OpenAI o3 Mini vs DeepSeek R1

OpenAI o3 Mini makes a grand debut, directly challenging DeepSeek R1! An in-depth evaluation of the two major AI models reveals who is truly the performance champion.

Shortly after DeepSeek became a sensation, OpenAI eagerly launched a new AI model with enhanced reasoning capabilities—o3 Mini. This brand-new large language model demonstrates impressive performance in fields such as mathematics, coding, and science, breaking through the limits of the previous o1 model with faster response times. Even more exciting is that even free users can experience this revolutionary technology firsthand. Next, let us delve into the performance, test data, and the showdown results between OpenAI o3 Mini and DeepSeek R1 to determine who is truly the AI champion.

What is ChatGPT o3 Mini?

ChatGPT o3 Mini is Open AI’s latest smart model, designed to provide more efficient and precise reasoning and computational capabilities. This model not only excels in specialized fields such as mathematics, science, and coding, but has also been enhanced for “Chain of Thought” reasoning, allowing the AI to think more deeply and provide more insightful answers. Compared to the older 01 series, ChatGPT o3 Mini shows significant improvements in both performance and speed, making it an option that neither free nor paid users should miss.

On January 31, OpenAI released to the public the most cost-effective model in its reasoning model series, the o3-mini. The reasoning model series previously included OpenAI o1 and “OpenAI o1-mini”. According to the company, o3-mini, like the previous models, is particularly strong in mathematics, science, and coding.

When choosing o3-mini, it uses a moderate level of reasoning and strikes a good balance between speed and accuracy. Although the original o1 surpasses o3-mini in terms of breadth of knowledge, o3-mini’s main advantage is that its speed and performance exceed those of o1-mini.

According to an article by OpenAI, when expert testers compared the performance of o3-mini and o1-mini, o3-mini’s answers were more accurate, with reasoning that was more precise and clearer. In 56% of cases, o3-mini’s answers were the preferred choice, and its major errors were reduced by 39%.

Registered users of OpenAI’s paid plans, such as ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT Team, and ChatGPT Pro, have been able to use o3-mini since January 31. While the rate limit for o1-mini for Plus and Team is 50 messages per day, the rate limit for o3-mini has increased to 150 messages per day, three times more than o1-mini.

The New 03 Mini: Small Stature, Great Intelligence

At the end of January 2023, Open AI released the 03 mini series, an evolved version of the 01 series that first appeared in December of last year. The 03 mini uses a smaller parameter configuration, reducing the demand for computational resources, yet it performs exceptionally well in “Chain of Thought” reasoning. Whether in science, mathematics, or coding, the 03 mini can provide high-quality answers at a lower cost. This model is not only widely used in ChatGPT but is also available via API to developers, enabling more innovative applications.

Even more impressive, the 03 mini series has performed exceptionally well in various benchmark tests. From mathematical competition problems to PhD-level scientific questions, the performance of the 03 mini is close to or even surpasses that of the original 01 model, demonstrating significant progress in AI technology’s “Chain of Thought” reasoning. These achievements prove that in terms of specialized knowledge and rapid data processing, AI is no longer limited by the size of the model, truly achieving “small model, big intelligence”.

Model Naming and Version Differences

In Open AI’s product line, different versions of AI models have their own characteristics. Common ones include:

• 01 Model: The traditional reasoning model that was once the mainstay of ChatGPT, but now appears slightly inadequate in the face of next-generation technology.
• 01 Pro: A professional version available only under high-priced plans, with powerful performance but slower speed.
• o3 Mini Low / Medium / High: Divided into three settings—low, medium, and high—according to the depth of reasoning of the model. According to the latest announcement, free users can only use o3 Mini Medium, while paid users can opt for the best-performing o3 Mini High.
• Deep Seek R1: Another competitive model in the market, but in many benchmark tests, its performance and speed do not measure up to ChatGPT o3 Mini.

Based on benchmark data and actual test results, ChatGPT o3 Mini High achieved the highest scores in all tests, and its speed far surpasses that of Deep Seek R1, making it the most recommended model.

Usage Scenarios and Budget Considerations

Depending on users’ needs and budgets, choosing the appropriate model is crucial. Here are recommendations for different budget levels:

Recommendation for Free Users

• Best Choice: ChatGPT o3 Mini Medium ?Free users can directly use o3 Mini Medium in ChatGPT. Although it shows slight differences compared to Deep Seek R1 in some benchmark tests, it performs steadily and swiftly in most tasks in science, mathematics, and coding. For users who do not wish to spend any money, o3 Mini Medium is undoubtedly the smartest and most cost-effective choice.

