Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B vs Qwen3.6 Max Preview
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B (2026) and Qwen3.6 Max Preview (2026) are frontier reasoning models from NVIDIA AI and Alibaba. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ships a 1.05m-token context window, while Qwen3.6 Max Preview ships a 256k-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, Qwen3.6 Max Preview leads by 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 fits 4x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Qwen3.6 Max Preview for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | long-context analysis and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Classification | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 1.05m | 256k |
| Cheapest output | $0.45/1M tokens | $6.24/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 6 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 1 rows | Google-Proof Q&A leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- 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 RAG, Long context, and Classification.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview leads the largest shared benchmark signal on Google-Proof Q&A by 6 points.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.6 Max Preview for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
$185
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Qwen3.6 Max Preview
$2,392
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $2,208. 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.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview is $5.79/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is $5.79/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-11 | 2026-04-20 |
| Context window | 1.05m | 256k |
| Parameters | 120B | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | moe |
| License | NVIDIA Open Model | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.09/1M tokens |
|
| Output price | $0.45/1M tokens |
|
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 80.0 | 86.0 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B at 80 and Qwen3.6 Max Preview at 86, with Qwen3.6 Max Preview ahead by 6 points. The largest visible gap is 6 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: Qwen3.6 Max Preview, multimodal input: Qwen3.6 Max Preview, reasoning mode: Qwen3.6 Max Preview, function calling: Qwen3.6 Max Preview, and tool use: Qwen3.6 Max 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, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lists $0.09/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Qwen3.6 Max Preview lists tiered pricing: 0-128,000t is $1.30/1M input and $7.80/1M output; 128,000t+ is $2/1M input and $12/1M output. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lower by about $2.40 per million blended tokens. For tiered rows, this cheapest-track view can understate interactive or fast-lane spend, so compare the tier you will actually use. Availability is 6 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.6 Max Preview when reasoning depth 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, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or Qwen3.6 Max Preview?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B supports 1.05m tokens, while Qwen3.6 Max Preview supports 256k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or Qwen3.6 Max Preview?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lists $0.09/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. Qwen3.6 Max Preview lists tiered pricing: 0-128,000t is $1.30/1M input and $7.80/1M output; 128,000t+ is $2/1M input and $12/1M output. Compare the tier you will actually use; cheap async pricing can overstate savings for interactive workflows. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or Qwen3.6 Max Preview open source?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is listed under NVIDIA Open Model. Qwen3.6 Max Preview is listed under Apache 2.0. 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, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or Qwen3.6 Max Preview?
Qwen3.6 Max 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, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B or Qwen3.6 Max Preview?
Qwen3.6 Max 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 Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B and Qwen3.6 Max Preview?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is available on Cloudflare Workers AI, DeepInfra, NVIDIA NIM, OpenRouter, and Fireworks AI. Qwen3.6 Max Preview is available on OpenRouter, Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS, and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-01. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.