diff --git a/docs/CHANGELOG.md b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
index 1645e886..294bde0a 100644
--- a/docs/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/docs/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -9,6 +9,15 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Hardening
 
+- **Default-config benchmark published (P3)** - `docs/benchmarks/default-config-pk.md` records a
+  median-of-3 fair-PK run where the SharpCoreDB arm uses a PURE default `DatabaseConfig`
+  (NoEncryptMode=false, no harness flags). Honest result: the default path engages the Columnar
+  fixed-width fast paths (verified by counters) but UPDATE/DELETE land at ~84K/~93K ops/s
+  (~3.5x/~4.2x behind SQLite) versus ~245K/~172K with the tuned harness config — the gap is
+  dominated by the default `WalDurabilityMode.FullSync` per-commit flush. The default durability
+  stays FullSync (safe); the follow-up is to optimize the synchronous commit flush itself. New
+  harness mode: `--pk-default`.
+
 - **Upgrade/downgrade policy documented + format-compat regression tests** - new
   `docs/manual/upgrade-and-downgrade.md` records the compatibility matrix: reading legacy
   (variable-length, pre-marker) databases with the current version is supported; opening a database
diff --git a/docs/benchmarks/default-config-pk.md b/docs/benchmarks/default-config-pk.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..03ec7bc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/benchmarks/default-config-pk.md
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# Fair-PK benchmark with DEFAULT DatabaseConfig (P3 hardening)
+
+Run: `dotnet run --project tests/benchmarks/SharpCoreDB.Benchmarks.Comparative -- -c Release -- --pk-default`
+Date: 2026-09-04 · Machine: local dev box · median of 3 runs per phase.
+
+The SharpCoreDB arm uses a **pure default** `DatabaseConfig` (only the engine type is pinned to
+`AppendOnly` — `NoEncryptMode` stays at its default `false`, no page-cache/query-cache/durability
+harness flags). The table is the fair-PK schema with `id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY`, so the default
+record-layout rules apply: a new PK table becomes **Columnar + fixed-width** and the single-pass
+contiguous UPDATE/DELETE paths do engage (verified separately by `DefaultEngineSelectionTests`).
+
+## Results (ops/sec, median of 3)
+
+| Database | INSERT | READ | UPDATE | DELETE |
+|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|
+| SharpCoreDB (default config) | 111,052 | 69,053 | **84,304** | **92,646** |
+| SQLite | 188,247 | 107,122 | 291,414 | 389,120 |
+| gap vs SQLite | 1.7x | 1.6x | **3.5x** | **4.2x** |
+
+For comparison, the same schema with the tuned benchmark config (NoEncryptMode + Async WAL + larger
+batches) measures UPDATE ~245K ops/s and DELETE ~172K ops/s (gaps ~1.2x / ~2.1x).
+
+## Honest conclusion
+
+The out-of-the-box default is **correct and engages the fast paths, but is not yet at the tuned
+throughput**: UPDATE/DELETE land ~3.5-4.2x behind SQLite (vs ~1.2-2.1x tuned). The dominant
+difference is the **default `WalDurabilityMode.FullSync`** (per-commit flush) versus the benchmark
+arm's `Async`; the per-batch commit cost explains most of the gap. Fast-path counters prove the
+contiguous code is running — the throughput is limited by durability flushing, not by resolution.
+
+## Recommendation / follow-up
+
+1. Do **not** silently weaken the durability default (`FullSync` is the safe choice for
+   production). Instead, optimize the **FullSync commit flush** path (fewer/single flush per
+   commit, group-commit of the commit markers + overwrites that already batch per page) so a
+   synchronous commit costs a few ms instead of tens of ms.
+2. Re-run this `--pk-default` harness after that change and require the default-config UPDATE/DELETE
+   gap to move from ~3.5-4.2x toward ~2x before the release-cut.
+3. Keep this file updated with the latest median-of-3 numbers.
diff --git a/tests/benchmarks/SharpCoreDB.Benchmarks.Comparative/Program.cs b/tests/benchmarks/SharpCoreDB.Benchmarks.Comparative/Program.cs
index 041cafe5..aa6414a0 100644
--- a/tests/benchmarks/SharpCoreDB.Benchmarks.Comparative/Program.cs
+++ b/tests/benchmarks/SharpCoreDB.Benchmarks.Comparative/Program.cs
@@ -65,6 +65,20 @@ static async Task Main(string[] args)
             return;
         }
 
