MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs Qwen3.8 Max (0902)
MiniMax M3.1 Flash took 23 min 37 s and $0.095 at list price, Qwen3.8 Max (0902) took 77 min 11 s and $1.20 at list price. Qwen3.8 Max (0902) took 3.3× as long and cost 13× as much.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
MiniMax · $0.60/M out · 550 HN pts
Qwen3.8 Max (0902)
Alibaba · $6.00/M out · 3 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 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 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.
Specs and numbers
| MiniMax M3.1 Flash | Qwen3.8 Max (0902) | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | MiniMax | Alibaba |
| Made in | China | China |
| Released | 19 Oct 2026 | 3 Sep 2026 |
| Price in, per M tokens | $0.15 | $2.00 |
| Price out, per M tokens | $0.60 | $6.00 |
| Context | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Weights | open | closed |
| Hacker News points | 550 | 3 |
| Time for the six prompts | 23 min 37 s | 77 min 11 s |
| List price of the six prompts | $0.095 | $1.20 |
MiniMax M3.1 Flash was cheaper: $1.11 less at list price, and less on each of the 6 prompts. MiniMax M3.1 Flash was faster: 53 min 33 s less in total, and faster on each 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%, Qwen3.8 Max (0902)'s 81%. Tea Garden experiment: MiniMax M3.1 Flash's game passed 5 of 5 checks, Qwen3.8 Max (0902)'s 5 of 5.