diff --git a/BENCHMARKS.md b/BENCHMARKS.md
index 21c8c02..39ea7db 100644
--- a/BENCHMARKS.md
+++ b/BENCHMARKS.md
@@ -373,3 +373,28 @@ MODELBEAST operator wrapper (qwen_layered_local) once defaults settle.
 Both Ultras now serve Qwen-Image-Layered from the same 34GB baked-q8
 artifact (m3: ~/qwen-layered/, m1: ~/qwen-layered-staging/) + the same
 Gitea fork clone. Peak 36.7GB either box. m3 disk after install: ~82GB free.
+
+### Qwen-Image-Layered — COMPLETE ladder + verdicts (2026-07-19/20)
+
+| config | box | wall | verdict |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| q8 · 20 steps · 640 | m3ultra | **243.0 s** | **volume default** |
+| q8 · 20 steps · 640 | m1ultra | 365.6 s | second lane |
+| q8 · 20 steps · **1024** | m3ultra | 857.6 s | **hero tier** — superb detail, true RGBA (68% transp) |
+| q6 · 20 steps · 640 | m1ultra | 366.4 s | ❌ REJECTED — decomposition semantics break (silhouette, no cutout) |
+| q4 · 20 steps · 640 | m1ultra | 350.1 s | ❌ REJECTED — pure noise |
+
+Quant findings: speed is FLAT across q4/q6/q8 (compute-bound at these
+settings) — quantizing below q8 buys only disk/RAM and DESTROYS quality.
+**q8 is the floor for this model.** q6/q4 bakes deleted (m1 back to 3.4T).
+
+Operator `qwen_layered_local` shipped: vendored fork at
+vendor/mflux-qwen-layered (install_qwen_layered.sh), tuned defaults
+(20/640/baked-q8, resolution 1024 opt-in), m1 registered in nodes.json
+(machine-local), e2e run.py contract smoke passed on m3.
+
+Also audited flux_local (mflux 0.18.0): DEFAULT PATH HEALTHY — flux2-klein
+family has mx.compile on denoise + compiled scheduler (the 9s/image path).
+GAP: FLUX.1 family (dev/schnell/krea) has ZERO mx.compile — backport =
+same env-gated pattern as Hunyuan T1/T2, modest expected win (1-4% M3U,
+more on small boxes), upstreamable to mflux. Queued, not urgent.