Initial commit
This commit is contained in:
Zhongwei Li
386
skills/perplexity-search/references/model_comparison.md
Normal file
386
skills/perplexity-search/references/model_comparison.md
Normal file
@@ -0,0 +1,386 @@
|
||||
# Perplexity Model Comparison
|
||||
|
||||
Guide to different Perplexity models available through OpenRouter and when to use each.
|
||||
|
||||
## Available Models
|
||||
|
||||
All Perplexity models are accessed through OpenRouter using the format:
|
||||
`openrouter/perplexity/[model-name]`
|
||||
|
||||
### Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
|
||||
**Model ID**: `openrouter/perplexity/sonar-pro-search`
|
||||
|
||||
**Best for:**
|
||||
- Complex multi-step research questions
|
||||
- Queries requiring deep analysis and synthesis
|
||||
- Situations needing comprehensive source exploration
|
||||
- Comparative analyses across multiple domains
|
||||
- Research requiring agentic reasoning workflow
|
||||
|
||||
**Characteristics:**
|
||||
- Most advanced agentic search system
|
||||
- Executes multi-step reasoning workflows
|
||||
- Uses tools and intermediate queries
|
||||
- Provides most comprehensive answers
|
||||
- Higher cost due to extensive processing
|
||||
|
||||
**Use cases:**
|
||||
- "Conduct a comprehensive analysis of competing CAR-T cell therapy approaches, including mechanism differences, clinical outcomes, and cost-effectiveness"
|
||||
- "Compare quantum computing approaches for drug discovery with traditional computational methods across multiple metrics"
|
||||
- Research questions requiring synthesis from many sources
|
||||
|
||||
**Pricing** (approximate):
|
||||
- Input: $3/million tokens
|
||||
- Output: $15/million tokens
|
||||
- Request fee: $18 per 1000 requests
|
||||
|
||||
**Context window**: 200K tokens
|
||||
|
||||
### Sonar Pro
|
||||
|
||||
**Model ID**: `openrouter/perplexity/sonar-pro`
|
||||
|
||||
**Best for:**
|
||||
- General-purpose research and search
|
||||
- Balanced performance and cost
|
||||
- Standard scientific queries
|
||||
- Quick information gathering
|
||||
- Most use cases
|
||||
|
||||
**Characteristics:**
|
||||
- Enhanced capabilities over base Sonar
|
||||
- Good balance of quality and cost
|
||||
- Reliable for most queries
|
||||
- Faster than Pro Search
|
||||
- Recommended default choice
|
||||
|
||||
**Use cases:**
|
||||
- "What are the latest developments in CRISPR base editing?"
|
||||
- "Summarize recent clinical trials for Alzheimer's treatment"
|
||||
- "Explain how transformer architectures work in modern LLMs"
|
||||
- Standard literature searches
|
||||
- Technical documentation queries
|
||||
|
||||
**Pricing** (approximate):
|
||||
- Lower cost than Pro Search
|
||||
- Good cost-performance ratio
|
||||
|
||||
**Context window**: 200K tokens
|
||||
|
||||
### Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
**Model ID**: `openrouter/perplexity/sonar`
|
||||
|
||||
**Best for:**
|
||||
- Basic searches and queries
|
||||
- Cost-sensitive applications
|
||||
- Simple fact-finding
|
||||
- High-volume queries
|
||||
- Quick lookups
|
||||
|
||||
**Characteristics:**
|
||||
- Base model with solid performance
|
||||
- Most cost-effective option
|
||||
- Faster response times
|
||||
- Good for straightforward queries
|
||||
- Lower accuracy than Pro variants
|
||||
|
||||
**Use cases:**
|
||||
- "What is the molecular weight of aspirin?"
|
||||
- "When was CRISPR-Cas9 first used in humans?"
