Model Comparison
GPT-4o vs o3 (Reasoning)
GPT-4o: Ultra-efficiento3 (Reasoning): Very heavy
Side-by-side environmental impact comparison. o3 (Reasoning) uses 49.8x more energy per query.
o3 (Reasoning) uses 49.8x more energy than GPT-4o
21.4 Wh vs 0.43 Wh per query · 10.0 g vs 0.19 g CO₂ · 77 mL vs 2 mL water
GPT-4o
OpenAI
Energy per query0.43 Wh
CO₂ per query0.19 g
Water per query2 mL
VS
o3 (Reasoning)
OpenAI
Energy per query21.4 Wh
CO₂ per query10.0 g
Water per query77 mL
GPT-4o
ProviderOpenAI
CategoryText / Chat
Inference LocationAzure US East / Sweden
Confidencepeer-reviewed
Efficiency TierUltra-efficient
o3 (Reasoning)
ProviderOpenAI
CategoryText / Chat
Inference LocationAzure US East / Sweden
Confidencepeer-reviewed
Efficiency TierVery heavy
Frequently Asked Questions
Which uses more energy, GPT-4o or o3 (Reasoning)?
o3 (Reasoning) uses 49.8x more energy per query than GPT-4o. GPT-4o uses 0.43 Wh per query, while o3 (Reasoning) uses 21.4 Wh.
What is the carbon footprint difference between GPT-4o and o3 (Reasoning)?
o3 (Reasoning) uses 52.6x more CO₂ per query than GPT-4o. GPT-4o emits 0.19 g of CO₂ per query compared to o3 (Reasoning)'s 10.0 g.
Which is more environmentally friendly, GPT-4o or o3 (Reasoning)?
GPT-4o is the more environmentally friendly option, using 0.43 Wh per query compared to o3 (Reasoning)'s 21.4 Wh. That makes o3 (Reasoning) roughly 49.8x more energy-intensive.
Calculate your footprint with these models
See how your daily usage of GPT-4o and o3 (Reasoning) adds up over time. Our calculator estimates energy, carbon, and water impact.
Calculate My Compute