Side-by-side comparison of pricing, 12 benchmarks, and generation speed.
| Metric | GPT-5.4 (xhigh) | GPT-5.2 (xhigh) |
|---|---|---|
| Input ($/M tokens) | $2.5 | $1.75 |
| Output ($/M tokens) | $15 | $14 |
Verdict. GPT-5.4 (xhigh) wins the overall benchmark matchup 2–0 across 2 overlapping categories, but raw benchmark score is only one input to the decision.
Pricing. Both models sit in the premium / mid-tier bracket for output-token pricing. At 1.1× the per-million-token cost, GPT-5.2 (xhigh) is meaningfully cheaper if your traffic is output-heavy (long completions, document generation, agent loops). GPT-5.2 (xhigh) makes more sense when output volume is low and absolute reasoning quality justifies the premium.
Strengths. GPT-5.4 (xhigh) is strongest on Coding Index (71.1), Intelligence Index (53.1). GPT-5.2 (xhigh) leads on Intelligence Index (43.3).
Speed. On throughput, GPT-5.4 (xhigh) generates tokens at 131 tok/s versus 78 tok/s — about 40% faster. On time-to-first-token, GPT-5.2 (xhigh) responds in 142930ms vs 144080ms, which matters most for chat-style UIs.
Provider. Both models come from the same vendor, so the choice comes down to which tier or generation fits your workload — not vendor lock-in.
Workload cost. Workload scenarios (per million requests at 30M input + 15M output tokens): GPT-5.4 (xhigh) costs $300.00 ($3600/year); GPT-5.2 (xhigh) costs $262.50 ($3150/year). At a smaller 5M-input/2M-output scale (single-developer tool or prototype): GPT-5.4 (xhigh) ≈ $42.50/run, GPT-5.2 (xhigh) ≈ $36.75/run. At agent/realtime scale (200M input / 100M output per million requests): GPT-5.4 (xhigh) ≈ $2000/run, GPT-5.2 (xhigh) ≈ $1750/run. GPT-5.2 (xhigh) becomes more attractive at higher volume — the absolute per-token pricing difference compounds when you ship at scale.
Recommendation. Both models have legitimate use cases — the right answer depends on whether you are optimizing for benchmark ceiling, latency, or unit cost. Start with the cheaper / faster model, evaluate against your specific task, and only switch if the upgrade shows a meaningful lift.
Head-to-head deltas
Data from Artificial Analysis API — 12 benchmarks
GPT-5.2 (xhigh) is cheaper overall. Its blended price (3:1 input/output ratio) is $4.81/M tokens vs $5.63/M for GPT-5.4 (xhigh).
GPT-5.4 (xhigh) wins 2 out of 12 benchmarks compared to 0 for GPT-5.2 (xhigh). See the detailed benchmark chart above for per-category results.
GPT-5.4 (xhigh) generates tokens faster at 131 tok/s vs 78 tok/s. However, GPT-5.2 (xhigh) has lower time-to-first-token (142.93s vs 144.08s).
Choose based on your priorities: GPT-5.2 (xhigh) for lower cost, GPT-5.4 (xhigh) for stronger benchmark performance, and GPT-5.4 (xhigh) for faster generation. For latency-sensitive apps, check the TTFT comparison above.