FP8 quantized variant of Black Forest Labs' FLUX.1 [schnell] model, offering ~2x faster inference with reduced precision while maintaining high-quality image generation in 4 steps
Settled by community votes across 3 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
17.8
arena score
#36 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
Not enough comparable category data
The chart appears once both models have ratings across at least three shared arena categories.
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
27.4
arena score
#4 of 44 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
0%
win rate
Ties
0%
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
0%
win rate
Shared challenges
3
Challenge by challenge
The strongest take from each model on every shared challenge, with the AI judge's read.
Chalkboard Menu
Text-to-Image“Handwritten-style chalkboard menu in a cozy café, all text rendered in the exact same realistic chalk handwriting style with natural variations in letter size, slight slant, and chalk texture — no printed or digital fonts anywhere on the board. Title at the top in elegant cursive chalk handwriting: ‘TODAY’S SPECIALS – APRIL 30, 2026’. Below it, three menu items also in the same handwritten chalk style: ‘Truffle Mushroom Risotto – $24’, ‘Grilled Octopus with Lemon & Herbs – $28’, ‘Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – $9’. At the very bottom, smaller text in the identical handwritten chalk style (slightly smaller but still clearly legible with the same handwriting characteristics): ‘All items made fresh daily • Ask about our gluten-free options’. Warm ambient café lighting, visible chalk dust and smudges, realistic handwriting imperfections, no clean printed text anywhere.”
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
- + Clean layout and frame
- + Good lighting and focus
- − Significant spelling errors and repeated text lines
- − The text looks more like a digital marker font than realistic chalk
- − Failed to follow the cursive request for the title
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
- + Excellent adherence to the 'realistic chalk' texture and variations
- + Perfect spelling and completion of the menu items as requested
- + Successfully used elegant cursive for the title
- − Slightly more cluttered background compared to Image A
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo significantly outperformed FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8 by adhering to every specific detail of the prompt, including the cursive title and accurate spelling of complex menu items. While Image A suffered from severe text artifacts and repeated nonsense words, Image B produced a highly realistic, legible, and aesthetically pleasing chalkboard that looks authentically hand-drawn.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
- + Attempts a surreal interpretation close to the prompt's structural requirement
- + Features high-quality lighting and cinematic depth of field
- − Anatomy is nonsensical with multiple horse heads and distorted bodies
- − Fails to clearly depict an astronaut under the horse, showing only abstract machinery
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
- + Excellent visual clarity and technical rendering of textures
- + Beautiful cinematic background with high detail in the astronaut suit and horse
- − Directly fails the core prompt instruction of 'horse on top, not vice versa'
- − Conventional interpretation lacks the requested surrealism
Verdict: This is a case of choosing between technical execution and instruction following. FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8 attempted the difficult 'horse on top' request but resulted in a chaotic, anatomical mess, while FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo created a stunning image that completely ignored the inversion instruction. FLUX.2 is the better image visually, but neither model successfully realized the specific surreal concept requested.
The Halloween Invitation
Text-to-Image“Vintage gothic Halloween party invitation. Dark parchment poster, spooky border with webs and thorns, central glowing jack-o-lantern, bats, twisted trees, moody night sky. Add elegant gothic title text saying "Halloween Party Invitation", a small scroll banner saying "You are invited to a night of frights", and event details at the bottom: Date: 30.10.2026 Time: 7pm Location: The Arches, NYC Spooky but polished, cinematic lighting, square format.”
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8
- + Atmospheric cinematic lighting on the pumpkin
- + Good use of negative space for a moody effect
- − Numerous spelling errors in the text
- − The layout of the event details is messy and confusing
- − Fails to include the thorns and webs in the border explicitly
FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo
- + Perfect text rendering for both titles and event details
- + Highly detailed border featuring thorns and spider webs as requested
- + Excellent vintage gothic aesthetic with a cohesive composition
- − The lighting on the pumpkin is slightly flatter than the cinematic approach in image A
Verdict: FLUX.2 [dev] Turbo significantly outperforms FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8 by adhering perfectly to all textual requirements and visual details, including the thorns and webs in the border. FLUX.1 [schnell] FP8 suffers from significant 'AI gibberish' spelling across the entire bottom half of the image.
Next steps
Explore each model
Distilled version of Black Forest Labs' FLUX.2 [dev] outperforming it at a cheaper price. Developed by fal.ai.