Recommendation for Paid Users

• Best Choice: ChatGPT o3 Mini High ?If you don’t mind the additional expense, or if you wish to challenge the strongest performance under extreme conditions, choosing the paid version of o3 Mini High is a wise decision. This model outperforms the older 01 and Deep Seek R1 in all benchmark tests; whether it is mathematical competitions, scientific reasoning, or software engineering tasks, it can complete tasks quickly and accurately. Moreover, speed test results indicate that the response time of o3 Mini High is much shorter than that of 01 Pro and Deep Seek R1, greatly enhancing work efficiency.

Paid Users on a Limited Budget

• Cost-Effectiveness Consideration: ChatGPT o3 Mini High Remains the Top Choice ?According to the latest data, even with a $20 paid plan, the performance achieved using o3 Mini High still surpasses other competing products. In terms of benchmark scores and speed, this model not only meets professional needs but also offers cost-effectiveness, making it an ideal choice for many small to medium-sized enterprises and individual professional users.

The Newly Upgraded o3 Mini: A Win-Win in Performance and Cost-Effectiveness

On January 31, OpenAI officially released the o3 Mini model, and it was fully launched on ChatGPT and the API platform. Compared to the previous o1 model, o3 Mini has been specifically optimized for deep reasoning, demonstrating higher accuracy and efficiency in solving complex mathematical problems, scientific deductions, and coding tasks. According to official data and various benchmark tests, it shows that:

• Mathematical Competition Performance: In the AIME2024 math competition, the highest version of o3 Mini scored 87.3 points, an increase of nearly 4 percentage points over the previous strongest o1 model; even the medium version scored nearly 80 points, far surpassing the performance of the old o1 Mini.
• Science and PhD-Level Challenges: The highest version of o3 Mini scored 79.7 points on PhD-level science questions, about 1.4 points higher than the o1 model, demonstrating excellent capability in high-difficulty reasoning.
• Coding and Software Engineering: In the Codeforces competition, the highest score of o3 Mini reached 2130 points, compared to 1891 points for the o1 model, an increase of nearly 300 points; verification tests in software engineering also indicate that o3 Mini clearly outperforms its predecessors in both code accuracy and execution speed.
• General Knowledge and Human Preference: In tests for natural language processing and generative dialogue, the medium version of o3 Mini scored close to 60 points, a significant improvement over the approximately 50 points of o1 Mini; in tests, subjects preferred o3 Mini’s answers 56% of the time, believing that it had a lower error rate when reasoning through complex problems.
• Significantly Improved Response Speed: Data shows that the time to generate the first token of the o3 Mini model is approximately 2500 milliseconds faster than that of o1 Mini, further reducing waiting times and enhancing the user experience.

Overall, with its powerful reasoning capabilities and high cost-effectiveness, OpenAI o3 Mini has demonstrated unparalleled advantages in various fields including mathematics, science, and coding.

Free Usage and Practical Application Demonstration

Thanks to technological breakthroughs driven by competition, even free users can experience the powerful features of OpenAI o3 Mini. Simply visit the OpenAI website and click the “Reasoning” button to activate this deep reasoning function. Whether you are a student, developer, or technology enthusiast, you can directly use this top model through ChatGPT. In practical applications, users can even ask o3 Mini to quickly generate a simple Snake game using the Python language, demonstrating extremely high standards in both code accuracy and execution speed.

OpenAI o3 mini vs DeepSeek R1: A Comparative Look at Their Strengths

To gain a more intuitive understanding of the actual performance of o3 Mini, a series of comparative tests with logical reasoning questions were conducted, pitting OpenAI o3 Mini against DeepSeek R1. The following are the comparative results for several typical questions:

