I always find the time/token differences between the xhigh and the max effort levels for Claude models absolutely insane.
Even more so, because in a lot of their benchmarks they use the max models. I honestly think I'd rather these labs use their xhigh models as the default for benchmarking instead since I don't think the average person is even using max.
I use max all the time, a bit annoyed that they keep trying to silently switch me off it. (Claude Code will refuse to remember a setting of max and will continually reset it to xhigh - I have an objection to these patterns in general)
I'm definitely not the average person though.
Benchmarks are the entire reason why max exists