Grok 4.20 vs Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
Grok 4.20 (2026) and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and NVIDIA AI. Grok 4.20 ships a 2M-token context window, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ships a 1M-token context window. On pricing, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B costs $0.09/1M input tokens versus $1.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is ~1289% cheaper at $0.09/1M; pay for Grok 4.20 only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 4.20 | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | RAG, Long context, and Classification |
| Context window | 2M | 1M |
| Cheapest output | $2.5/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok 4.20 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Grok 4.20 uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Grok 4.20 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- 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 RAG, Long context, and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Grok 4.20
$1,625
Cheapest tracked route: xAI Console
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
$185
Cheapest tracked route: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $1,441. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is $2.05/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok 4.20 is $2.05/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Grok 4.20 adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-01-01 | 2026-03-11 |
| Context window | 2M | 1M |
| Parameters | — | 120B |
| Architecture | - | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Unknown |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 4.20 | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/1M tokens | $0.09/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.5/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4.20 | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: Grok 4.20, function calling: Grok 4.20, and tool use: Grok 4.20. 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, Grok 4.20 lists $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M output tokens, 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 $1.43 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 4.20 when reasoning depth and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Grok 4.20 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Grok 4.20 supports 2M tokens, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B 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, Grok 4.20 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 4.20 costs $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M 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 Grok 4.20 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B open source?
Grok 4.20 is listed under Proprietary. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is listed under Unknown. 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 reasoning mode, Grok 4.20 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Grok 4.20 has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for function calling, Grok 4.20 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Grok 4.20 has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Grok 4.20 and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Grok 4.20 is available on xAI Console and OpenRouter. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is available on DeepInfra, NVIDIA NIM, and OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-14. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.