1. Watermelon Cutting Problem ?Question: Using a fruit knife, make nine even cuts; what is the maximum (or minimum) number of pieces you can divide a large watermelon into? ?Result: Both answered correctly, but o3 Mini responded more quickly, demonstrating its excellent calculation and reasoning speed.
2. Number Mapping Problem ?Question: If 1=5, 2=15, 3=215, 4=2145, then what is 5 equal to? ?Result: o3 Mini’s answer was 21435, but the actual correct answer should be 1; in contrast, DeepSeek R1, after a longer reasoning process, ultimately answered 1 correctly. DeepSeek R1 wins this round.
3. Horse and Stones Problem ?Question: A classic problem involving combinatorial reasoning. ?Result: o3 Mini quickly computed the correct answer (6 combinations), while DeepSeek R1 experienced a service interruption and was unable to operate normally for a while, eventually answering correctly only after discontinuing deep thinking. In this round, o3 Mini had the advantage in both stability and speed.
4. Birthday Reasoning Problem ?Question: Based on the hints, deduce Teacher Zhang’s birthday. Ten sets of date information are provided, with partial information given to two students. ?Result: Both quickly arrived at the correct answer—September 1—and each scored one point.
5. Pasture Grass Growth Problem ?Question: If 27 cows can eat all the grass in a pasture in 7 days and 23 cows can do so in 9 days, how many days would 27 cows take to eat all the grass (considering continuous grass growth)? ?Result: After several attempts, both o3 Mini and DeepSeek R1 provided the correct answer—12 days.

Overall, considering these rounds of logical reasoning showdowns, the total scores of the two are almost equal, with each having its own strengths and weaknesses. However, it is worth noting that in terms of response speed, code generation, and overall stability, OpenAI o3 Mini performs better; whereas in some specific logic trap problems, DeepSeek R1’s deep reasoning capabilities have shown their unique merits.

Additionally, in image recognition applications, o3 Mini also demonstrates more powerful capabilities; for example, when handling image uploads and recognition, it can quickly determine the characteristics of the image, whereas DeepSeek R1, due to technical limitations, fails to reach the same standard.

• OpenAI o1 Meets Rival DeepSeek-R1: A New Battleground for AI Technology!
• DeepSeek Model Analysis: The Rise of a New Force in the AI World

Conclusion

In summary, ChatGPT o3 Mini is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding and intelligent AI models on the market today. Whether you are an ordinary user who wants to use the latest technology for free or a professional paid user seeking ultimate performance, choosing the appropriate o3 Mini version based on benchmark data and test results will meet your needs. Especially o3 Mini High, with its excellent reasoning ability and ultra-fast response speed, it has become the best tool for boosting work efficiency and creativity.

The launch of OpenAI o3 Mini has undoubtedly injected new momentum into the development of large language models. This model’s excellent performance in deep reasoning, coding, and natural language processing not only surpasses the previous o1 model but also demonstrates strong competitiveness in head-to-head tests against DeepSeek R1. Although both models have their strengths, for users who seek efficiency, accuracy, and quick responses, o3 Mini has become one of the most worthwhile AI tools to choose.

In this technological race, OpenAI o3 Mini not only proves its dual advantages in cost-effectiveness and performance, but also gives a wide range of users the opportunity to enjoy top-tier AI computing power for free. In the future, as large language models continue to evolve, we have reason to believe that this intense technological competition will bring more innovation and breakthroughs to various industries, truly changing our digital lives.

FAQ

1. What is OpenAI o3 Mini?

OpenAI o3 Mini is the latest AI model released by OpenAI, focusing on providing efficient and precise reasoning capabilities. It performs exceptionally well in fields such as mathematics, science, and coding, and has been enhanced for “Chain of Thought” reasoning, enabling the model to solve complex problems more thoroughly.

1. How do ChatGPT o3 Mini and DeepSeek R1 compare?

Based on benchmark tests and actual results, ChatGPT o3 Mini leads DeepSeek R1 in terms of response speed, coding, and stability; however, DeepSeek R1 has demonstrated its deep reasoning expertise in a few logic trap problems.

1. What different versions does ChatGPT o3 Mini have?

ChatGPT o3 Mini is available in three reasoning depth versions: Low, Medium, and High. Free users can use the Medium version, while paid users can choose the highest performing High version to achieve excellent accuracy and speed.

1. What is the greatest advantage of ChatGPT o3 Mini?

The greatest advantage of ChatGPT o3 Mini is its extremely high reasoning efficiency, rapid response speed, and accuracy. Especially the High version, which outperforms most competitors in tests involving math competitions, PhD-level science questions, and computational tasks.

1. Can free users use the latest o3 Mini technology?

Yes! OpenAI provides free users with access to the ChatGPT o3 Mini Medium version. In various benchmark tests, this version has shown stable and efficient performance, making it very practical for users who want to experience top-tier reasoning technology.