R0Updated November 2026
How We Score
The factors, weights, score bands and tiers behind every rating on PC Parts Reviews.
Every product on PC Parts Reviews can earn an overall score from 0 to 10. It comes from a small set of factors chosen for that type of product, and the math is the same across the site. We don't run a test lab, so our scores are editorial judgments built on maker specifications, independent reviews and owner reports. Our editorial standards explain how that evidence is gathered.
The factors
Each category uses one rubric of five factors, and each factor is scored from 0 to 10 to one decimal place. Product pages show the factor scores with a short note explaining them.
| Rubric | Used for | 30% | 20% | 20% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon | Processors, graphics cards | Performance | Value | Efficiency | Platform | Community |
| Motherboard | Motherboards | Features | Power delivery | Build & BIOS | Value | Community |
| Component | Memory, SSDs, hard drives, power supplies, sound cards, network adapters, external storage | Performance | Reliability | Features | Value | Community |
| Cooling | CPU coolers, case fans, thermal compound | Thermals | Acoustics | Installation | Value | Community |
| Case | PC cases | Thermals | Build quality | Ease of build | Value | Community |
| Complete system | Prebuilt PCs, mini PCs, all-in-ones | Performance | Component quality | Upgradeability | Value | Support & community |
| Laptop | Laptops, gaming handhelds | Performance | Display | Portability | Value | Community |
| Display | Monitors, portable monitors | Image quality | Motion & gaming | Features | Value | Community |
| Peripheral | Keyboards, mice, controllers, webcams, capture cards, stream controllers | Performance | Comfort & feel | Build & software | Value | Community |
| Audio | Headsets and headphones, speakers, audio interfaces, microphones | Sound quality | Comfort & build | Features | Value | Community |
| Gear | Monitor arms, mousepads, lighting, routers, network switches, NAS, UPS and surge protection, cables, adapters, docks, desks, chairs, VR headsets, accessories, operating systems | Performance | Build quality | Features | Value | Community |
Value means what the current price buys. For processors and graphics cards, that is the current street price against the alternatives. For complete systems, it is the price against the same parts bought separately. If we can't read a current street price, we judge value from the list price against rivals and say so in the note.
Community is sentiment across independent reviewers and owners. In the complete-system rubric, it also covers warranty, service and owner reports.
How the weights work
Position in the rubric sets the weight. The first factor counts for 30 percent, the next three for 20 percent each, and the last for 10 percent. The first factor is the job the product exists to do, and community feedback counts least.
To reach the overall score, we multiply each scored factor by its weight, add those up and divide by the total weight of the factors that have a score. The result is rounded to one decimal place. The overall score is always calculated from the factor scores. Nobody types it in.
A blank factor drops out instead of counting as zero. Take a graphics card with Performance 9.0, Value 8.0, Efficiency 8.5 and Platform 8.0 and no community data. The four weighted scores add up to 7.6 across 90 percent of the weight, which works out to an overall score of 8.4.
If the factors with scores carry less than half of the total weight, the product gets no overall score at all. An incomplete review never gets a headline number.
Community is left blank without evidence
When a product has no reviews and no videos on file, its community score stays blank. We don't fill in a default or a guess. The other factors still count, and the math above simply leaves community out.
Score bands
The overall score maps to one of six bands.
| Overall score | Band |
|---|---|
| 9.2 and up | Exceptional |
| 8.6 to 9.1 | Excellent |
| 8.0 to 8.5 | Great |
| 7.2 to 7.9 | Good |
| 6.2 to 7.1 | Fair |
| Below 6.2 | Poor |
We calibrate factor scores so the top of the scale means something. Category leaders with overwhelming evidence generally land between 8.6 and 9.4, strong picks between 7.6 and 8.5, and average products between 6.5 and 7.5. Poor products land below that.
Tiers
The tier lists are separate from these scores. They rank processors and graphics cards purely by relative performance, where 100 means the fastest chip we track. Price plays no part.
| Tier | Meaning | GPU index | CPU gaming index |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | The fastest there is | 75 and up | 90 and up |
| A | High-end | 50 to 74 | 75 to 89 |
| B | Upper mid-range | 30 to 49 | 60 to 74 |
| C | Mainstream | 18 to 29 | 45 to 59 |
| D | Entry level | Below 18 | Below 45 |
Both indexes are calculated from Tom's Hardware's GPU and CPU hierarchies. The GPU index weighs 1080p at 25 percent, 1440p at 45 percent and 4K at 30 percent. CPU tiers are based on gaming performance, so if you edit, render or compile, give the multi-thread column more weight. Your results will depend on the game, your settings and the rest of the system.
What scores ignore
Commissions play no part in any of this. No factor measures whether a product earns us money, and our affiliate disclosure explains how those links work.
If a score looks wrong to you, tell us why.