Model comparison
MAI-Thinking-1 vs MiniCPM5-1B
Head-to-head evidence from 6 shared benchmark results across 3 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
Evidence parity. MAI-Thinking-1 and MiniCPM5-1B share 6 comparable benchmark results. 3 of 8 categories are comparable. 7 results are unique to MAI-Thinking-1; 8 to MiniCPM5-1B.
Updated July 23, 2026- Shared results
- 6
- MAI-Thinking-1 only
- 7
- MiniCPM5-1B only
- 8
- Comparable categories
- 3 / 8
Treat this as a split decision. MAI-Thinking-1 makes more sense if mathematics is the priority or you need the larger 256K context window; MiniCPM5-1B is the better fit if its strengths line up with your actual workload.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 6 shared benchmark results across 3 evidence categories; 3 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
MAI-Thinking-1 and MiniCPM5-1B finish on the same BenchAlign overall score, so this is less about a single winner and more about where the edge shows up. The BenchAlign headline says tie; the benchmark table is where the real choice happens.
MAI-Thinking-1 gives you the larger context window at 256K, compared with 131K for MiniCPM5-1B.
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 | MAI-Thinking-1 | Δ | MiniCPM5-1B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | MAI-Thinking-189.7 | Margin← 56.6 | MiniCPM5-1B33.1 |
| Knowledge | MAI-Thinking-172.5 | Margin← 28.5 | MiniCPM5-1B44.0 |
| Inst. Following | MAI-Thinking-185.0 | Margin← 26.5 | MiniCPM5-1B58.5 |
| Agentic | MAI-Thinking-146.0 | MarginNo overlap | MiniCPM5-1BNot measured |
| Coding | MAI-Thinking-165.5 | MarginNo overlap | MiniCPM5-1BNot measured |
Decisive benchmark drivers
The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.
More
- Source ↗
HMMT Feb 2026
MathA 84.9%B 25.8%Winner: MAI-Thinking-1Δ 59.1HMMT Feb 2026: MAI-Thinking-1 scored 84.9%; MiniCPM5-1B scored 25.8%. MAI-Thinking-1 wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
AIME26
MathA 94.5%B 40.4%Winner: MAI-Thinking-1Δ 54.1AIME26: MAI-Thinking-1 scored 94.5%; MiniCPM5-1B scored 40.4%. MAI-Thinking-1 wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
IFBench
Inst. FollowingA 85%B 46.7%Winner: MAI-Thinking-1Δ 38.3IFBench: MAI-Thinking-1 scored 85%; MiniCPM5-1B scored 46.7%. MAI-Thinking-1 wins this benchmark. - Source ↗
MMLU-Pro
KnowledgeA 85%B 48.9%Winner: MAI-Thinking-1Δ 36.2MMLU-Pro: MAI-Thinking-1 scored 85%; MiniCPM5-1B scored 48.9%. MAI-Thinking-1 wins this benchmark.
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | MAI-Thinking-1 | MiniCPM5-1B | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | MAI-Thinking-1Not available | MiniCPM5-1BNot available | A complete price comparison is not available. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | MAI-Thinking-1Not available | MiniCPM5-1BNot available | A complete speed comparison is not available. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | MAI-Thinking-1Not available | MiniCPM5-1BNot available | A complete latency comparison is not available. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | MAI-Thinking-1256K | MiniCPM5-1B131K | MAI-Thinking-1 lists the larger context window. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
Agentic2 benchmarks
Coding5 benchmarks
Reasoning2 benchmarks
KnowledgeMAI-Thinking-1 wins6 benchmarks
MathMAI-Thinking-1 wins4 benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions (4)
Which is better, MAI-Thinking-1 or MiniCPM5-1B?
MAI-Thinking-1 and MiniCPM5-1B are tied on the BenchAlign overall score, so the right pick depends on which category matters most for your use case.
Which is better for knowledge tasks, MAI-Thinking-1 or MiniCPM5-1B?
MAI-Thinking-1 has the edge for knowledge tasks in this comparison, averaging 72.5 versus 44. Inside this category, GPQA-D is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for math, MAI-Thinking-1 or MiniCPM5-1B?
MAI-Thinking-1 has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 89.7 versus 33.1. Inside this category, HMMT Feb 2026 is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for instruction following, MAI-Thinking-1 or MiniCPM5-1B?
MAI-Thinking-1 has the edge for instruction following in this comparison, averaging 85 versus 58.5. Inside this category, IFBench is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Related Comparisons
Choose a model with this week’s evidence
Join 2,000+ readers for ranking moves, pricing changes, and the claims that still need proof.
One email each week. Unsubscribe anytime.