Hacker News Reader

What works well for Gemini specifically, in your experience?

Big projects that are hard. Rust and CUDA for example. Particularly where you have many files that need to be fully read in for context, before planning or implementing something.

Also very hard algorithmic problems. Also bugs that Claude Code or Codex CLI are completely stuck on and can't find, Gemini 3 using Gemini CLI will go in and find the impossible. It's incredible when it does this.

Claude Code burns through context like crazy. With or without Serena.

Codex CLI using GPT 5.1 Codex Max Extra High is really good and uses context more efficiently. But Gemini 3/CLI is 10X more efficient with context.

But for the past 3 days I've had to endure absolute torture and I think it's the actual Gemini 3 back-end model that is having major issues.

small targeted changes, if you want a feature thrown in with less regard to everything else, claude is better

I feel like Codex is the middle ground. You can define a project, break it into bite sized chunks, but still lift a reasonable amount. Claude with Opus 4.5 right now chews up context at an eye watering rate. It's really unfortunate because it's really good.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com