Qwen3.8 Max (0902) vs MiniMax M3
Qwen3.8 Max (0902) took 77 min 11 s and $1.20 at list price, MiniMax M3 took 33 min 3 s and $0.21 at list price. Qwen3.8 Max (0902) took 2.3× as long and cost 5.7× as much.
Qwen3.8 Max (0902)
Alibaba · $6.00/M out · 3 HN pts
MiniMax M3
MiniMax · $1.20/M out · 144 HN pts
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 small repair studio in Rotterdam dedicated to vintage synthesizers. We are three people who care about old instruments, their history, and the players who keep them alive. From classic analog polys to rare drum machines, we take the time to understand each machine before we touch it. Our work is practical and respectful: careful diagnosis, honest advice, and repairs that preserve the character of the instrument. We know these synths are more than circuits and knobs. They carry stories from studios, stages, and secondhand shops, and they deserve to be treated with patience. Whether a machine needs a simple clean, a full restoration, or help finding a hard-to-source part, we aim to make the process clear and personal from start to finish. Based in Rotterdam, we help musicians, collectors, and studios keep old synthesizers making sound for years to come. We do it with patience and respect.
Patchbay began in a cluttered apartment in Rotterdam, where three friends spent weekends coaxing old synthesizers back to life. What started as a shared obsession quickly outgrew the living room. In 2016, we opened our first proper workshop in a converted warehouse on the south side of the city, and we have been soldering, calibrating, and listening closely ever since.
We are a small team of three. Niels handles the analog work, coaxing warm tones from aging oscillators and reluctant filters. Marijn focuses on digital systems and the occasional stubborn MIDI quirk. Sanna manages restorations, sourcing rare components and keeping long projects on track. Between us, we have decades of experience with the machines that shaped electronic music.
Every synth that passes through our doors carries decades of sound inside it. Our job is to make sure that story continues.
Specs and numbers
| Qwen3.8 Max (0902) | MiniMax M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Alibaba | MiniMax |
| Made in | China | China |
| Released | 3 Sep 2026 | 31 May 2026 |
| Price in, per M tokens | $2.00 | $0.30 |
| Price out, per M tokens | $6.00 | $1.20 |
| Context | 1,000,000 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Weights | closed | open |
| Hacker News points | 3 | 144 |
| Time for the six prompts | 77 min 11 s | 33 min 3 s |
| List price of the six prompts | $1.20 | $0.21 |
MiniMax M3 was cheaper: $0.99 less at list price, and less on each of the 6 prompts. MiniMax M3 was faster: 44 min 8 s less in total, and faster on 5 of the 6 prompts.
In the recording, both Breakout games play.
Rebuild this screen experiment: Qwen3.8 Max (0902)'s rebuild matched the screenshot at 81%; MiniMax M3 was not in it. Tea Garden experiment: Qwen3.8 Max (0902)'s game passed 5 of 5 checks; MiniMax M3 was not in it.