Method
How the value score is calculated
One number from 50 to 99 that answers: how good is this price for what you get? Here is the exact formula.
The price we score
Every score uses the total you'd pay: the listing price plus shipping. Before scoring, the scanner keeps only listings whose title matches the exact product and whose total lands between 45% and 135% of the part's typical price, so $1 bait listings and wildly overpriced resellers never get a score.
Graphics cards and processors: performance per dollar
Parts with a performance number are compared against the best performance per dollar in their category in the same scan:
ratio = (performance ÷ price) ÷ best performance-per-dollar in the category score = 55 + 44 × min(1, ratio)
- Graphics cards: relative 1440p performance (RTX 5090 = 100), from the Tom's Hardware GPU hierarchy (June 2026).
- Processors: the relative gaming index in the PC Atlas catalog (fastest gaming CPU = 100).
- “Best in the category” is recalculated every scan from each part's cheapest matching offer, so scores move when prices move.
| Value vs. the best in its category | Score |
|---|---|
| The best value (ratio 1.0) | 99 |
| 75% as much performance per dollar | 88 |
| 50% as much performance per dollar | 77 |
| 25% as much performance per dollar | 66 |
Everything else: price against typical price
RAM, storage, motherboards, power supplies, cases and coolers have no single performance number, so they're scored on price against the part's typical street price (the estimate in the PC Atlas catalog):
score = 75 + 60 × (typical price ÷ price − 1)
| Price vs. typical | Score |
|---|---|
| 30% under | 99 |
| 20% under | 90 |
| 10% under | 82 |
| Typical price | 75 |
| 10% over | 70 |
| 25% over | 63 |
| 50% over | 55 |
| 75% over | 50 |
Limits
Every score is rounded and clamped to 50–99. That's why a part about 29% under its typical price and one 40% under both show 99.
What the score doesn't measure
Build quality, noise, warranty, looks and seller reputation aren't in the formula. Condition only matters through price: used parts are matched to used listings and compared against a used-market typical price. Use the score to find a fair price, then pick the part that fits your build.
Sample listings
While live retailer feeds are being connected, the site shows sample listings labeled Sample. Their scores are illustrative examples, not the output of a scan. Live listings replace them category by category, with scores from the formula above.
How to read it
- 88+: a standout. These make the Best Finds list.
- 75–87: a fair price. Fine if you need it now.
- Under 75: you're paying more than usual, or there's better value in the category. Set a price alert if you can wait.
Source code: valueScore() in scripts/scan-lib.mjs. A shorter, plain-language version is in the guide How the PC Atlas value score works.