The Comparator

Academy · Understand the numbers

Why Value changes

Value is calculated each time from your priorities, today’s prices and the products on the page. When it moves, it is one of four reasons.

Lessons · Why Value changes

Four reasons

  1. Your priorities changed. A different preset or a moved weight reorders the same products. This is the most common reason.
  2. A price changed. A store changed its offer, or a cheaper one appeared. The grade stays. Value moves.
  3. The products on the page changed. Value is relative to the products in the view. A filter that removes the market’s best product changes the scale for the rest.
  4. The product’s facts changed. A corrected specification, or an estimate replaced by a measurement.

Why does A rank above B?

  1. Open both in Compare. Only the rows that differ remain.
  2. For each difference, ask which way your weights lean. If price has a high weight and A is cheaper, A gains on that row. If performance has a high weight and B is faster, B gains.
  3. For one pair, open the head-to-head page. Priority sensitivity shows whether a small change in your weights would swap them. The price at which the answer changes shows how far apart they are.

What never changes Value

A grade, and a store’s relationship with us. Retailers cannot pay for a higher Value.

Terms used here

Value
How good the current price is under your priorities, from 0 to 100 within the view. Read the lesson
Priorities
How much price, performance, memory, power or warranty matter to you. Read the lesson
Market snapshot
The products, offers and check times of a market at one moment. Read the lesson
Preset
A ready-made set of priorities for a common job. A starting point. Read the lesson