+        // Optional: --pk-default → fair PK comparison using PURE default DatabaseConfig
+        // (NoEncryptMode stays at its default false, no harness-only flags). Proves that the
+        // out-of-the-box default path engages the fixed-width fast paths vs SQLite.
+        if (args.Any(a => a.Equals("--pk-default", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)))
+        {
+            var engineArgDefault = args.FirstOrDefault(a => a.StartsWith("--engine=", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
+            var engineTypeDefault = engineArgDefault is not null
+                && engineArgDefault.Substring("--engine=".Length).Equals("pagebased", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                    ? SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType.PageBased
+                    : SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType.AppendOnly;
+            RunPkDefaultComparison(engineTypeDefault);
+            return;
+        }
+
         // Optional: --engine=appendonly (default) | --engine=pagebased
         // PageBased is the v2.0 in-place-update engine (WP10-WP13 storage engine roadmap).
         var engineArg = args.FirstOrDefault(a => a.StartsWith("--engine=", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
@@ -845,7 +859,10 @@ data TEXT
     /// <c>ExecuteBatchSQL</c> (single transaction). This exercises the PK B-tree fast paths and the
     /// recommended usage; the no-PK harness scenario above under-measures the engine on DML.
     /// </summary>
-    static BenchmarkResult RunSharpCoreDBPk(SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType engineType, bool fixedWidth = false)
+    static BenchmarkResult RunSharpCoreDBPk(
+        SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType engineType,
+        bool fixedWidth = false,
+        bool useDefaultConfig = false)
     {
         var dbPath = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"bench-sharpcoredb-pk-{Guid.NewGuid()}");
         var result = new BenchmarkResult();
@@ -857,7 +874,9 @@ static BenchmarkResult RunSharpCoreDBPk(SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType
             var sp = services.BuildServiceProvider();
 
             var factory = sp.GetRequiredService<DatabaseFactory>();
-            var config = BuildConfig(engineType, fixedWidth);
+            var config = useDefaultConfig
+                ? new DatabaseConfig { StorageEngineType = engineType }
+                : BuildConfig(engineType, fixedWidth);
 
             using var db = (SharpCoreDB.Database)factory.Create(
                 dbPath: dbPath,
@@ -1034,6 +1053,50 @@ static void RunPkComparison(SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType engineType)
         Console.WriteLine($"\nResults saved to: {path}");
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// P3 hardening: fair PK comparison where the SharpCoreDB arm uses a PURE default
+    /// <see cref="DatabaseConfig"/> (no NoEncryptMode / page-cache / query-cache harness flags) —
+    /// only the engine type is pinned to the runner's engine. Proves the out-of-the-box default
+    /// path (Columnar + fixed-width PK tables) engages the fast paths against SQLite.
+    /// </summary>
+    static void RunPkDefaultComparison(SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType engineType)
+    {
+        var engineLabel = engineType == SharpCoreDB.Interfaces.StorageEngineType.PageBased ? "PageBased" : "AppendOnly";
+        Console.WriteLine("╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗");
+        Console.WriteLine("║  Fair PK with DEFAULT DatabaseConfig vs SQLite           ║");
+        Console.WriteLine("║  (NoEncryptMode=false; no harness-only performance flags)║");
+        Console.WriteLine("╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝");
+        Console.WriteLine();
+        Console.WriteLine($"Engine: {engineLabel}");
+        Console.WriteLine("(median of 3 per phase)");
+
+        Console.WriteLine("━━━ SharpCoreDB (SQL, PK, default config = Columnar fixed-width) ━━━");
+        var scdb = RunPkMedian(() => RunSharpCoreDBPk(engineType, useDefaultConfig: true));
+        Console.WriteLine();
+
+        Console.WriteLine("━━━ SQLite (reference) ━━━");
+        var sqlite = RunPkMedian(() => RunSQLite());
+        Console.WriteLine();
+
+        Console.WriteLine("║ Database      │ INSERT     │ READ     │ UPDATE   │ DELETE   ║");
+        Console.WriteLine($"║ SharpCoreDB   │ {scdb.InsertOpsPerSec,10:N0} │ {scdb.ReadOpsPerSec,8:N0} │ {scdb.UpdateOpsPerSec,8:N0} │ {scdb.DeleteOpsPerSec,8:N0} ║");
+        Console.WriteLine($"║ SQLite        │ {sqlite.InsertOpsPerSec,10:N0} │ {sqlite.ReadOpsPerSec,8:N0} │ {sqlite.UpdateOpsPerSec,8:N0} │ {sqlite.DeleteOpsPerSec,8:N0} ║");
+        Console.WriteLine($"\n  UPDATE gap: SQLite vs default-config {sqlite.UpdateOpsPerSec / (double)scdb.UpdateOpsPerSec:F1}x");
+        Console.WriteLine($"  DELETE gap: SQLite vs default-config {sqlite.DeleteOpsPerSec / (double)scdb.DeleteOpsPerSec:F1}x");
+
+        var results = new Dictionary<string, BenchmarkResult>
+        {
+            ["SharpCoreDB (SQL, PK, default config)"] = scdb,
+            ["SQLite"] = sqlite,
+        };
+
+        var dir = "results";
+        Directory.CreateDirectory(dir);
+        var path = Path.Combine(dir, $"pk_default_{DateTime.UtcNow:yyyyMMdd_HHmmss}.json");
+        File.WriteAllText(path, JsonSerializer.Serialize(results, new JsonSerializerOptions { WriteIndented = true }));
+        Console.WriteLine($"\nResults saved to: {path}");
+    }
+
     // ══════════════════════════════════════
     // LiteDB
     // ══════════════════════════════════════