{
 "experiment": "sdxl-step-bench",
 "title": "the step bench \u2014 two sdxl painters, three step counts",
 "compares": "step count (8 / 32 / 64) \u00d7 2 checkpoints",
 "archive": "keel:~/ComfyUI/output",
 "columns": [
  "8 steps",
  "32 steps",
  "64 steps"
 ],
 "images": [
  {
   "subject": "albedobase xl 2.1",
   "row": "",
   "column": "8 steps",
   "prompt": "a weathered fisherman, oil painting portrait, dramatic light",
   "prompt_source": "keel bench probe, 2026-07-14 \u2014 a deliberately plain prompt so the step count is the only thing under test",
   "image": "img/albedobase-xl-2-1-8-steps.webp",
   "checkpoint": "albedobaseXL_v21.safetensors",
   "lora": [],
   "sampler": "dpmpp_2m",
   "scheduler": "karras",
   "steps": 8,
   "cfg": 6.0,
   "width": 512,
   "height": 512,
   "seed": 100000,
   "render_seconds": null,
   "measured": false,
   "origin": "keel \u00b7 ComfyUI output archive",
   "master": "bench_00006_.png",
   "id": "albedobase-xl-2-1-8-steps",
   "tile": "img/albedobase-xl-2-1-8-steps.webp",
   "shown_width": 512,
   "shown_height": 512,
   "machine": "keel \u00b7 96G VRAM workstation",
   "at": "",
   "workflow": "",
   "archive_id": "",
   "cell_label": "",
   "sid": "albedobase-xl-2-1-8-steps"
  },
  {
   "subject": "albedobase xl 2.1",
   "row": "",
   "column": "32 steps",
   "prompt": "a weathered fisherman, oil painting portrait, dramatic light",
   "prompt_source": "keel bench probe, 2026-07-14 \u2014 a deliberately plain prompt so the step count is the only thing under test",
   "image": "img/albedobase-xl-2-1-32-steps.webp",
   "checkpoint": "albedobaseXL_v21.safetensors",
   "lora": [],
   "sampler": "dpmpp_2m",
   "scheduler": "karras",
   "steps": 32,
   "cfg": 6.0,
   "width": 512,
   "height": 512,
   "seed": 200000,
   "render_seconds": null,
   "measured": false,
   "origin": "keel \u00b7 ComfyUI output archive",
   "master": "bench_00007_.png",
   "id": "albedobase-xl-2-1-32-steps",
   "tile": "img/albedobase-xl-2-1-32-steps.webp",
   "shown_width": 512,
   "shown_height": 512,
   "machine": "keel \u00b7 96G VRAM workstation",
   "at": "",
   "workflow": "",
   "archive_id": "",
   "cell_label": "",
   "sid": "albedobase-xl-2-1-32-steps"
  },
  {
   "subject": "albedobase xl 2.1",
   "row": "",
   "column": "64 steps",
   "prompt": "a weathered fisherman, oil painting portrait, dramatic light",
   "prompt_source": "keel bench probe, 2026-07-14 \u2014 a deliberately plain prompt so the step count is the only thing under test",
   "image": "img/albedobase-xl-2-1-64-steps.webp",
   "checkpoint": "albedobaseXL_v21.safetensors",
   "lora": [],
   "sampler": "dpmpp_2m",
   "scheduler": "karras",
   "steps": 64,
   "cfg": 6.0,
   "width": 512,
   "height": 512,
   "seed": 300000,
   "render_seconds": null,
   "measured": false,
   "origin": "keel \u00b7 ComfyUI output archive",
   "master": "bench_00009_.png",
   "id": "albedobase-xl-2-1-64-steps",
   "tile": "img/albedobase-xl-2-1-64-steps.webp",
   "shown_width": 512,
   "shown_height": 512,
   "machine": "keel \u00b7 96G VRAM workstation",
   "at": "",
   "workflow": "",
   "archive_id": "",
   "cell_label": "",
   "sid": "albedobase-xl-2-1-64-steps"
  },
