My experience has been that 5.4 is slower than 5.5 (confound: I use >512k max context size for 5.4, though it seems slower even below the normal size)

ha, exactly... like, the % change could be minuscule (or worse, it might only be a perceived difference, the actual quality may have regressed, or the scenario just didn't lend itself to that specific model) but people will be on here proclaiming that they're now shipping 10x the number of PRs.

if you go this route don't hold your thoughts on the casino itself