Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning)

xAI's Grok 4.1 Fast: Intelligent, Swift, and Cost-Effective

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning)

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) stands out as a top-tier model, blending exceptional intelligence with impressive speed and competitive pricing, making it ideal for demanding analytical tasks.

High IntelligenceFast OutputCompetitive Pricing2M Context WindowMultimodal InputProprietary

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) from xAI emerges as a formidable contender in the large language model landscape, particularly for applications requiring deep analytical capabilities. Scoring an impressive 64 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, it significantly surpasses the average model intelligence of 36, placing it among the top 3 models benchmarked. This high intelligence, coupled with its ability to process both text and image inputs, positions Grok 4.1 Fast as a versatile tool for complex problem-solving, data interpretation, and advanced content generation.

Beyond its cognitive prowess, Grok 4.1 Fast distinguishes itself with remarkable operational efficiency. It boasts a median output speed of 151 tokens per second, ranking it 28th out of 134 models, ensuring rapid response times for interactive applications and high-throughput workloads. While its Time To First Token (TTFT) latency of 8.37 seconds is a consideration for real-time conversational interfaces, its overall output speed compensates by quickly delivering comprehensive responses once processing begins. This balance of speed and intelligence makes it suitable for scenarios where the depth of analysis is paramount, even if the initial response takes a moment longer.

From a cost perspective, Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) offers a compelling value proposition. With an input token price of $0.20 per 1 million tokens and an output token price of $0.50 per 1 million tokens, it is moderately priced compared to industry averages of $0.25 and $0.80, respectively. Its blended price of $0.28 per 1 million tokens (based on a 3:1 input-to-output ratio) further underscores its affordability for sustained use. While its verbosity, generating 71 million tokens during the Intelligence Index evaluation (compared to an average of 30 million), suggests a tendency for detailed outputs, this can be a benefit for tasks requiring thorough explanations or comprehensive content, provided users manage output length effectively.

The model's substantial 2 million token context window is another critical feature, enabling it to handle extensive documents, prolonged conversations, and complex data sets without losing context. This large memory capacity is invaluable for tasks like legal document analysis, long-form content creation, or maintaining coherence across multi-turn interactions. Developed by xAI and offered under a proprietary license, Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) represents a powerful, intelligent, and efficient solution for enterprises and developers seeking a high-performance AI model.

Scoreboard

Intelligence

64 (#3 / 134)

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) achieves an exceptional score, placing it in the top 3 models for intelligence, well above the average of 36.
Output speed

151.4 tokens/s

This model delivers very fast output, ranking 28th among 134 models, ensuring quick content generation.
Input price

$0.20 /M tokens

Moderately priced for input tokens, offering good value compared to the average of $0.25.
Output price

$0.50 /M tokens

Competitively priced for output tokens, significantly below the average of $0.80.
Verbosity signal

71M tokens

Generated a high volume of tokens during evaluation, indicating a tendency for detailed and comprehensive responses.
Provider latency

8.37 seconds

Time to first token is on the higher side, which might impact real-time interactive applications.

Technical specifications

Spec Details
Owner xAI
License Proprietary
Model Variant Reasoning
Context Window 2,000,000 tokens
Input Modalities Text, Image
Output Modalities Text
Intelligence Index Score 64 (Rank #3 / 134)
Median Output Speed 151.4 tokens/s (Rank #28 / 134)
Time To First Token (TTFT) 8.37 seconds
Input Token Price $0.20 / 1M tokens
Output Token Price $0.50 / 1M tokens
Blended Price (3:1) $0.28 / 1M tokens
Verbosity (Intelligence Index) 71M tokens

