# Google's Gemini 4 Argon hits 97.5% on ARC‑AGI‑3 benchmark

> Gemini 4 Argon scored 97.5% on the toughest general‑problem‑solving test, second only to OpenAI's GPT‑6 Astra.

Oossa · 2026-10-16 · https://oossa.com/en/google-s-gemini-4-argon-hits-97-5-on-arc-agi-3-benchmark

Google DeepMind released a new model called Gemini 4 Argon. In a test called ARC‑AGI‑3, the model achieved a 97.5 % score. That puts it above the 95 % threshold that only a few labs have crossed. The only publicly reported model that scored higher is OpenAI's GPT‑6 Astra, which reached 99.9 %.

## How the test was run

The score was obtained using a set‑up called the “Provider Adapter Harness.” This setup lets the model keep its reasoning between steps and compresses context, which is a vendor‑specific feature. When the same model was run in a more restrictive “Standard Harness,” its score fell to 49.8 % and it could not finish all 55 games.

## What the numbers mean

Across the 25 public games in ARC‑AGI‑3, Argon needed 62 % fewer actions than a human baseline, matching the speed of the record in three games. On older versions of the benchmark, Argon scored 91.3 % on ARC‑AGI‑2 and 98.5 % on ARC‑AGI‑1, with costs of $0.32 and $0.16 per task respectively.

An independent index called the Epoch Capabilities Index gave Argon 165 points, tying Fable 5.1 and sitting just behind Opus 5.5 (167) and GPT‑6 Astra (166). The model leads in knowledge, agent and vision tests, but lags in math and software‑engineering tasks.

## The facts

- Gemini 4 Argon scored 97.5 % on the ARC‑AGI‑3 benchmark using the Provider Adapter Harness.
- The test cost $4,800 per run with the Provider Adapter Harness, versus $5,800 in the Standard Harness where the score dropped to 49.8 %.
- Only OpenAI's GPT‑6 Astra scored higher on ARC‑AGI‑3, with a 99.9 % result.
- Argon required 62 % fewer actions than the human baseline across the 25 public ARC‑AGI‑3 games.
- On the Epoch Capabilities Index Argon earned 165 points, tying Fable 5.1 and ranking just behind Opus 5.5 (167) and GPT‑6 Astra (166).

## Why it matters

For developers and businesses that rely on AI for complex problem solving, Gemini 4 Argon's high ARC‑AGI‑3 score shows that Google’s models are now competitive with the very top systems. However, the lower score in the standard test and weaker math and coding performance indicate that the model may still need custom settings to reach its best results.

## Sources & references

1. [Google's Gemini 4 Argon is closer to the AI frontier than any Google model in months](https://the-decoder.com/googles-gemini-4-argon-is-closer-to-the-ai-frontier-than-any-google-model-in-months/) – The Decoder, 2026-10-16

Last updated: 2026-10-16