NVIDIA vs 
OpenAI
Verdict
- OpenAI's flagship leads: GPT-6 Astra at 70.4 vs Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B at 55.7.
- OpenAI has the better model in 4 of 4 price bands.
- NVIDIA's fastest ranked model (Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, 288 tok/s) beats OpenAI's (GPT-5.4 Mini, 255 tok/s).
- NVIDIA publishes more open-weights models (20 vs 3).
- OpenAI ships more often: one model every 22 days against every 36.
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | NVIDIA | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | Nemotron 3 Super 120B A12B thinking 50.6$0.450/M | GPT-6 Luna max 60.0$0.200/M |
| Under $2/M | Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B thinking 55.7$1.13/M | GPT-6 Luna max 60.0$0.200/M |
| Under $10/M | Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B thinking 55.7$1.13/M | GPT-6.1 Sol max 69.9$4.00/M |
| Any price | Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B thinking 55.7$1.13/M | GPT-6 Astra max 70.4$20.00/M |
Line-up
| Metric | NVIDIA | OpenAI |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 55.7 | 70.4 |
| Ranked models | 16 | 44 |
| Open-weights models | 20 | 3 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.070 | $0.093 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 288 | 255 |
| Release cadence, days | 36 | 22 |
| Last release | 23 Oct 2026 | 29 Sept 2026 |
| Next expected | 13 Nov 2026 – 12 Dec 2026 | 12 Oct 2026 – 29 Oct 2026 |