Ternary Bonsai 2 9B vs GLM 5.3 Flash
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B took 7 min 4 s and $0.004 at list price, GLM 5.3 Flash took 59 min 10 s and $0.023 at list price. GLM 5.3 Flash took 8.4× as long and cost 5.2× as much.
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B
PrismML · $0.13/M out
GLM 5.3 Flash
Z.ai · $0.092/M out · 1,329 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.
Welcome to Patchbay. A dedicated three-person studio in Rotterdam, where analog warmth meets modern precision. Our workshop is a sanctuary for vintage synthesizers, circuit boards, and forgotten sounds. We operate on the belief that vintage gear deserves respect and careful handling. Every unit we restore is given a new life, preserving its unique character while ensuring it functions reliably. We work meticulously on instruments that shaped electronic music history. This isn't just repair; it is resurrection. Our artisans take the time to solder every connection and clean every capacitor, understanding that imperfections hold stories worth keeping. We aim to keep the legacy of analog synthesis alive. Whether you need a fix or advice on your collection's condition, we support the analog revival. Trust in our expertise to get your dreams humming again. In a digital world, we choose to sound the truth. We believe in the tangible sound of history.
Patchbay began the way most repair shops do: with a broken synth, a stubborn owner, and a soldering iron that refused to stay idle. We're three people—Joris, Marit, and Tomas—working out of a small workshop on the back streets of Rotterdam-Noord, surrounded by oscilloscopes, spare parts, and instruments that sometimes arrive in worse condition than their owners admit.
Between us, we've spent decades repairing and restoring vintage synthesizers: Rolands, Moogs, Korgs, Yamahas, and machines whose manuals were never written in the first place. We don't sell anything. We fix things. That focus keeps us honest and keeps the work slow, careful, and done properly.
We believe old instruments deserve to keep making music, not gather dust in attics or fetch prices only collectors can pay. Whether it's a cracked keybed, a dying power supply, or a voice that's gone quiet, we'd like to help bring it back.
Specs and numbers
| Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | GLM 5.3 Flash | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | PrismML | Z.ai |
| Made in | US | China |
| Released | 16 Oct 2026 | 26 Aug 2026 |
| Price in, per M tokens | $0.08 | $0.029 |
| Price out, per M tokens | $0.13 | $0.092 |
| Context | 262,144 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Weights | open | open |
| Hacker News points | — | 1,329 |
| Time for the six prompts | 7 min 4 s | 59 min 10 s |
| List price of the six prompts | $0.004 | $0.023 |
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B was cheaper: $0.019 less at list price, and less on 5 of the 6 prompts. Ternary Bonsai 2 9B was faster: 52 min 6 s less in total, and faster on 5 of the 6 prompts.
In the recording, Ternary Bonsai 2 9B's Breakout game stopped painting; GLM 5.3 Flash's plays.





