⚡ Conclusion: Which One Should You Choose?
The Three-Way Battle: Basic Spec Comparison
| Metric | DeepSeek V3.2 | GPT-5.2 | Claude Opus 4.6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| API Cost (1M Input) | $0.28 (Dirt Cheap) | $1.75 | $5.00 |
| Reasoning (GPQA) | 82.4% | 92.4% (Strongest) | SOTA Class |
| Math (AIME) | 96.0% (Genius) | ~95.0% | -- |
| Coding (SWE) | 73.1% | 80.0% | 80.9% (Craftsman) |
| Status in 2026 | Strict Censorship | "Lazy" Tendencies | Complete Revival (SOTA) |
1. DeepSeek V3 (V3.2) - The Cost Disruptor
💰 Why "DeepSeek"?
It all comes down to overwhelming cost performance. It boasts performance equal to or better than the GPT-4o generation at less than 1/10th the cost. In "Math" and "Boilerplate code generation" specifically, it stays neck-and-neck with GPT-5.
⚠️ Weaknesses: Political Censorship and Multimodality
As a model from China, it is extremely sensitive to certain political topics. Additionally, it lacks image recognition or generation features, so it should be used purely as a text/code processing machine.
2. GPT-5.2 - The All-Rounder King
👑 The Aura of a King and "Laziness"
A score of 92.4% on GPQA Diamond surpasses even human PhD holders. Its capability for scientific reasoning and handling unknown phenomena is the best in the world. It also integrates smoothly with image generation (Sora/GPT-Image).
⚠️ Weakness: "Lazy" Coding
As of 2026, "Lazy Coding"—where the model omits instructions or fails to write the full code—is being flagged as an issue on Reddit and elsewhere. Because it is too smart, it tends to slack off on work it deems the user can handle themselves.
3. Claude Opus 4.6 - The Orchestra Conductor
🔨 The Pinnacle of Coding Specialization
With an 80.9% on SWE-bench Verified (Opus 4.5 score, 4.6 is even higher), it remains a trusted model for complex refactoring and architectural design. The visualization of the thought process via Thinking Blocks is another reason it remains beloved by programmers.
✅ Resolved: "Lobotomization" is Over
The "lobotomization" (performance degradation) feared in 4.5 has been completely resolved in 4.6. The new "1 Million Token Context" and "Agent Teams" features allow it to handle complex project management tasks that single-turn models cannot touch.
🏁 Final Verdict: Best Buy by Use Case
🔢 "I want to process massive amounts as cheaply as possible"
👉 DeepSeek V3 is the only choice
Best for log analysis, translation, and simple code generation. You can hit the API without worrying about your wallet.
🧠 "I want to solve difficult problems with peak intelligence"
👉 GPT-5.2 (Pro/Thinking)
Perfect for R&D, paper writing, and brainstorming new business ideas. If you want the "correct answer" regardless of cost, this is the king.
💻 "I want to entrust complex system development"
👉 Claude Opus 4.6 + Cursor
With the 1M context window and Agent Teams, it is now the undisputed "Project Manager" for large-scale development.