I love ChatGPT but ChatGPT-4 is slow. I’ve also noticed that ChatGPT-4o is also becoming slow to use. The performance is deteriorated since its launch. If both free and paid users get the same model with SAME speed, why would I ever pay for something I can get for free? I’ve increasingly been only using 4o since its launch (in fact, never used 4 since 4o launched) but the performance kills my experience.
I know GPUs are expensive, which is why I propose that OpenAI give priority/higher performance for paying users than free-tier accounts. This is a fair request. I don’t really buy into the idea of “paying users get early access to features” marketing. Most of us really don’t use all those features. All we ask for is speed and priority access to compute.
If you put free-tier users and paying users into same pool for ChatGPT-4o, paying users will eventually have poorer experiences due to deteriorating speeds. Free-tier users don’t care about speed - as long as they’re still able to use the model, they can’t complain. But the very reason I pay for is for performance. This is also a common sense from business perspective. Paying users bring in money for OpenAI - free users don’t.
I hope OpenAI would consider this. This is a fair request.
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@ninja1
Absolutely, I get where you’re coming from with the issues on ChatGPT-4 and 4o. Just like you, I’ve noticed it’s been lagging a lot since these new versions rolled out. It’s pretty annoying, especially since I’m shelling out for a paid subscription and expecting something solid in return.
You’ve hit on a key point about whether there’s really any difference in service between the free and paid versions. If the performance is the same for both, it really makes you wonder what the premium is paying for. I’ve always said that if we’re paying, we should get some dedicated resources or something. It’s not just about getting our money’s worth; it’s about the service being good enough to make the cost worth it.
Also, it’s not just slower responses I’ve noticed, but the quality of what it’s spitting back has dropped too, which just adds to the whole frustration. I get that OpenAI has to manage resources and all, especially with the costs of running those GPUs, but they really should be looking out for the paying customers first. That’s basic business—keeping your paying customers happy because they’re the ones keeping the lights on.
They keep talking about “early access to features” as a selling point, but honestly, I just need the thing to work fast and work right. More features aren’t the priority for me; reliable and efficient performance is.
I think your idea about giving priority to paying users when it comes to performance is spot on and totally fair. It’s basic customer service. Hopefully, OpenAI takes this feedback seriously because getting this balance right—making sure both free and paid users get a fair shake but still making sure paying customers see real benefits—is key to keeping everyone happy and sticking around.
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