Model Comparison

Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct vs Gemma 2 9B IT

Compare the listed model data for Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct by microsoft and Gemma 2 9B IT by google. Benchmark and pricing records are not a controlled test and may change.

Data last updated: 2026-10-16. Verify current model details with each provider.

What the listed data says

Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct: 4K tokens (128K in long-context variant); Gemma 2 9B IT: 8K tokens. Gemma 2 9B IT has the larger listed context window. Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct is listed for coding; Gemma 2 9B IT is listed for no specific capability flags. Shared catalog benchmark entries: MMLU: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct 68.8%; Gemma 2 9B IT 71.3%; HumanEval: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct 60.4%; Gemma 2 9B IT 65.6%. These records are reference data, not a controlled head-to-head test; verify current pricing and specifications with each provider.

Catalog source links

Use these model and provider links to verify current specifications, pricing, and availability.

Computed differences from catalog data

  • The listed context windows are 4K tokens (128K in long-context variant) and 8K tokens; the larger is 2,000× the smaller.
  • On shared numeric benchmark entries, MMLU: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct − Gemma 2 9B IT = -2.5 percentage points (68.8% vs 71.3%); HumanEval: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct − Gemma 2 9B IT = -5.2 percentage points (60.4% vs 65.6%).
  • The first listed parameter quantities are 3.8B and 9B; the larger quantity is 2.37× the smaller. Total and active MoE parameters are not directly equivalent.
  • The catalog release dates are April 2024 and June 2024, about 2 months apart at the precision supplied.

Cost example: 1M input and 1M output tokens

A cost example for 1M input plus 1M output tokens cannot be calculated reliably because separate numeric input and output rates are not listed for both models.

Choose Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct if…

Choose Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct when your task aligns with catalog-listed uses or strengths such as On-device AI assistants on smartphones and laptops, Educational tools requiring lightweight fast AI, Resource-constrained enterprise deployments, Mathematical tutoring on consumer hardware.

Choose Gemma 2 9B IT if…

Choose Gemma 2 9B IT when your task aligns with catalog-listed uses or strengths such as Legacy Gemma 2 integrations, Gemma 2 architecture innovations: sliding window attention and logit soft-capping, Competitive with models twice its size at release.

Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct

Browse microsoft models

Microsoft's tiny 3.8B Phi-3 — punches far above its weight on reasoning and code, ideal for low-latency assistants and on-device deployment.

Parameters: 3.8B

Context: 4K tokens (128K in long-context variant)

Catalog pricing: MIT — free. Azure AI charges for cloud hosting.

microsoft Coding Open Source

View Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct model profile

Gemma 2 9B IT

Browse google models

Google's open Gemma-2 9B instruct — derived from Gemini research, excellent at concise answers, summaries, and lightweight chat.

Parameters: 9B

Context: 8K tokens

Catalog pricing: Gemma Terms — free

google General Purpose Open Source

View Gemma 2 9B IT model profile

Feature Comparison — Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct vs Gemma 2 9B IT

Catalog specifications for Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct and Gemma 2 9B IT
Specification Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct Gemma 2 9B IT
Provider microsoft google
Parameters 3.8B 9B
Context window 4K tokens (128K in long-context variant) 8K tokens
Maximum output Not listed Not listed
Catalog pricing MIT — free. Azure AI charges for cloud hosting. Gemma Terms — free
Listed input/output cost per 1M tokens Separate numeric input/output rates not listed Separate numeric input/output rates not listed
License MIT Gemma Terms of Use
Coding support Listed Not listed
Reasoning support Not listed Not listed
Vision input Not listed Not listed
Multimodal Not listed Not listed
Open weights Yes Yes
Benchmark: MMLU 68.8% 71.3%
Benchmark: HumanEval 60.4% 65.6%

Figures are transcribed from LITHOVEX model records. Benchmark versions and evaluation setups may differ; pricing and specifications can change. Check each provider's current documentation before making a decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is different between Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct and Gemma 2 9B IT?
Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct: 4K tokens (128K in long-context variant); Gemma 2 9B IT: 8K tokens. Gemma 2 9B IT has the larger listed context window. Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct is listed for coding; Gemma 2 9B IT is listed for no specific capability flags. Shared catalog benchmark entries: MMLU: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct 68.8%; Gemma 2 9B IT 71.3%; HumanEval: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct 60.4%; Gemma 2 9B IT 65.6%. These records are reference data, not a controlled head-to-head test; verify current pricing and specifications with each provider.
What benchmark values are listed for Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct and Gemma 2 9B IT?
MMLU: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct 68.8%; Gemma 2 9B IT 71.3%; HumanEval: Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct 60.4%; Gemma 2 9B IT 65.6%. The catalog values may use different versions and evaluation setups, so they are reference points rather than a controlled head-to-head result.
Which model has the larger listed context window?
Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct: 4K tokens (128K in long-context variant); Gemma 2 9B IT: 8K tokens. Gemma 2 9B IT has the larger listed context window.
What are the listed costs per million tokens for Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct and Gemma 2 9B IT?
Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct: Separate numeric input/output rates not listed (MIT — free. Azure AI charges for cloud hosting.). Gemma 2 9B IT: Separate numeric input/output rates not listed (Gemma Terms — free). Where separate numeric input and output rates are available, the worked example uses 1M input plus 1M output tokens. Confirm current terms with each provider.
How far apart are the listed release dates for Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct and Gemma 2 9B IT?
The catalog lists Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct as April 2024 and Gemma 2 9B IT as June 2024, about 2 months apart at the precision supplied.
When was the comparison data last updated?
The model catalog records 2026-10-16 as its data update date. Provider specifications and prices may have changed since then.
How should I choose between Phi-3 Mini 4K Instruct and Gemma 2 9B IT?
Compare the listed specifications and capabilities, review the benchmark notes, then test both with the same representative prompt for your task. This page does not claim a universal winner.

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