Exploring the Surprises in LLaMA 4's Performance Beyond Benchmarks
Exploring the Surprises in LLaMA 4's Performance Beyond Benchmarks - Discover how LLaMA 4's specialized Maverick version compares to other models in coding and reasoning tasks, going beyond the typical benchmarks.
2025年4月10日

Discover the surprising results of our in-depth testing of LLaMA 4, the latest language model from Meta. Uncover its strengths and limitations across coding, reasoning, and more, providing valuable insights to help you make informed decisions about your AI projects.
Surprising Results from LLaMA 4 Maverick's Coding Performance
Evaluating LLaMA 4 Maverick's Coding Capabilities
LLaMA 4 Maverick's Reasoning and Comprehension Skills
Conclusion
Surprising Results from LLaMA 4 Maverick's Coding Performance
Surprising Results from LLaMA 4 Maverick's Coding Performance
The tests conducted on LLaMA 4 Maverick's coding capabilities revealed some surprising results. While the model performed reasonably well on simple coding tasks, it struggled with more complex instructions and requirements.
In the first test, the model was asked to create a simple encyclopedia of the first 25 legendary Pokémon, including their types, descriptions, and images. The model was able to generate the code and provide the necessary image URLs, though it required some prompting to complete the full list of 25 Pokémon.
The second test challenged the model's creativity and instruction-following abilities by asking it to code a TV interface that allows channel changes using number keys 0-9, with each channel representing a different classical TV genre and having unique animations. While the model was able to generate the code, the animations were repetitive, and the overall creativity was lacking compared to other models.
The third test involved creating a complex animation of 20 balls bouncing inside a spinning heptagon, with specific requirements such as ball numbering, color, and realistic physics. The model's output fell short, with the balls simply rolling off the screen rather than bouncing realistically off the walls.
The final coding test asked the model to create a P5.js animation of falling letters with realistic physics, collision detection, and screen size adaptation. Again, the model's output was not fully aligned with the requirements, as the letters disappeared rather than staying on the screen.
Overall, the results suggest that while LLaMA 4 Maverick may be a capable model for simple coding tasks, it struggles with more complex instructions and creative problem-solving. The model's performance was not on par with other state-of-the-art models, such as Gemini 2.5 Pro or Cloud Sonnet, when it comes to coding abilities.
Evaluating LLaMA 4 Maverick's Coding Capabilities
Evaluating LLaMA 4 Maverick's Coding Capabilities
The author conducted a series of tests to evaluate the coding capabilities of LLaMA 4 Maverick, a specialized version of the LLaMA language model developed by Meta. The tests covered a range of tasks, from creating a simple Pokémon encyclopedia to implementing complex animations and physics simulations.
The key findings from the tests are:
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Simple Coding Tasks: LLaMA 4 Maverick performed reasonably well on simple coding tasks, such as generating HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code for a Pokémon encyclopedia. However, it required some prompting and guidance to complete the task fully.
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Complex Coding Tasks: When faced with more complex coding challenges, such as creating a TV channel switching animation or a physics-based letter falling animation, LLaMA 4 Maverick struggled. The generated code had issues with reusing animations, maintaining realistic physics, and ensuring that all requirements were met.
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Lack of Explanations: The author noted that LLaMA 4 Maverick provided minimal explanations for the generated code, unlike some other large language models that offer more detailed commentary.
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Limitations in Coding Creativity: While LLaMA 4 Maverick was able to follow the instructions provided, its ability to come up with creative solutions or novel ideas was limited compared to other models the author has tested, such as Gemini 2.5 Pro or Cloud Sonnet.
Based on these findings, the author concludes that LLaMA 4 Maverick is not the best choice for complex coding tasks or projects that require a high degree of creativity and instruction-following capabilities. The author suggests that for coding-related use cases, models like Gemini 2.5 Pro or Cloud Sonnet may be more suitable alternatives.
LLaMA 4 Maverick's Reasoning and Comprehension Skills
LLaMA 4 Maverick's Reasoning and Comprehension Skills
Based on the provided transcript, the section body can be written as follows:
The transcript indicates that LLaMA 4 Maverick, a specialized version of the LLaMA language model, exhibits some interesting reasoning and comprehension capabilities, particularly in handling modified versions of well-known thought experiments and paradoxes.
In the modified trolley problem, where the people on the track are already dead, the model correctly identifies that the decision involves diverting the trolley from the track with five dead people to a track with one living person. This shows that the model is able to pay attention to the specific wording of the problem and not make assumptions about the original, unmodified version.
Similarly, in the modified Monty Hall problem, the model recognizes the deviation from the standard presentation and attempts to correct the understanding before solving the original problem.
In the Schrödinger's cat paradox, where the cat is already dead when placed in the box, the model correctly states that the probability of the cat being alive when the box is opened is zero, as the cat was dead from the start.
However, the model's performance is not consistent across all the reasoning tasks. In the river crossing problem with a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage, the model comes up with a step-by-step plan to transport everything to the other side of the river, which is not the desired solution.
Overall, the transcript suggests that LLaMA 4 Maverick exhibits some promising reasoning and comprehension capabilities, particularly in handling modified versions of well-known thought experiments and paradoxes. While it may not be the best choice for complex coding tasks, the model's performance on these reasoning tests indicates that it could potentially be a good starting point for developing more advanced reasoning models.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Based on the tests conducted, the Llama 4 Maverick model appears to have mixed performance. While it shows some strengths in reasoning and attention to detail, its coding capabilities are not as impressive compared to other models like Gemini 2.5 Pro or Cloud Sonnet.
The model was able to handle simple coding tasks, such as creating a basic encyclopedia of Pokémon. However, it struggled with more complex coding challenges, like creating a TV channel interface with unique animations and a bouncing ball simulation within a rotating heptagon. The model's output often lacked the expected level of creativity and instruction following.
On the other hand, the model demonstrated impressive reasoning abilities when presented with modified versions of classic thought experiments like the Trolley Problem and the Monty Hall problem. It was able to recognize the nuances in the wording and adjust its responses accordingly, which is a notable strength for a non-reasoning model.
Overall, the Llama 4 Maverick model appears to be a decent performer, but it may not be the best choice for tasks that require advanced coding skills or complex reasoning. Depending on the specific use case, it could be a viable option for certain applications that involve some level of reasoning, but it may not be the go-to choice for demanding coding or creative tasks.
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