whether a machine has been silent for years or simply needs a thoughtful tune-up, we treat every repair as a careful act of restoration.
Based in Rotterdam, Patchbay works with musicians, studios, collectors, and anyone who believes electronic instruments deserve another chapter. We restore them to sound as they should, preserving the details that make each one unique.
Patchbay was born from a simple frustration in Rotterdam: the belief that vintage synthesizers should be heard, not locked away in climate-controlled collections. Founded by three engineers and musicians who share an obsession with the raw, unpredictable character of analog gear, we operate out of a small studio where the smell of soldering iron and ozone is as common as coffee. We don’t just fix broken circuits; we restore the soul of these machines. Whether it’s a temperamental Moog, a glitchy Roland, or a rare obscure European find, we treat every patch cord and potentiometer with reverence and precision. Our trio combines decades of electronic music production experience with meticulous hardware restoration skills, ensuring that every repair honors the original design while making the instrument reliable for modern stage use. We believe that the quirks of vintage technology are features, not bugs. Our goal is to bridge the gap between historical preservation and contemporary creativity, giving these legendary instruments a second life in today’s soundscapes. Join us in keeping the analog signal chain alive.
Specs and numbers
| MiniMax M3.1 Flash | Pareto 26.10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | MiniMax | Unbiased |
| Made in | China | — |
| Released | 19 Oct 2026 | 15 Oct 2026 |
| Price in, per M tokens | $0.15 | $0.80 |
| Price out, per M tokens | $0.60 | $3.20 |
| Context | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Weights | open | closed |
| Hacker News points | 550 | — |
| Time for the six prompts | 23 min 37 s | 12 min |
| List price of the six prompts | $0.095 | $0.097 |
Both cost about the same at list price: $0.095 and $0.097. Pareto 26.10 was faster: 11 min 38 s less in total, and faster on 5 of the 6 prompts.
In the recording, both Breakout games play.
Rebuild this screen experiment: MiniMax M3.1 Flash's rebuild matched the screenshot at 78%; Pareto 26.10 was not in it. Tea Garden experiment: MiniMax M3.1 Flash's game passed 5 of 5 checks; Pareto 26.10 was not in it.