What stands out beyond the scoreboard

Where this model wins
  • Exceptional Intelligence: Ranks among the top 3 models, making it highly effective for complex analytical tasks, problem-solving, and nuanced understanding.
  • High Output Speed: Delivers content rapidly at 151.4 tokens/s, beneficial for applications requiring quick generation of detailed responses.
  • Competitive Pricing: Offers attractive input and output token prices, especially for its intelligence tier, providing strong value for money.
  • Massive Context Window: A 2 million token context window allows for processing and retaining information from extremely long documents or extended conversations.
  • Multimodal Input: Supports both text and image inputs, expanding its utility for diverse applications like visual content analysis or multimodal reasoning.
  • Comprehensive Outputs: Its verbosity can be an advantage for tasks demanding thorough explanations, detailed reports, or extensive creative content.
Where costs sneak up
  • Higher Latency: An 8.37-second Time To First Token (TTFT) can lead to noticeable delays in highly interactive or real-time conversational applications.
  • Verbosity Management: While beneficial for depth, the model's tendency for verbose outputs (71M tokens in evaluation) may incur higher costs if not carefully managed through prompt engineering or output truncation.
  • Proprietary Lock-in: Being a proprietary model from xAI, users are tied to a single provider, which might limit flexibility in vendor choice or pricing negotiations.
  • Image Input Costs: While not explicitly detailed, processing image inputs often carries additional computational overhead and potentially higher costs per request compared to text-only inputs.
  • Blended Price Assumptions: The $0.28/M blended price is based on a 3:1 input:output ratio; workloads with significantly higher output ratios will see higher effective costs.

Provider pick

When considering Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning), xAI is the sole provider, offering direct access to this powerful model. The decision then shifts from choosing a provider to optimizing your usage within the xAI ecosystem, focusing on integration, support, and cost management strategies.

Priority Pick Why Tradeoff to accept
Priority Pick Why Tradeoff
Direct Access & Performance xAI As the developer and sole provider, xAI offers the most direct access to Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning), ensuring optimal performance, latest updates, and direct support. Limited vendor choice; reliance on xAI's infrastructure and pricing structure.
Integration & Ecosystem xAI Leveraging xAI's native APIs and tools can streamline integration into existing systems, potentially offering a more cohesive development experience. May require adapting existing workflows to xAI's specific API conventions.
Support & Expertise xAI Direct access to the model's creators means unparalleled support for technical issues, feature requests, and best practices for model utilization. Support channels and response times are dictated by xAI's service level agreements.
Cost Efficiency (Direct) xAI Direct pricing from the source means no intermediary markups, ensuring you get the most competitive rates available for this specific model. No ability to shop around for better pricing from alternative providers.

Note: Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) is exclusively offered by xAI. The 'Provider Pick' focuses on considerations for engaging directly with xAI.

Real workloads cost table

Understanding the real-world cost implications of Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) requires examining typical usage scenarios. Below are estimated costs for various common AI tasks, demonstrating how its pricing structure translates into practical applications.

Scenario Input Output What it represents Estimated cost
Scenario Input Output What it represents Estimated cost
Complex Document Analysis 1.5M tokens 200K tokens Analyzing a large legal brief or research paper and generating a detailed summary with key findings. $0.40
Advanced Code Generation 50K tokens 100K tokens Generating a complex software module based on detailed specifications and existing codebase context. $0.06
Multimodal Content Creation 10K text + 1 image 50K tokens Describing an image and generating a creative story or marketing copy based on the visual and textual prompts. $0.027
Long-form Article Writing 20K tokens 300K tokens Drafting a comprehensive article or report from a detailed outline and research notes. $0.19
Customer Support Automation 5K tokens 10K tokens Handling a complex customer query requiring deep understanding of product manuals and generating a detailed resolution. $0.0035
Data Synthesis & Reporting 500K tokens 150K tokens Synthesizing data from multiple sources and generating a structured business report. $0.175

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) proves cost-effective for high-value, high-token-count tasks, especially those with a balanced input-output ratio. Its competitive output pricing helps mitigate costs even with its verbose nature, making it a strong candidate for applications demanding deep intelligence and comprehensive results.

