Gemini 4 Carbon vs Qwen3.8 Max Prime
Gemini 4 Carbon took 18 min 40 s and $1.05 at list price, Qwen3.8 Max Prime took 37 min 2 s and $2.29 at list price. Qwen3.8 Max Prime took 2.0× as long and cost 2.2× as much.
Gemini 4 Carbon
Google · $10.00/M out · 308 HN pts
Qwen3.8 Max Prime
Alibaba · $12.00/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.
Tucked away in a bright workshop near the Rotterdam docks, Patchbay is a three-person studio dedicated to keeping electronic music history alive. We repair, restore, and calibrate vintage synthesizers, drum machines, and outboard gear. Whether it is a temperamental Juno with failing voice chips, a road-worn Minimoog drifting out of tune, or an obscure polysynth needing a complete overhaul, our benches are built for machines that make noise.
Between the three of us, we combine decades of experience in electronics, sound design, and obsessive troubleshooting. We do not view classic synthesizers as fragile museum pieces meant to sit behind glass; they are working instruments built to be played, patched, and pushed to their limits. Armed with original schematics, precision test gear, and a deep respect for analog circuitry, we bring tired hardware back from the brink—ready for another forty years in the studio or on stage.
Patchbay is a small studio in Rotterdam dedicated to the repair and care of vintage synthesizers. Run by three people who share a deep love for these instruments, we work hands-on with analog circuits, voices, keyboards, and aging components to bring old machines back to reliable musical life. Every synthesizer that enters the studio has a history, and we treat that history with respect, preserving original character while making sure the instrument can be played with confidence today. Our work ranges from routine servicing and calibration to careful troubleshooting and restoration of rare or badly worn gear. We work patiently, because these machines ask for time, attention, and understanding. We believe these instruments deserve to be heard, not stored away, and that good repair is a form of listening. From our bench in Rotterdam, we serve musicians, collectors, and studios who value craftsmanship, honesty, and the enduring sound of classic electronic instruments.
Specs and numbers
| Gemini 4 Carbon | Qwen3.8 Max Prime | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Alibaba | |
| Made in | US | China |
| Released | 10 Nov 2026 | 23 Sep 2026 |
| Price in, per M tokens | $2.00 | $4.00 |
| Price out, per M tokens | $10.00 | $12.00 |
| Context | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Weights | closed | closed |
| Hacker News points | 308 | — |
| Time for the six prompts | 18 min 40 s | 37 min 2 s |
| List price of the six prompts | $1.05 | $2.29 |
Gemini 4 Carbon was cheaper: $1.24 less at list price, and less on 5 of the 6 prompts. Gemini 4 Carbon was faster: 18 min 23 s less in total, and faster on 5 of the 6 prompts.
In the recording, both Breakout games play.