gpt-oss-120b vs MiniMax M3
Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)
gpt-oss-120b (OpenAI) and MiniMax M3 (MiniMax), 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
 gpt-oss-120b |  MiniMax M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | MiniMax |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥16 | ¥53.61 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥79 | ¥214.44 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥56 | ¥161 |
| Context window | 131,072 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 8/5/2025 | 5/31/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | text, image, video |
| Arena · overall | #186 · ELO 1,352 | #68 · ELO 1,444 |
| Arena · Japanese | #123 · ELO 1,320 | #49 · ELO 1,414 |
| Arena · coding | #190 · ELO 1,390 | #59 · ELO 1,498 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, gpt-oss-120b: ¥79 per 1M output tokens, 63% less than MiniMax M3.
- On the Overall arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#68; gpt-oss-120b is #186).
- On the Japanese arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#49; gpt-oss-120b is #123).
- On the Coding arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#59; gpt-oss-120b is #190).
- For long documents, MiniMax M3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 131,072 for gpt-oss-120b.
- 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.
gpt-oss-120b
**Step‑by‑step count of the letter “r” in the word “strawberry”**
1. Write out the word with each letter in order, labeling its position:
| Position | Letter |
|----------|--------|
| 1 | s |
| 2 | t |
| 3 | **r** |
| 4 | a |
| 5 | w |
| 6 | b |
| 7 | e |
| 8 | **r** |
| 9 | **r** |
|10 | y |
2. Scan the list and mark every occurrence of the letter **r**.
- Position 3 → r (first occurrence)
- Position 8 → r (second occurrence)
- Position 9 → r (third occurrence)
3. Count the marked entries: there are **3** marked positions.
**Result:** The word “strawberry” contains **3** occurrences of the letter **r**…
1.7s332 output tokens
MiniMax M3
# Counting 'r's in "strawberry"
Let me go through the word letter by letter:
**s** - t - **r** - a - w - b - e - **r** - **r** - y
| Position | Letter | Is it 'r'? |
|----------|--------|------------|
| 1 | s | No |
| 2 | t | No |
| 3 | **r** | ✓ (1st) |
| 4 | a | No |
| 5 | w | No |
| 6 | b | No |
| 7 | e | No |
| 8 | **r** | ✓ (2nd) |
| 9 | **r** | ✓ (3rd) |
| 10 | y | No |
## Answer: **3**
The word "strawberry" contains **three 'r's** — one at position 3, and two consecutive 'r's at positions 8 and 9.
25.6s455 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…
gpt-oss-120b
### Why the `map` can’t be called
`Array.prototype.map` is a method that exists only on **arrays** (or array‑like objects).
When you see
```
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')
at UserList (...)
```
it means that the variable you think is an array – `users` in this case – is actually **`undefined`** (or `null`).
React is trying to evaluate this line:
```jsx
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
```
and it crashes because you can’t read `.map` from `undefined`.
---
## Common reasons `users` ends up undefined
| Reason | Typical scenario | How it shows up |
|--------|------------------|-----------------|
| **Prop not passed** | `<Use…
7.3s1610 output tokens
MiniMax M3
# Error Analysis
The error `Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` tells you that **`users` is `undefined`** when your component runs. JavaScript can't call `.map()` on `undefined`, so it throws this error.
The component itself is fine syntactically — the problem is that the `users` prop isn't being passed, or hasn't loaded yet.
## Common Causes
**1. The prop isn't passed at all:**
```jsx
<UserList /> // No users prop → users is undefined
```
**2. Data is still loading (async fetch):**
```jsx
const [users, setUsers] = useState(); // undefined initially
```
**3. API returns undefined:**
```jsx
const { data } = await fetch('/api/users').then(r => r.json());
setUsers(data);…
32.8s710 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):…
gpt-oss-120b
Below is a **step‑by‑step review** of the original `get_data` implementation followed by a **refactored version** that addresses readability, performance, and modern Python best‑practice concerns.
---
## 1. What the original function does
```python
def get_data(url, retries=3):
import requests
import time
for i in range(retries):
try:
r = requests.get(url, timeout=10)
if r.status_code == 200:
data = r.json()
result = []
for item in data:
if item["active"] == True:
result.append({"name": item["name"], "id": item["id"]})
return result…
14.4s3132 output tokens
MiniMax M3
## Code Review
This function works for the happy path, but it has several issues around error handling, retries, and readability. Here's a breakdown.
### 🐛 Bugs & Correctness Issues
| # | Issue | Why It Matters |
|---|-------|----------------|
| 1 | `except:` with no exception type | Swallows `KeyboardInterrupt`, `SystemExit`, and *everything else* (typos, `MemoryError`). You lose visibility into real failures. |
| 2 | Retries on every non‑200, including `4xx` | A `404` or `401` will never succeed by retrying — it just wastes time and rate-limit budget. |
| 3 | `if item["active"] == True` | Both linters (PEP 8 E712) and Python idiom prefer `if item["active"]:`. |
| 4 | `item["active"]` (…
33.4s3977 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, gpt-oss-120b or MiniMax M3?
- Per 1M output tokens, gpt-oss-120b is ¥79 and MiniMax M3 is ¥214.44 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so gpt-oss-120b is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of gpt-oss-120b and MiniMax M3 compare?
- gpt-oss-120b takes 131,072 tokens; MiniMax M3 takes 1,048,576.
- Which ranks higher, gpt-oss-120b or MiniMax M3?
- MiniMax M3 ranks higher on the public arena (gpt-oss-120b #123, MiniMax M3 #49). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use gpt-oss-120b and MiniMax M3 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "gpt-oss-120b" or "minimax-m3" 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 gpt-oss-120b and MiniMax M3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.