|
||||
- "List the main symptoms of diabetes"
|
||||
- Simple fact verification
|
||||
- Basic information retrieval
|
||||
|
||||
**Pricing** (approximate):
|
||||
- Lowest cost option
|
||||
- Best for high-volume simple queries
|
||||
|
||||
**Context window**: 200K tokens
|
||||
|
||||
### Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
|
||||
**Model ID**: `openrouter/perplexity/sonar-reasoning-pro`
|
||||
|
||||
**Best for:**
|
||||
- Complex logical reasoning tasks
|
||||
- Multi-step problem solving
|
||||
- Technical analysis requiring step-by-step thinking
|
||||
- Mathematical or computational problems
|
||||
- Queries needing explicit reasoning chains
|
||||
|
||||
**Characteristics:**
|
||||
- Advanced reasoning capabilities
|
||||
- Shows step-by-step thinking
|
||||
- Better for analytical tasks
|
||||
- Excels at technical problem-solving
|
||||
- More structured outputs
|
||||
|
||||
**Use cases:**
|
||||
- "Walk through the steps to design a clinical trial for testing a novel cancer therapy"
|
||||
- "Analyze the computational complexity of different protein folding algorithms"
|
||||
- "Reason through the molecular mechanisms linking multiple genes to a disease phenotype"
|
||||
- Technical troubleshooting with multiple steps
|
||||
- Logical analysis of complex systems
|
||||
|
||||
**Pricing** (approximate):
|
||||
- Higher cost due to reasoning capabilities
|
||||
- Worth it for complex analytical tasks
|
||||
|
||||
**Context window**: 200K tokens
|
||||
|
||||
### Sonar Reasoning
|
||||
|
||||
**Model ID**: `openrouter/perplexity/sonar-reasoning`
|
||||
|
||||
**Best for:**
|
||||
- Basic reasoning tasks
|
||||
- Cost-effective analytical queries
|
||||
- Simpler logical problems
|
||||
- Step-by-step explanations
|
||||
|
||||
**Characteristics:**
|
||||
- Basic reasoning capabilities
|
||||
- More affordable than Reasoning Pro
|
||||
- Good for moderate complexity tasks
|
||||
- Shows logical thinking process
|
||||
|
||||
**Use cases:**
|
||||
- "Explain the logic behind vaccine efficacy calculations"
|
||||
- "Walk through basic statistical analysis steps"
|
||||
- Simple analytical questions
|
||||
- Educational explanations
|
||||
|
||||
**Pricing** (approximate):
|
||||
- Lower cost than Reasoning Pro
|
||||
- Good balance for basic reasoning
|
||||
|
||||
**Context window**: 200K tokens
|
||||
|
||||
## Model Selection Guide
|
||||
|
||||
### Decision Tree
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
Is your query complex and requiring deep multi-step analysis?
|
||||
├─ YES → Use Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
└─ NO → Continue
|
||||
|
||||
Does your query require explicit step-by-step reasoning?
|
||||
├─ YES → Use Sonar Reasoning Pro (complex) or Sonar Reasoning (simple)
|
||||
└─ NO → Continue
|
||||
|
||||
Is this a standard research or information query?
|
||||
├─ YES → Use Sonar Pro (recommended default)
|
||||
└─ NO → Continue
|
||||
|
||||
Is this a simple fact-finding or basic lookup?
|
||||
├─ YES → Use Sonar (cost-effective)
|
||||
└─ NO → Use Sonar Pro (safe default)
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
### By Use Case
|
||||
|
||||
| Use Case | Recommended Model | Alternative |
|
||||
|----------|------------------|-------------|
|
||||
| Literature review | Sonar Pro | Sonar Pro Search |
|
||||
| Quick fact check | Sonar | Sonar Pro |
|
||||
| Complex analysis | Sonar Pro Search | Sonar Reasoning Pro |
|
||||
| Step-by-step tutorial | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Sonar Pro |
|
||||
| Cost-sensitive bulk queries | Sonar | Sonar Pro |
|
||||
| General research | Sonar Pro | Sonar |
|
||||
| Technical debugging | Sonar Reasoning Pro | Sonar Pro |
|
||||
| Comparative analysis | Sonar Pro Search | Sonar Pro |
|
||||
|
||||
### By Domain
|
||||
|
||||
**Biomedical Research:**
|
||||
- Default: Sonar Pro
|
||||
- Complex mechanisms: Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
- Literature synthesis: Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
- Quick lookups: Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
**Computational Science:**
|
||||
- Default: Sonar Pro
|
||||
- Algorithm analysis: Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
- Technical docs: Sonar Pro
|
||||
- Basic syntax: Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
**Drug Discovery:**
|
||||
- Default: Sonar Pro
|
||||
- Multi-target analysis: Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
- Mechanism reasoning: Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
- Compound properties: Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
**Clinical Research:**
|
||||
- Default: Sonar Pro
|
||||
- Trial design: Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
- Evidence synthesis: Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
- Basic guidelines: Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
## Performance Characteristics
|
||||
|
||||
### Response Time
|
||||
|
||||
**Fastest to Slowest:**
|
||||
1. Sonar (fastest)
|
||||
2. Sonar Pro
|
||||
3. Sonar Reasoning
|
||||
4. Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
5. Sonar Pro Search (slowest, due to multi-step processing)
|
||||
|
||||
**Considerations:**
|
||||
- For time-sensitive queries, use Sonar or Sonar Pro
|
||||
- For comprehensive analysis, accept the slower Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
- Reasoning models are slower due to explicit thinking steps
|
||||
|
||||
### Quality vs Cost Trade-offs
|
||||
|
||||
**Quality Hierarchy** (highest to lowest):
|
||||
1. Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
2. Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
3. Sonar Pro
|
||||
4. Sonar Reasoning
|
||||
5. Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
**Cost Hierarchy** (most to least expensive):
|
||||
1. Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
2. Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
3. Sonar Pro
|
||||
4. Sonar Reasoning
|
||||
5. Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
**Recommendation**: Start with Sonar Pro as the default. Upgrade to Pro Search for complex queries, downgrade to Sonar for simple lookups.
