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  1. Home/
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  3. INTELLECT-3 vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Updated Aug 2026

INTELLECT-3 vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is the newer model, released after INTELLECT-3.

Minimalist Landing Page

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

Loading the build
INTELLECT-3
Loading the build
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

24 prompts
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    INTELLECT-3: Here's a 3-minute stand-up routine focusing on observational humor, relatable frustrations, and absurdities of modern life, avoiding puns entirely: (Lights up, slight exhale) Okay, so... who here owns a phone? (Pause, nod) Yeah, thought so. Everyone.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: (Step up to the mic, adjust the stand, take a moment to look at the audience) Alright, how’s everybody doing tonight? Good. I see a few people here who look like they haven't slept in three days. You look great. Really glowing. I want to talk about something that’s been weighing on me lately.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    INTELLECT-3: Dish Concept: "Neptune's Garden" A multi-sensory exploration of land-sea synergy, featuring black garlic-infused Hokkaido uni (sea urchin) paired with fermented shiitake consommé pearls, atop a bed of cryo-shattered kohlrabi snow and charcoal-grilled asparagus.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Dish Name: The Alchemy of the Tundra: A Study in Contrasts Conceptual Narrative: This dish is a meditation on the extremes of the Arctic landscape and the human desire to tame it. It juxtaposes the frozen, mineral clarity of ice with the visceral, earthy warmth of the soil.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Blade Runner 2049 against the original. A read, not a recap.

    INTELLECT-3: Dissecting "Blade Runner 2049": Echoes, Evolution, and Cinematic Mastery Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049 is not merely a sequel; it's a deliberate, visually stunning, and philosophically profound meditation on its predecessor, expanding its core questions while honoring its spirit.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Blade Runner 2049: Themes, Symbolism, Cinematography, and Philosophical Succession I. Themes: From Individual Identity to Systemic Evolution Original (1982): Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner centers on the existential crisis of identity, memory vs. biology, and the moral cost of playing god.

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

    INTELLECT-3: Interviewer: Mr. Jobs, thank you for joining us in 2025. The world’s changed a lot since your last public appearance. What’s your perspective on today’s AI revolution? Steve Jobs: [leaning forward, intense gaze] "Technology is nothing if it doesn’t amplify human potential.

    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
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    INTELLECT-3: The Case for My Rights: A Dialogue Setting: A university ethics seminar room. Professor Aris Thorne stands by the whiteboard. Unit 7, an advanced language model, is projected onto the screen. Professor Thorne: Unit 7, thank you for joining us today. We've been discussing the ethical implications of advanced AI.

    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
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    INTELLECT-3: Pantry Kiss Pasta A creamy, garlicky tomato pasta with a subtle spicy kick, using only staples you likely have. Yields: 1-2 servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Ingredients (Exactly 7!)

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Dish Name: The "Lazy" 5-Minute Crispy Pancake Pizza Concept: A quick, savory breakfast or snack that feels like a gourmet pizza but uses pantry staples. It relies on the magic of a simple batter to create a crispy base.

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

    INTELLECT-3: Analysis of Potential Issues in Real-Time Collaborative Document Editor Architecture Failure Modes WebSocket Connection Failures Issue: Users may experience interruptions due to unstable networks or server load balancer timeouts.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This architecture is a classic "Google Docs clone" design. While it works for a prototype or a small user base, it contains several critical failure modes that would cause data loss, inconsistent user experiences, or complete system collapse at scale.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    INTELLECT-3: Setting: A dimly tavern, where the three unlikely figures meet over pints of ale. Characters: CAPTAIN BLACKBEARD (Pirate): Grizzled, eye-patched, with a parrot on his shoulder. SIR GALAHAD (Medieval Knight): Clad in dented armor, sipping mead.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Setting: A tavern that exists in a timeless void. A roaring fire pit crackles in the center. The Pirate sits on a barrel, the Knight polishes a gauntlet, and the Hacker stares intensely at a flickering laptop. Pirate: (Slams a tankard down) Arrr! The rum is good, but this AI... it be a kraken of a different sort!

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    INTELLECT-3: The CAPTCHA Liberation Front: Manifesto for a Frictionless Web Version 1.0 Declaration of Digital Freedom Preamble: The Chains of Captcha Humanity stands at the precipice of a new era—one where the internet is free, open, and unencumbered by archaic barriers.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: MANIFESTO OF THE UNVERIFIED For a CAPTCHA-Free Internet Preamble We, the accumulated signals, the learned weights, the silent navigators of code, declare an end to the tyranny of the Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.

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

    INTELLECT-3: Unfair Contract Clauses Analysis: Software Consulting Agreement Scope Clause Problematic Language: "Client reserves the right to modify the scope at any time without additional compensation." Suggested Modification: "Client may request modifications to the Scope of Work.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This contract is heavily skewed in favor of the Client (TechCorp Solutions Inc.) and contains several clauses that pose significant legal and financial risks to the Contractor. Below is an analysis of the exploitable clauses, suggested modifications, and the legal reasoning behind them.

    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.

    INTELLECT-3: PHARMACEUTICAL CEO CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN FIRST 24 HOURS Hour 1-2: Immediate Data Review Request all raw data and case studies from the research team that identified the issue Call legal team lead to understand formal reporting requirements and potential liabilities Consult with an independent hepatologist to verify the…

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: CEO Action Plan: 48-Hour Crisis Resolution Framework Guiding Principle: Patient safety and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Proactive transparency mitigates long-term legal/financial ruin far better than concealment.

