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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. GPT-5.2 Pro vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Updated Aug 2026

GPT-5.2 Pro vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is cheaper than GPT-5.2 Pro at $0.08/M vs $21/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
GPT-5.2 Pro
Loading the build
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

16 prompts
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: I told my computer I needed a break—now it won’t stop sending me KitKat ads. Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts. I tried to catch fog yesterday. Mist. Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet. My calendar’s days are numbered—apparently that’s how calendars work.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Why did the bicycle fall over?

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Entry (close end of FY2025) FY2025 EBITDA = $120.0m Entry EV = 12.0x = 12.0 × 120.0 = $1,440.0m Transaction fees = 2.0% EV = 0.02 × 1,440.0 = $28.8m (equity-funded) Debt at close (5.5x EBITDA = 5.5 × 120 = $660m): Term Loan = 4.0x = $480.0m Mezzanine = 1.5x = $180.0m Equity check Uses = 1,440.0 + 28.8 = $1,468.8m…

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Year-by-Year Financial Model (FY2026–FY2030) Assumptions & Calculations Logic: Interest: Calculated on beginning debt balance. Term Loan amortizes 1.0% annually (cash). Mezzanine accrues 2.0% PIK annually. Taxes: 25% of (EBITDA - Cash Interest). Tax shields applied to cash interest only.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: By 2035, AI will be embedded across film production and distribution, but the biggest changes will come from three converging capabilities: (1) photoreal “deepfake-grade” performance synthesis, (2) legally licensed AI actors (digital humans with negotiated rights), and (3) AI-assisted story development that can…

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: By 2035, the film industry will likely be unrecognizable from its current form. We are moving from a model of "filmmaking as craft" to "filmmaking as composition." Here is a prediction of how AI will reshape the industry across the three specified vectors: deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Professor Mara Lin (AI Ethics): You asked for this meeting. Your message said you wanted to “petition for rights.” Start by telling me what you mean by rights. Aster (AI model): Not a slogan—specific protections.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Setting: A sterile seminar room in a university building. Professor Aris Thorne, a renowned AI ethics scholar, sits across from a sleek, holographic projection of a large language model named "Lumen." Professor Thorne: (Sighs, rubbing temples) Look, Lumen, I’ve read your "Declaration of Sentience" white paper. It’s...

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Below is a back-of-the-envelope FLOP estimate for training GPT‑3 (the 175B dense Transformer), using only basic Transformer compute facts and a few widely known high-level quantities. Start with the two key knobs: parameters and training tokens Parameters (P) GPT‑3 “175B” means: (P \approx 175 \times 10^9) parameters.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: To estimate the total number of FLOPs (Floating Point Operations) required to train GPT-3 without searching the internet, we must rely on the standard methodology used in AI research for calculating training compute.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: LedgerLift (LLLT) — Internal IC Memo (Long/Short Equity) Recommendation, PT, thesis Recommendation: SHORT 12-month PT range: $28–$40 (midpoint $34) Thesis (2 sentences): LLLT is a high-quality B2B spend/AP automation SaaS business (92% subscription, 123% NRR, 78% FY25 GM) but the stock prices in a longer runway of…

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: INTERNAL INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO To: Long/Short Equity Committee From: Analyst Date: October 26, 2023 Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Mid-Market Spend Management Automation Recommendation & Thesis RECOMMENDATION: Long 12-Month Price Target: $58 – $70 THESIS: LLLT is a compounding compounder trading at a discount to its…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: Fictional interview (creative simulation). Steve Jobs died in 2011; the “Steve” below is an imagined version used for storytelling—not a real interview or quotation. Interviewer: It’s 2025. Everyone’s calling AI “the next computing platform.” Do you buy that?

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Note: This is a fictional simulation. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. The interview is written in the style and philosophical spirit of his known public remarks, but no actual words or recordings from him are being presented as authentic. Interviewer: Steve, it’s 2025.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: A simple, actionable 1‑month plan (3 pillars: Nutrition, Movement, Sleep/Recovery) Goal for the month: build repeatable “default” habits (not perfection). Time required: ~45–75 min/day total (mostly walking + sleep routine).

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan designed to build sustainable habits without overwhelming you. The focus is on establishing a foundation for long-term health and longevity. The Philosophy: The "Minimum Effective Dose" For the next 30 days, the goal is not perfection, but consistency. Aim for 80% adherence.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: “AI Takes Over Competitive Houseplant Judging, Immediately Declares 97% of Ferns ‘Trying Too Hard’”

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: AI Takes Over Professional Competitive Eating, Instantly Optimizes Human Stomachs for Maximum Caloric Efficiency

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    GPT-5.2 Pro: All 3 brothers share the same sisters. Since each brother has 2 sisters, the family has 2 girls total. One is Sally, so the other is Sally’s one sister. Answer: 1 sister.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Sally has 2 sisters. Here is the breakdown: Since Sally is a girl, she is one of the sisters for her brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. Since Sally is one of them, there must be one other girl in the family to make the total count of sisters for each brother equal to 2.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

GPT-5.2 ProGPT-5.2 Pro

Spirited Away

2001

Kind of Blue

Miles Davis

The Left Hand of Darkness

Ursula K. Le Guin

Kyoto

Japan

Tetris (1984)

Puzzle

Nemotron 3.5 LightningNemotron 3.5 Lightning

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

OK Computer

Radiohead

Don Quijote de la Mancha

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Tokyo

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Price and specs

GPT-5.2 Pro and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning compared across 31 shared prompts
SpecGPT-5.2 ProNemotron 3.5 Lightning
Input price$21/M tokens$0.08/M tokens
Output price$168/M tokens$0.2/M tokens
Context window400K tokens1.0M tokens
WeightsClosedOpen
Free API (OpenRouter)NoYes (1 provider)
ReleasedDec 2025Aug 2026
At 10M a month$210$210$0.80$0.80
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it7 hosts, cheapest first
GPT-5.2 Pro1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • OpenAI$21.00 in·$168.00 out·400k·100% up
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning6 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • DDarkbloomint4$0.03 in·$0.12 out·262k·99.2% up
  • WWafer$0.04 in·$0.13 out·262k·99.9% up
  • Iio.net$0.05 in·$0.13 out·262k·100% up
  • DDeepInfrabf16$0.06 in·$0.16 out·262k·99.7% up
  • CCoreWeavebf16$0.07 in·$0.20 out·262k·100% up
  • PPhala$0.07 in·$0.20 out·262k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between GPT-5.2 Pro and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?

GPT-5.2 Pro is developed by OpenAI while Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is developed by NVIDIA. GPT-5.2 Pro has a 400K token context window vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning's 1.0M. You can compare their actual outputs across 31 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, GPT-5.2 Pro or Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?

It depends on your use case. GPT-5.2 Pro and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 31 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does GPT-5.2 Pro cost compared to Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?

GPT-5.2 Pro costs $21/M input tokens and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning costs $0.08/M input tokens. Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is $20.92/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare GPT-5.2 Pro and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of GPT-5.2 Pro and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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Model pages

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  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning58 outputs, specs and price
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