GLM-4.7 vs Claude 3.5: The Rise of 'Interleaved Thinking'
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2025-12-28 | Coding & Development
GLM-4.7 vs Claude 3.5: The Rise of 'Interleaved Thinking'
The "Claude Killer" narrative is tired. But
GLM-4.7, released by Zhipu AI on Dec 22, 2025, might actually deserve the title.
It’s not just about raw power. It’s about
how* the model thinks. GLM-4.7 introduces an architecture that changes the game for complex reasoning tasks: *Interleaved Thinking.
What is "Interleaved Thinking"?
Most models "think" then "act." They generate a reasoning chain, then output code.
GLM-4.7 does this dynamically. It employs
Turn-level Thinking* and *Preserved Thinking, allowing it to:
1. Pause generation to "think" about the next logic step.
2. Retain these thought blocks across a multi-turn conversation.
3. Self-correct before writing a specific line of code.
This mimics the Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting strategies used by advanced engineers, but it's baked directly into the model's architecture.
The Benchmark Showdown
Let's look at the numbers. They are startling.
| Benchmark | GLM-4.7 | Claude Opus 4.1 | Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
|
AIME 2025 (Math)* | *95.7% | 78.0% | ~85% |
|
SWE-Bench Verified* | 73.8% | *74.5% | ~70% |
|
LiveCodeBench V6* | *84.9% | ~65% | 64.0% |
|
Context Window | 200k | 200k | 200k |
1. Math & Logic (AIME)
GLM-4.7 scoring
95.7% on AIME is unprecedented for an open-weight model. It signifies that for pure logic and algorithmic puzzles, it is likely superior to almost any closed model on the market.
2. Coding (LiveCodeBench)
With an
84.9% on LiveCodeBench, it crushes Claude Sonnet (64%). This suggests that for
generation of new code (DSA problems, fresh functions), GLM-4.7 is sharper and less prone to hallucination.
3. Software Engineering (SWE-Bench)
Here, Claude still holds a tiny lead (74.5% vs 73.8%). Claude's "vibe" and ability to handle massive, messy repos is still slightly more refined. But the gap is now negligible.
The Verdict
Claude 3.5 / Opus remains the safe choice for enterprise architecture reviews where "safety" and "nuance" are paramount.
GLM-4.7* is the new choice for **Power Coders** and *Mathematicians. If you need to solve a hard algorithm, debug a nasty race condition, or minimize costs (at $0.60/1M tokens vs Claude's $3.00), GLM-4.7 is the clear winner.
Compare them side-by-side on MangoMind