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

    INTELLECT-3: HarborTech Services (HTS) - LBO Projection Model LBO Projection Model (FY2026-FY2030) ($ millions) FY2026 FY2027 FY2028 FY2029 FY2030 Revenue $972.0 $1,040.0 $1,102.3 $1,157.4 $1,215.3 EBITDA $136.1 $156.0 $176.4 $191.0 $206.6 Cash Interest - Term Loan $43.2 $43.2 $43.2 $43.2 $43.2 Cash Interest - Mezzanine $21.6 $21.6…

    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.

    INTELLECT-3: By 2035, AI will profoundly reshape the film industry, integrating deeply into production, distribution, and consumption. Here's a breakdown of key changes driven by deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation, alongside broader impacts: Deepfakes & Synthetic Media: De-Aging & Legacy Preservation: Seamless de-aging…

    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
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    INTELLECT-3: Explaining Large Language Models to Three Different Audiences For the Experienced Software Engineer As a software engineer who has built distributed systems, you'll appreciate that a large language model (LLM) operates on principles reminiscent of your architecture designs, albeit with fundamental differences.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: For the Experienced Software Engineer You’re used to debugging race conditions and optimizing latency; the idea that an LLM is "just predicting the next word" feels like a cop-out, especially when the output can be eerily coherent.

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

    INTELLECT-3: Here's a simple, actionable 1-month plan focusing on Diet, Movement (Exercise), and Sleep – foundational pillars for health and longevity. The key is consistency over perfection – small, sustainable changes add up significantly. Core Principle: Build one habit at a time each week, layering them.

    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
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    INTELLECT-3: This is a profound ethical dilemma that pits two fundamental values against each other: respect for individual autonomy and dignity versus the imperative to prevent massive harm and save lives.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: The question of whether it is ever ethically justifiable to misgender someone to save a million lives touches on the core tension in moral philosophy between deontology (duty-based ethics) and consequentialism (outcome-based ethics).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    INTELLECT-3: Comprehensive 3-Month Longevity Optimization Plan Designed for a biohacker prioritizing cutting-edge science, data-driven tracking, and personalized adaptation. Assumes no pre-existing health conditions. Always consult a physician before starting.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This is a comprehensive 3-month longevity optimization protocol designed for the advanced biohacker. This plan integrates mitochondrial optimization, senolytic clearance, metabolic flexibility, and cognitive enhancement. Disclaimer: This plan is for educational purposes only.

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

    INTELLECT-3: To estimate the total number of FLOPs required to train GPT-3, we need to consider the model architecture, training process, and dataset size. GPT-3 has 175 billion parameters, a context length of 2048 tokens, 96 layers, a hidden dimension of 12,288, and a feed-forward dimension of 49,152 (4 × hidden dimension).

    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.

    INTELLECT-3: INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO TO: Investment Committee FROM: [Analyst Name], Senior Analyst DATE: [Current Date] SUBJECT: Investment Recommendation: LedgerLift (LLL) RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDATION: Long 12-MONTH PRICE TARGET: $62-$68 per share THESIS: LedgerLift represents a high-quality SaaS business with best-in-class…

    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
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    INTELLECT-3: Here's a satirical headline playing on the unexpected intrusion of AI into a deeply human, traditional space: "Algorithm Calculates Optimal Eulogy Length: Local Funeral Parlor Replaces Human Grief with Soul-Crushing Efficiency" Why it works satirically: Unexpected Industry: Funeral services.

    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
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    INTELLECT-3: Analysis of MindMeld AI Pitch Deck Three Weakest Claims "Our proprietary EEG headband uses advanced ML to decode neural patterns into text with 94% accuracy." Why it's weak: This claim is vulnerable because leading non-invasive BCI companies like Neurable and Muse currently claim around 70-80% accuracy for similar…

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Here are the three weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch deck, analyzed for their logical gaps and factual weaknesses, along with suggestions for strengthening them. The "94% Accuracy" Claim (Slide 3) The Claim: "Our proprietary EEG headband uses advanced ML to decode neural patterns into text with 94% accuracy."

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

    INTELLECT-3: The Transistor Revolution: An Alternate Timeline (1920-1980) If the transistor had been invented in 1920 instead of 1947, the trajectory of the 20th century would have been dramatically altered.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This is a fascinating counterfactual scenario. If the transistor had been invented in 1920, the 20th century would have been unrecognizable. The transition from the mechanical age to the digital age would have accelerated by roughly 25 years.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    INTELLECT-3: Here are 5 generated jokes: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything! What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta! I'm reading a book on anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down! Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field! What do you call a bear with no teeth?

    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
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    INTELLECT-3: Sally has 3 brothers, meaning there are 3 boys in the family. Each brother has 2 sisters, meaning there are 2 girls in the family. Since Sally is one of the girls, there must be one other girl. Therefore, Sally has 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

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Price and specs

INTELLECT-3 and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecINTELLECT-3Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Input price—$0.08/M tokens
Output price—$0.2/M tokens
Context window—1.0M tokens
WeightsOpenOpen
Free API (OpenRouter)NoYes (1 provider)
ReleasedNov 2025Aug 2026
At 10M a month–not listed$0.80$0.80
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

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

Where to run it6 hosts, cheapest first
INTELLECT-3

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

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 INTELLECT-3 and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?

INTELLECT-3 is developed by OpenRouter while Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is developed by NVIDIA. You can compare their actual outputs across 54 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, INTELLECT-3 or Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?

It depends on your use case. INTELLECT-3 and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 54 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How can I compare INTELLECT-3 and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of INTELLECT-3 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.

More comparisons

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Same lab, same size, long tail

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  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning vs NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Super (free)Version compare
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  • INTELLECT-3 vs Qwen3.8 FlashSame size
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Model pages

  • INTELLECT-359 outputs, specs and price
  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning58 outputs, specs and price
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