Step 5 Preview, a 1M-context MoE from StepFun, shows up on OpenRouter

Step models were IMO the first local model you can run on 128GB shared memory that worked well. Really excited to see how it compares to Qwen Flash Next.

Edit: bummer, didn’t know it’s 600B-A27B. No way to run that on 228GB.

Well, according to Artificial Analysis (which I'll admit I've been using as a bit of a mental crutch to avoid comparing models myself, so YMMV), it's smarter and slightly cheaper than Gemini 3.8 Flash, which has been my benchline for "cheap and smart enough", I'll give it a try on OpenCode for the week but I'm not sure I'll be compelled enough to switch from Muse Spark 1.3.

Why is that interesting?

Wonder if this was the space bunny alpha model

It doesn't look competitive along any dimension: https://artificialanalysis.ai/models/step-5#intelligence-com...

Better luck next time.

[flagged]

I like trying new models but I wish we’d get something actually new. Like a new architecture or something. LLMs are just so sloppish. We can do better.

Without the pelicans I don’t know what to think

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https://postimg.cc/c6L2MjSt

12m 0s and $0.28

>Draw a Hacker News-style comment thread. Top comment by a user named "pelican_enjoyer": "Without the pelicans I don't know what to think." Reply from "minimaxir" in a grumpy tone: "Since people keep doing it: no, you don't have to make an allusion to Simon's pelicans every time a Hacker News thread about a new LLM pops up. It's a lower-effort joke than even Reddit memes." Beside the thread, show a pelican riding a bicycle, looking smug.