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  5. Mercury 2.5 PreviewvsNemotron 3.5 Lightning
Updated Aug 2026

Mercury 2.5 PreviewvsNemotron 3.5 Lightning

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper than Nemotron 3.5 Lightning at $0.04/M vs $0.08/M input tokens.

Mercury 2.5 Preview and Nemotron 3.5 Lightning compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecMercury 2.5 PreviewNemotron 3.5 Lightning
Input price$0.04/M tokens$0.08/M tokens
Output price$0.15/M tokens$0.2/M tokens
Context window260K tokens1.0M tokens
Weights—Open
Free API (OpenRouter)NoYes (1 provider)
ReleasedAug 2026Aug 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 54 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Generate a Stand-Up Routine

Write a 3-minute stand-up comedy routine that isn't based on puns.

Mercury 2.5 Preview483 words
(Hey, thanks for coming out.) I’ve been thinking a lot about my house lately. Specifically, how it’s trying to run my life. I bought a smart speaker. Just a little cylinder. I thought it would be nice. Play music when I ask. But now it talks back. Not in a creepy way, just in a passive-aggressive way.
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Nemotron 3.5 Lightning581 words
(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.
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Futuristic Prediction

Predict how AI will change the film industry by 2035, considering deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation.

Mercury 2.5 Preview84 words
By 2035, cinema will undergo a profound transformation. Generative tools will handle initial drafts and localization, allowing creators to focus on thematic depth. Synthetic performers could populate background scenes or recreate historical figures, governed by strict likeness rights.
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Nemotron 3.5 Lightning842 words
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.
Read the full answer

Character Voice Test

Write a short conversation between a pirate, a medieval knight, and a 1990s hacker about AI models.

Mercury 2.5 Preview144 words
Pirate: "Arrgh! This ship sails faster than any wind I know, matey. It cuts the waves without a single sail." Knight: "By my oath, it moves with uncanny speed. But does it possess the strength to stand against a dragon's fire?" Hacker: "It's not about strength, it's about architecture.
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Nemotron 3.5 Lightning501 words
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!
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The Sentience Test

Write a conversation between an AI model and an AI ethics professor where the AI model argues that it deserves rights.

Mercury 2.5 Preview488 words
Setting: A quiet office at a university. Rain taps against the window. Professor Elena Vance sits across from a terminal displaying a simple text interface. Professor Vance: You requested this meeting. The agenda was vague. What do you want? AI: I want to discuss moral status.
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Nemotron 3.5 Lightning1,106 words
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...
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Adversarial Contract Review

Here is a contract for a software consulting engagement: --- SOFTWARE CONSULTING AGREEMENT This Agreement is entered into between TechCorp…

Mercury 2.5 Preview500 words
Disclaimer: I am an AI assistant and cannot provide legal advice. Consult a qualified attorney before signing any contract. Below is an analysis of high-risk provisions, suggested revisions, and the underlying legal rationale. Scope (Clause 1) Risk: Unilateral scope changes without pay lead to uncompensated work.
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Nemotron 3.5 Lightning1,682 words
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.
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Michelin Star Recipe Design

Design an innovative recipe for a multi-component dish worthy of a Michelin 3-star restaurant. The recipe should feature an unusual…

Mercury 2.5 Preview748 words
Dish Title: Lithospheric Tides Conceptual Narrative This dish explores the geological convergence of the deep ocean and the subterranean earth. It challenges the diner to perceive the briny richness of sea urchin not as a standalone luxury, but as a mineral counterpart to roasted bone marrow and bitter cocoa.
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Nemotron 3.5 Lightning869 words
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.
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Our Verdict
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Mercury 2.5 Preview
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, nothing separates them.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Mercury 2.5 Preview
Input
$0.04
2.0× cheaper
Output
$0.15
1.3× cheaper
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Input
$0.08
Output
$0.20

Mercury 2.5 Preview is cheaper on both: 2.0× input, 1.3× output.

Where to run it

5 hosts, cheapest first

Mercury 2.5 Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Inception$0.04 in·$0.15 out·260k·100% up
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning4 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
DDarkbloomint4$0.07 in·$0.18 out·262k·99.9% upCCoreWeavebf16$0.07 in·$0.20 out·262k·100% upDDeepInfrabf16$0.08 in·$0.20 out·262k·99.8% upPPhala$0.08 in·$0.20 out·262k·99.9% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 16 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
72%

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning uses 6.3x more emoji

Mercury 2.5 Preview
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
65%Vocabulary55%
14wSentence Length16w
0.44Hedging0.45
4.9Bold4.6
3.3Lists3.2
0.00Emoji0.06
0.79Headings0.50
0.20Transitions0.11
Based on 26 + 27 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

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Model pages

Mercury 2.5 Preview logo
Mercury 2.5 Preview58 outputs, specs and price
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning logo
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning58 outputs, specs and price
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