Opus 4.6 Extended Thinking Performs Worse on Physics Diagram Problems
Performance Issue with Extended Thinking Mode
A user on r/ClaudeAI reported testing Opus 4.6 and Gemini 3.1 Pro on physics problems that require interpreting visual diagrams. The testing revealed a specific performance regression in Opus 4.6 when using extended thinking mode.
Key Findings from Testing
- Test Scope: 5 physics problems where "a large portion of the problem is interpreting visual diagrams displaying scenarios"
- Opus 4.6 with Extended Thinking: Got all 5 problems "completely wrong due to fundamental misinterpretation of the diagram"
- Gemini 3.1 Pro: "Aced" all 5 problems
- Opus 4.6 without Extended Thinking: Successfully solved the problems and was "way faster too"
The user described this as "truly weird behavior" since extended thinking typically improves performance, but in this specific case of diagram interpretation, it caused consistent failure.
📖 Read the full source: r/ClaudeAI
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