Latency evidence - Modal Computer Use

Use this page to trace a performance claim to its narrowest source. Current results contains eligible measurements. This page also records dated, experimental, candidate, estimated, rejected, and unverified evidence.

Current product evidence

Claim	Status	Measurement boundary	Proof
Complete action-to-frame benchmark	Eligible	One click at `(512, 384)` through the next decoded and validated full screenshot; 100 measured samples per path	Report and artifact
Same-topology Computer Step	Eligible	100 interleaved pairs per arm through the decoded immediate frame	Computer Step report
Raw binary screenshot default	Eligible	30 interleaved samples per arm across screenshot and pointer move	Optimized-default report
Weighted input-work default	Eligible	Three independent mixed XTest capacity gates	Input-capacity report
Managed standard Image lifecycle	Eligible	30 paired lifecycles per arm	Image lifecycle report

Warm-operation benchmark evidence

Claim	Status	Measurement boundary	Proof
Warm screenshots, clicks, typing, and commands	Historical	30 successful warm samples per path and case after target and client readiness	Report, Modal optimized artifact, and provider-default artifact
Ordered action batching	Replication	30 samples per arm for one ordered batch and four separate action requests	Batching replication
Native XTest input direction	Replication	30 matching Connect samples per arm	X11 replication
First changed frame	Experimental	Action completion through the first verified pixel change	Observation artifact
Caller placement	Candidate	External caller and placed Modal Function against a requested `us-west-2` target	Caller-placement artifact
Command-runner tail	Candidate	30 measured samples and one warmup per runner arm	Subprocess-runner artifact
Fresh create to first validated screenshot	Unverified	Public create call through the first decoded and validated full screenshot	Tracking issue
Warm runtime cost	Estimate	Recorded resource duration combined with list prices	Cost estimate
Matched-configuration provider comparison	Unverified	Requires matched caller placement, region, resources, screenshot format, and request shape	Tracking issue

The dated warm-operation report also supports separate-operation arithmetic. Keep that explanation with the dated evidence.

Latency terms

Term	Starts	Ends
Cold allocation	Before Sandbox creation	Modal allocates the Sandbox
Startup	After allocation	Daemon, desktop, auth, and required readiness complete
Borrow	Before lease setup	Placed client and lease are ready
Complete action-to-frame path	Immediately before ordered action dispatch	The next full screenshot is decoded and validated
First visual change	After action completion	Pixel verification confirms a changed frame or times out
Application readiness	Application-defined	Application-defined

The stable Step contract ends at the immediate frame. First visual change remains experimental. Application readiness uses an application-specific signal.

X11 shared-memory evidence

MSS remains the production screenshot source. The optional X11 shared-memory source failed its fixed promotion gate because repeated readiness measurements included capture timeouts. Keep rejected artifacts and timeout attribution with any future rerun. Promotion still requires a full passing result.

Cost evidence

Cost estimates use recorded resource duration and list rates. A complete invoice comparison must also account for image builds, storage, network, model usage, plan fees, credits, and taxes.