FastMetal

Model comparison

Beam 1.0 501B A23B vs GPT-6 Sol

Pricing, context window and real answers (October 2026)

Beam 1.0 501B A23B (Reflection AI) and GPT-6 Sol (OpenAI), compared as you can actually call them on FastMetal. Both are served from the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint and API key; switching is a change to the model string.

Specs and pricing

Beam 1.0 501B A23Bopenai logoGPT-6 Sol
ProviderReflection AIOpenAI
Input (per 1M tokens)$0.422$2.11
Output (per 1M tokens)$1.27$10.55
Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls)$1.06$7.39
Context window1,048,576 tokens1,050,000 tokens
Release date10/16/20269/22/2026
Input modalitiestextfile, image, text
Throughput (p50)—130 tokens/s (n=22)
Arena · overallUnranked#61 · ELO 1,459
Arena · JapaneseUnranked#35 · ELO 1,448
Arena · codingUnranked#39 · ELO 1,518

Prices are FastMetal's rates, before tax.

Rankings: LMArena leaderboard dataset (lmarena-ai/leaderboard-dataset), CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-10-15; category names mapped and ratings rounded by FastMetal.

Which should you pick?

  • On price, Beam 1.0 501B A23B: $1.27 per 1M output tokens, 88% less than GPT-6 Sol.
  • For long documents, GPT-6 Sol: a 1,050,000-token context window against 1,048,576 for Beam 1.0 501B A23B.
  • If in doubt, try both on the same key. Switching is a change to the model string, and each is billed at its own rate.

Real answers to the same prompts

Exactly what the FastMetal gateway returned, side by side. Not benchmark scores: actual output.

Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'

Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'. Explain your reasoning step by step.

Beam 1.0 501B A23B

The word “strawberry” is spelled: s - t - r - a - w - b - e - r - r - y The letter “r” appears in these positions: - s**r**awberry (1st r) - strawbe**r**ry (2nd r) - strawber**r**y (3rd r) Therefore, there are **3** r's in “strawberry.”
7.6s278 output tokens

GPT-6 Sol

“Strawberry” is spelled **s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-y**. There’s one **r** near the beginning and two near the end, for a total of **3**.
2.7s76 output tokens

Debug This Error

I'm getting the following error in my Node.js application: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at UserList (/app/components/UserList.js:12:25) at renderWithHooks (/app/node_modules/rea…

Beam 1.0 501B A23B

The error means `users` is `undefined` when `UserList` renders, so calling `.map` on `undefined` throws. ### Common causes 1. Parent renders `<UserList />` without a `users` prop. 2. Parent passes `users={data}` where `data` is still `undefined` (e.g., fetch not resolved). 3. Destructured prop name mismatch. ### Fixes **1. Default the prop** ```js function UserList({ users = [] }) { return ( <ul> {users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)} </ul> ); } ``` **2. Guard in JSX** ```js {Array.isArray(users) && users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)} ``` **3. Optional chaining** ```js {users?.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)} ``` Note…
12.8s414 output tokens

GPT-6 Sol

`users` is `undefined` when `UserList` renders, so calling `users.map(...)` throws the error. The component needs an array, but its parent may not be passing `users`, or the data may not have loaded yet. You can default it to an empty array: ```jsx function UserList({ users = [] }) { return ( <ul> {users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)} </ul> ); } ``` Also check the parent component to make sure it passes an array: ```jsx <UserList users={users} /> ``` If `users` comes from an API, initialize its state as `[]` or show a loading state until the data arrives.
2.2s161 output tokens

Code Review

Please review the following Python function and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: def get_data(url, retries=3): import requests import time for i in range(retries):…

Beam 1.0 501B A23B

Here are some key issues and improvements: ### Main issues in the original - **Imports inside the function** run on every call and hurt readability. - **Bare `except:`** catches `KeyboardInterrupt`, `SystemExit`, and programming errors. - **Retries every non-200 response**, including `404`/`400`, which usually should not be retried. - **`item["active"] == True`** can raise `KeyError` and is stricter than necessary unless you truly need exact boolean equality. - **Fixed sleep and unnecessary final sleep** before returning. - **Repeated `item["name"]` / `item["id"]`** lookups are slightly slower and less clean than a comprehension. - No handling/validation for malformed JSON or non-list respo…
16.8s1927 output tokens

GPT-6 Sol

The main issues are the bare `except`, which hides errors such as malformed JSON, and retrying every non-200 response, including client errors that usually won’t improve with another attempt. The function also sleeps after its final attempt. ```python import time import requests def get_data(url, retries=3): if retries < 1: raise ValueError("retries must be at least 1") for attempt in range(retries): try: response = requests.get(url, timeout=10) except requests.RequestException: if attempt == retries - 1: raise else: # Retry rate limits and server errors, but not other client errors.…
10.3s814 output tokens

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Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Beam 1.0 501B A23B or GPT-6 Sol?
Per 1M output tokens, Beam 1.0 501B A23B is $1.27 and GPT-6 Sol is $10.55 on FastMetal (US dollars, before tax), so Beam 1.0 501B A23B is cheaper.
How do the context windows of Beam 1.0 501B A23B and GPT-6 Sol compare?
Beam 1.0 501B A23B takes 1,048,576 tokens; GPT-6 Sol takes 1,050,000.
Can I use Beam 1.0 501B A23B and GPT-6 Sol with the same API key?
Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "beam-1.0" or "gpt-6-sol" as the model. Each is billed at its own rate from the same prepaid balance.

Try both on one API key

Create an account and add credit to call Beam 1.0 501B A23B and GPT-6 Sol from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.

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