• Updated 1 Nov, 10:02 UTC
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Step 5 Preview vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

6 prompts both ran·Specs and numbers·Change models

Step 5 Preview took 10 min 44 s and $0.33 at list price, Nemotron 3.5 Lightning took 10 min 9 s and $0.012 at list price. Step 5 Preview took 1.1× as long and cost 28× as much.

Step 5 Preview

StepFun · $2.70/M out · 155 HN pts

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

NVIDIA · $0.20/M out · free route · 399 HN pts

Pelican

Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle

Step 5 Preview's SVG for the "Pelican riding a bicycle" prompt

Step 5 Preview

32 s$0.0196.9k tokensAPI
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning's SVG for the "Pelican riding a bicycle" prompt

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

27 s<$0.0013.0k tokensAPI

Watch

Draw a mechanical wristwatch that shows the current local time, with a sweeping seconds hand and a date window. Make it look expensive.

Still of Step 5 Preview's page for the "Wristwatch that shows the current time" prompt

Step 5 Preview

22 s$0.0134.9k tokensAPI
Still of Nemotron 3.5 Lightning's page for the "Wristwatch that shows the current time" prompt

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

2 min 20 s$0.00314k tokensAPI

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.

Still of Step 5 Preview's page for the "Landing page for a cargo bike workshop" prompt

Step 5 Preview

4 min 7 s$0.1453k tokensAPI
Still of Nemotron 3.5 Lightning's page for the "Landing page for a cargo bike workshop" prompt

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

86 s$0.0017.3k tokensAPI

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.

Still of Step 5 Preview's page for the "Playable Breakout" prompt

Step 5 Preview

1 min 55 s$0.06825k tokensAPI
Still of Nemotron 3.5 Lightning's page for the "Playable Breakout" prompt

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

2 min 54 s$0.00316k tokensAPI

Design a logo for Night Heron, an independent bookshop that only opens after dark.

Step 5 Preview's SVG for the "Bookshop logo" prompt

Step 5 Preview

3 min 41 s$0.08431k tokensAPI
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning's SVG for the "Bookshop logo" prompt

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

2 min 8 s$0.00313k tokensAPI

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 workshop based in Rotterdam, dedicated to keeping vintage synthesizers alive and playable. We are technicians, musicians, and obsessive tinkerers who believe that classic analog instruments deserve better than silence. From temperamental Jupiter-8s to worn-out ARP Odysseys, we restore, repair, and maintain the machines that shaped the sound of modern music. Every repair starts with listening—both to the instrument and to the person who plays it. Whether you are chasing a rare fault, need a full calibration, or simply want your old synth to feel new again, our bench is open. We understand that no two synthesizers arrive with the same story, and we treat each circuit, slider, and key with the care its history deserves. At Patchbay, we are here to make sure the sounds of tomorrow are built on those that came before.

Step 5 Preview

7 s$0.003919 tokensAPI

Patchbay is a three-person studio in Rotterdam devoted to the restoration and repair of vintage synthesizers. We believe analog gear holds a living voice, and our purpose is to safeguard that sound for musicians, collectors, and creators who value authenticity. With hands-on experience in circuitry, voltage calibration, and component preservation, we treat every console, drum machine, or modular voice with meticulous care. Rotterdam’s eclectic artistic community fuels our commitment to keeping analog heritage alive, bridging past technology with present music. Whether rescuing a neglected lab unit or reviving a cherished polysynth, we approach each instrument as a unique piece of musical history, ensuring it performs as intended for years ahead. We love helping artists reconnect with the warmth and character only vintage hardware can offer. Our workshop sits in the heart of the city, where dusty circuit boards meet fresh compositions, and every repaired synth becomes part of a new musical story.

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

54 s<$0.0014.4k tokensAPI

Specs and numbers

Step 5 PreviewNemotron 3.5 Lightning
MakerStepFunNVIDIA
Made inChinaUS
Released8 Oct 202611 Aug 2026
Price in, per M tokens$1.00free route (list $0.07/M)
Price out, per M tokens$2.70free route (list $0.20/M)
Context1,048,576 tokens262,144 tokens
Weightsopenopen
Hacker News points155399
Time for the six prompts10 min 44 s10 min 9 s
List price of the six prompts$0.33$0.012

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning was cheaper: $0.32 less at list price, and less on each of the 6 prompts. Nemotron 3.5 Lightning was faster: 35 s less in total, and faster on 3 of the 6 prompts.

In the recording, both Breakout games play.

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