Model comparison
GPT-4o vs GPT-5.2
Head-to-head evidence from 13 shared benchmark results across 7 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
Public leaderboard positions: GPT-4o #165 (Supported); GPT-5.2 #64 (Estimated). Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.
Evidence parity. GPT-4o and GPT-5.2 share 13 comparable benchmark results. 1 of 8 categories are comparable. 0 results are unique to GPT-4o; 15 to GPT-5.2.
Updated July 20, 2026- Shared results
- 13
- GPT-4o only
- 0
- GPT-5.2 only
- 15
- Comparable categories
- 1 / 8
Pick GPT-5.2 if you want the stronger benchmark profile. GPT-4o only becomes the better choice if you want the cheaper token bill or you would rather avoid the extra latency and token burn of a reasoning model.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 13 shared benchmark results across 7 evidence categories; 1 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
GPT-5.2 is clearly ahead on the BenchAlign aggregate, 58.43 to 41.49. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.
GPT-5.2's sharpest advantage is in mathematics, where it averages 35.2 against 0.3. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3), 0.345% to 40.700%.
GPT-5.2 is also the more expensive model on tokens at $1.75 input / $14.00 output per 1M tokens, versus $2.50 input / $10.00 output per 1M tokens for GPT-4o. GPT-5.2 is the reasoning model in the pair, while GPT-4o is not. That usually helps on harder chain-of-thought-heavy tests, but it can also mean more latency and more token spend in real use. GPT-5.2 gives you the larger context window at 400K, compared with 128K for GPT-4o.
Category breakdown
Exact category averages are shown below. Not measured means BenchLM does not have enough sourced public coverage for that model and category.
| Category | GPT-4o | Δ | GPT-5.2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | GPT-4o0.3 | Margin→ 34.9 | GPT-5.235.2 |
| Agentic | GPT-4oNot measured | MarginNo overlap | GPT-5.255.7 |
| Coding | GPT-4oNot measured | MarginNo overlap | GPT-5.270.6 |
| Reasoning | GPT-4oNot measured | MarginNo overlap | GPT-5.252.9 |
| Knowledge | GPT-4oNot measured | MarginNo overlap | GPT-5.292.4 |
| Multimodal | GPT-4oNot measured | MarginNo overlap | GPT-5.280.4 |
Decisive benchmark drivers
The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.
More
- Source ↗
FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3)
MathA 0.345%B 40.700%Winner: GPT-5.2Δ 40.4FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3): GPT-4o scored 0.345%; GPT-5.2 scored 40.700%. GPT-5.2 wins this benchmark.
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | GPT-4o | GPT-5.2 | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | GPT-4o$2.5 input / $10 output | GPT-5.2$1.75 input / $14 output | GPT-4o has the lower combined listed price. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | GPT-4o131 tok/s | GPT-5.273 tok/s | GPT-4o has the higher measured throughput. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | GPT-4o0.81 s | GPT-5.2130.34 s | GPT-4o reaches the first token sooner. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | GPT-4o128K | GPT-5.2400K | GPT-5.2 lists the larger context window. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
Agentic5 benchmarks
Coding4 benchmarks
Reasoning3 benchmarks
Knowledge7 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4o | GPT-5.2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexSource | 11.2% | 42.2% | GPT-5.2 leads |
| AA-GPQA DiamondSource | 54.3% | 90.3% | GPT-5.2 leads |
| AA-HLESource | 3.3% | 35.4% | GPT-5.2 leads |
| AA-Omniscience IndexSource | -10.7% | -1.0% | GPT-5.2 leads |
| AA-Omniscience AccuracySource | 19.7% | 43.8% | GPT-5.2 leads |
| AA-Omniscience Hallucination RateSource | 37.9% | 79.7% | GPT-4o leads |
| GPQASource | — | 92.4% | Not comparable |
MathGPT-5.2 wins3 benchmarks
Multimodal5 benchmarks
Inst. Following1 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4o | GPT-5.2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA-IFBenchSource | 34.3% | 75.4% | GPT-5.2 leads |
Frequently Asked Questions (2)
Which is better, GPT-4o or GPT-5.2?
GPT-5.2 is ahead on BenchLM's BenchAlign leaderboard, 58.43 to 41.49. The biggest single separator in this matchup is FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3), where the scores are 0.345% and 40.700%.
Which is better for math, GPT-4o or GPT-5.2?
GPT-5.2 has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 35.2 versus 0.3. Inside this category, FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3) is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
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