  {
   "subject": "sdxl base 1.0",
   "row": "",
   "column": "8 steps",
   "prompt": "a weathered fisherman, oil painting portrait, dramatic light",
   "prompt_source": "keel bench probe, 2026-07-14 \u2014 a deliberately plain prompt so the step count is the only thing under test",
   "image": "img/sdxl-base-1-0-8-steps.webp",
   "checkpoint": "sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors",
   "lora": [],
   "sampler": "dpmpp_2m",
   "scheduler": "karras",
   "steps": 8,
   "cfg": 6.0,
   "width": 512,
   "height": 512,
   "seed": 100000,
   "render_seconds": null,
   "measured": false,
   "origin": "keel \u00b7 ComfyUI output archive",
   "master": "bench_00001_.png",
   "id": "sdxl-base-1-0-8-steps",
   "tile": "img/sdxl-base-1-0-8-steps.webp",
   "shown_width": 512,
   "shown_height": 512,
   "machine": "keel \u00b7 96G VRAM workstation",
   "at": "",
   "workflow": "",
   "archive_id": "",
   "cell_label": "",
   "sid": "sdxl-base-1-0-8-steps"
  },
  {
   "subject": "sdxl base 1.0",
   "row": "",
   "column": "32 steps",
   "prompt": "a weathered fisherman, oil painting portrait, dramatic light",
   "prompt_source": "keel bench probe, 2026-07-14 \u2014 a deliberately plain prompt so the step count is the only thing under test",
   "image": "img/sdxl-base-1-0-32-steps.webp",
   "checkpoint": "sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors",
   "lora": [],
   "sampler": "dpmpp_2m",
   "scheduler": "karras",
   "steps": 32,
   "cfg": 6.0,
   "width": 512,
   "height": 512,
   "seed": 200000,
   "render_seconds": null,
   "measured": false,
   "origin": "keel \u00b7 ComfyUI output archive",
   "master": "bench_00002_.png",
   "id": "sdxl-base-1-0-32-steps",
   "tile": "img/sdxl-base-1-0-32-steps.webp",
   "shown_width": 512,
   "shown_height": 512,
   "machine": "keel \u00b7 96G VRAM workstation",
   "at": "",
   "workflow": "",
   "archive_id": "",
   "cell_label": "",
   "sid": "sdxl-base-1-0-32-steps"
  },
  {
   "subject": "sdxl base 1.0",
   "row": "",
   "column": "64 steps",
   "prompt": "a weathered fisherman, oil painting portrait, dramatic light",
   "prompt_source": "keel bench probe, 2026-07-14 \u2014 a deliberately plain prompt so the step count is the only thing under test",
   "image": "img/sdxl-base-1-0-64-steps.webp",
   "checkpoint": "sd_xl_base_1.0.safetensors",
   "lora": [],
   "sampler": "dpmpp_2m",
   "scheduler": "karras",
   "steps": 64,
   "cfg": 6.0,
   "width": 512,
   "height": 512,
   "seed": 300000,
   "render_seconds": null,
   "measured": false,
   "origin": "keel \u00b7 ComfyUI output archive",
   "master": "bench_00004_.png",
   "id": "sdxl-base-1-0-64-steps",
   "tile": "img/sdxl-base-1-0-64-steps.webp",
   "shown_width": 512,
   "shown_height": 512,
   "machine": "keel \u00b7 96G VRAM workstation",
   "at": "",
   "workflow": "",
   "archive_id": "",
   "cell_label": "",
   "sid": "sdxl-base-1-0-64-steps"
  }
 ],
 "lede": "the cheapest question in diffusion: how many steps is enough? same prompt, same 512 canvas, two license-clean sdxl painters, and the sampler given 8, 32 and 64 steps to work with. the honest answer is usually 'fewer than you think'.",
 "source": "keel",
 "tests": []
}