Underdog Releases Saluki 27B: 7x Smaller Than Qwen Base, Keeps 96% of Performance
max_paperclips · x · 2026-10-09
Underdog has released Saluki 27B, an Apache 2.0 open model built on Qwen 3.8 27B. It is roughly 7x smaller than its full-precision counterpart, runs in under 8GB, retains 96% of benchmark performance, and beats Qwen on tool calling.
The release is framed as a win for small, heavily post-trained models over pure scaling, with the author calling it "money pilled and saving maxing." Available now in Underdog.
Related event: Underdog Releases Saluki 27B: 7x Smaller, 96% Performance Retained(2 posts)→
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