How to control cost (a practical playbook)

Optimizing costs while leveraging the advanced capabilities of Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) involves strategic prompt engineering and careful output management. Here are key strategies to maximize efficiency.

Manage Output Verbosity

Grok 4.1 Fast's tendency for detailed responses can lead to higher output token counts. Implement strategies to control output length:

  • Explicitly state length constraints: Use phrases like "Summarize in 3 sentences," "Provide a concise answer," or "Limit response to 200 words."
  • Request bullet points or structured formats: This can reduce prose and focus the output.
  • Post-processing: Truncate or summarize model outputs programmatically if strict length limits are required.
Optimize Input Prompts

While the input price is competitive, efficient input still matters, especially with a 2M context window. Ensure your prompts are:

  • Concise and clear: Remove unnecessary words or redundant information.
  • Structured: Use clear headings, bullet points, or JSON for context to help the model process efficiently.
  • Relevant: Only include information absolutely necessary for the task at hand, even with a large context window.
Leverage the Context Window Strategically

The 2 million token context window is a powerful asset, but using it indiscriminately can still incur costs. Use it wisely:

  • Chunking for long documents: For extremely long documents, consider processing them in chunks if only specific sections are relevant to a query, rather than sending the entire document repeatedly.
  • Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG): Combine the large context window with RAG techniques to dynamically retrieve and insert only the most pertinent information into the prompt, reducing overall token usage for certain tasks.
  • Session Management: For multi-turn conversations, summarize previous turns or only include the most critical context to keep prompt sizes manageable over time.
Batch Processing for Throughput

Given its high output speed, Grok 4.1 Fast is well-suited for batch processing. Consolidate multiple requests into single API calls where possible to reduce overhead and potentially improve cost-efficiency for high-volume tasks.

  • Group similar tasks: If generating multiple summaries or creative pieces, send them in a single, well-structured prompt.
  • Asynchronous processing: Utilize its speed for background tasks that don't require immediate human interaction, optimizing resource allocation.

FAQ

What makes Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) stand out?

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) is distinguished by its exceptional intelligence (ranking #3 among 134 models), high output speed (151.4 tokens/s), and a massive 2 million token context window. It's designed for complex analytical tasks and comprehensive content generation, offering a strong balance of performance and competitive pricing.

How does its intelligence compare to other models?

With an Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index score of 64, Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) significantly outperforms the average model score of 36, placing it in the top 3. This indicates superior capabilities in understanding, reasoning, and generating high-quality, insightful responses.

Is Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) suitable for real-time applications?

While it boasts a very high output speed (151.4 tokens/s), its Time To First Token (TTFT) latency of 8.37 seconds is on the higher side. This means there might be a noticeable delay before the first part of the response appears. It's excellent for applications where the overall speed of generating a complete, detailed response is critical, but less ideal for ultra-low-latency, highly interactive conversational interfaces.

What are the cost implications of its verbosity?

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) tends to produce more verbose outputs, as evidenced by generating 71 million tokens during its Intelligence Index evaluation (compared to an average of 30 million). While this can be beneficial for detailed tasks, it means you might incur higher output token costs if you don't actively manage the desired length of responses through prompt engineering or post-processing.

Can Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) process images?

Yes, Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) supports multimodal input, meaning it can process both text and image inputs. This capability allows for a wider range of applications, such as analyzing visual data, generating descriptions from images, or combining visual and textual context for more nuanced understanding.

What is the significance of its 2 million token context window?

A 2 million token context window is exceptionally large, allowing the model to process and retain an enormous amount of information within a single interaction. This is crucial for tasks involving very long documents (e.g., legal texts, books), extensive codebases, or maintaining deep context over prolonged, multi-turn conversations without losing coherence or requiring constant re-feeding of past information.

Who owns Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) and what is its license?

Grok 4.1 Fast (Reasoning) is owned by xAI and is offered under a proprietary license. This means it is a closed-source model, and its usage is governed by the terms and conditions set forth by xAI.


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