|
||||
|
||||
### Accuracy and Comprehensiveness
|
||||
|
||||
**Most Comprehensive:**
|
||||
- Sonar Pro Search: Explores multiple sources, synthesizes deeply
|
||||
- Sonar Reasoning Pro: Thorough step-by-step analysis
|
||||
|
||||
**Most Accurate:**
|
||||
- Sonar Pro Search: Best source verification and cross-checking
|
||||
- Sonar Pro: Reliable for most queries
|
||||
|
||||
**Good Enough:**
|
||||
- Sonar: Adequate for simple facts and basic queries
|
||||
|
||||
## Special Considerations
|
||||
|
||||
### Context Window
|
||||
|
||||
All models support 200K token context windows:
|
||||
- Sufficient for most queries
|
||||
- Can handle long documents or multiple sources
|
||||
- Consider chunking very large analyses
|
||||
|
||||
### Temperature Settings
|
||||
|
||||
Different models benefit from different temperature settings:
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Pro Search:**
|
||||
- Default: 0.2 (more focused, analytical)
|
||||
- Use lower (0.0-0.1) for factual queries
|
||||
- Use higher (0.3-0.5) for creative synthesis
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Reasoning Pro:**
|
||||
- Default: 0.2
|
||||
- Keep low (0.0-0.2) for logical consistency
|
||||
- Reasoning quality degrades at high temperatures
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Pro / Sonar:**
|
||||
- Default: 0.2
|
||||
- Adjust based on query type (factual vs exploratory)
|
||||
|
||||
### Rate Limits and Quotas
|
||||
|
||||
OpenRouter enforces rate limits:
|
||||
- Check your OpenRouter dashboard for current limits
|
||||
- Consider request batching for high-volume use
|
||||
- Monitor costs with OpenRouter's tracking tools
|
||||
|
||||
### API Key Security
|
||||
|
||||
**Best practices:**
|
||||
- Never commit API keys to version control
|
||||
- Use environment variables or .env files
|
||||
- Rotate keys periodically
|
||||
- Monitor usage for unexpected activity
|
||||
- Use separate keys for different projects
|
||||
|
||||
## Example Comparisons
|
||||
|
||||
### Query: "Explain CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing"
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar:**
|
||||
- Quick overview
|
||||
- Basic mechanism explanation
|
||||
- ~200-300 tokens
|
||||
- 1-2 sources cited
|
||||
- Cost: $0.001
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Pro:**
|
||||
- Detailed explanation
|
||||
- Multiple mechanisms covered
|
||||
- ~500-800 tokens
|
||||
- 3-5 sources cited
|
||||
- Cost: $0.003
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Reasoning Pro:**
|
||||
- Step-by-step mechanism breakdown
|
||||
- Logical flow of editing process
|
||||
- ~800-1200 tokens
|
||||
- Shows reasoning steps
|
||||
- Cost: $0.005
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Pro Search:**
|
||||
- Comprehensive analysis
|
||||
- Multiple sources synthesized
|
||||
- Historical context included
|
||||
- Recent developments covered
|
||||
- ~1500-2000 tokens
|
||||
- 10+ sources explored
|
||||
- Cost: $0.020+
|
||||
|
||||
### Query: "What is 2+2?"
|
||||
|
||||
All models return accurate answer. Use Sonar for simple queries to minimize cost.
|
||||
|
||||
### Query: "Design a clinical trial for novel immunotherapy"
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar:**
|
||||
- Basic template provided
|
||||
- May miss important details
|
||||
- Cost-effective but incomplete
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Pro:**
|
||||
- Solid trial design framework
|
||||
- Covers main components
|
||||
- Good starting point
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Reasoning Pro:**
|
||||
- Detailed step-by-step design
|
||||
- Considers multiple factors
|
||||
- Shows reasoning for each choice
|
||||
- **Recommended for this query type**
|
||||
|
||||
**Sonar Pro Search:**
|
||||
- Most comprehensive design
|
||||
- Incorporates best practices from multiple sources
|
||||
- Compares different approaches
|
||||
- May be overkill for initial design
|
||||
|
||||
## Summary
|
||||
|
||||
**Default recommendation**: Start with **Sonar Pro** for most scientific queries.
|
||||
|
||||
**When to upgrade:**
|
||||
- Complex multi-step analysis → Sonar Pro Search
|
||||
- Explicit reasoning needed → Sonar Reasoning Pro
|
||||
|
||||
**When to downgrade:**
|
||||
- Simple facts or lookups → Sonar
|
||||
- Cost-sensitive bulk queries → Sonar
|
||||
|
||||
**Remember**: The best model depends on your specific use case, budget, and quality requirements. Monitor your usage and adjust model selection based on results.
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user