Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview vs Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview (2026) and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B (2026) are general-purpose language models from Google DeepMind and NVIDIA AI. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview ships a 1m-token context window, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ships a 1.05m-token context window. On MMLU PRO, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B leads by 0.6 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is ~178% cheaper at $0.09/1M; pay for Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and long-context analysis | long-context analysis and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 1m | 1.05m |
| Cheapest output | $1.50/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 6 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 3 shared | MMLU PRO leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview holds a shared-benchmark lead on Google-Proof Q&A, ahead by 6.9 points.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 0.6 points.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.45/1M tokens.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview
$575
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Google AI Studio
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
$185
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $391. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is $1.05/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is $1.05/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview adds Vision, Multimodal, and Function calling in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-03 | 2026-03-11 |
| Context window | 1m | 1.05m |
| Parameters | — | 120B |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | NVIDIA Open Model |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.25/1M tokens | $0.09/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.50/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 83.0 | 83.6 |
| Google-Proof Q&A | 86.9 | 80.0 |
| LiveCodeBench | 72.0 | 78.4 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview at 83 and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B at 83.6, with Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ahead by 0.6 points; Google-Proof Q&A has Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview at 86.9 and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B at 80, with Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview ahead by 6.9 points; LiveCodeBench has Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview at 72 and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B at 78.4, with Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ahead by 6.4 points. The largest visible gap is 6.9 points on Google-Proof Q&A, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview, multimodal input: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview, function calling: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview, tool use: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview, and code execution: Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview. Both models share structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview lists $0.25/1M input and $1.50/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lists $0.09/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lower by about $0.43 per million blended tokens. Availability is 4 providers versus 6, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview when coding workflow support are central to the workload. Choose Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B supports 1.05m tokens, while Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview supports 1m tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview costs $0.25/1M input and $1.50/1M output tokens. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B costs $0.09/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B open source?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is listed under Proprietary. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is listed under NVIDIA Open Model. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite Preview is available on Google AI Studio, GCP Vertex AI, OpenRouter, and Vercel AI Gateway. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is available on Cloudflare Workers AI, DeepInfra, NVIDIA NIM, OpenRouter, and Fireworks AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.