Comment by arcanemachiner
6 hours ago
Get yourself an OpenCode Go subscription and give DeepSeek Flash 4.1 a shot.
A common tactic is to used a big brain model like Opus for planning and reviewing, and a cheaper model for execution.
6 hours ago
Get yourself an OpenCode Go subscription and give DeepSeek Flash 4.1 a shot.
A common tactic is to used a big brain model like Opus for planning and reviewing, and a cheaper model for execution.
While it's a common tactic, and I'd vouch for it if you don't really know what you want to code in fact, but if you know what you want to get out of it, I haven't found anything I'd need opus 5.5 for instead of deepseek-flash (flash v4.1 hosted via platform.deepseek.com)
genuine question: is there an improvement in using platform deepseek com, over openrouter and a third party provider?
Yes, openrouter providers are all over the place (in a bad way): https://mmoustafa.com/blog/so-you-want-to-use-openrouter/
I've experienced this firsthand and now I generally pin to providers that I trust on openrouter, or just pony up and pay for the real thing.
Potentially higher cache hit rate at the expense of your data being kept for training.
platform deepseek com's tos enforces use all your data on training, which is a major set back for me.
Other than that, I think they are cheaper last time I compared.
In my experience that tactic works well if the codebase is limited in size, or well maintained and separated. Otherwise I do notice a difference also letting fable do the execution, not just the planning for complex tasks.
In my experience it never works well on any real work. In fact, I'd go the opposite, plan with the dumb model and execute with the smart model because at least the model writing the code and solving the emergent problems is capable.
In my experience (and I've been trying this a bunch): smart planner + dumb executor produces worse code with higher spend than simply using the smart planner to do both.
It's easy to understand why:
- If the planner has truly thought the issue through, properly designed the solution, solved all of the emergent problems, then the final "write" of the code is just a few more output tokens.
- If the planner has NOT truly planned the issue completely, then you're letting a substantially dumber and less capable model make significant decisions, and trusting its problem solving, without having a better model check it.
If you're highly cost conscious (paying for your own tokens and not making any money) then you have no choice but to trade your time and effort for tricks like this to save money by lowering the quality of your output.
But if your employer is paying for tokens: just use the smarter model. You save your time preventing re-work and reducing code review, you save your employer money (primarily from the cost of your own labor and reduced rework), and you get a better output every time (Opus 5.5 mogs Deepseek 4.1 flash in every single way except cost).
The cost is 20-40x less for Deepseek Flash v4.1. If you are just comparing to Sonnet or you aren't paying (your case) then your advice makes perfect sense.
I also agree that its a big mistake to have a flash model implement without a strong model reviewing.
I have Opus plan, Deepseek implement the code, and then review with Opus [1]. In this workflow I am saving a lot of money by having Deepseek do the implementation. Note that the review back-and-forth is fully automated [2], so it doesn't take any extra attention from me.
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to mog: to outshine, outclass
Etymology: probably from AMOG Alpha Male of the Group
First seen: 2018
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Been using DeepSeek Flash 4.0 and 4.1 for some random sideprojects via OC GO, its a great deal and for non-corporate work it's really great!