CPU, power grid, tank and DPS are connected — not independent scores.

A good fitting meets a purpose and a pilot

A ship fit is not simply a collection of modules with the highest paper DPS or effective hit points. It must perform a job: travel, tackle, mission running, mining, exploration, fleet support or PvP. A fit that works for one target, environment or skill profile can be unsuitable for another. Start by writing down its purpose, expected engagement distance, damage type, operating environment and available ISK.

Open EveDashboard FitBuilder to work in the radial fitting console. You can compare module changes, check legal slots and fitting resources, and view skill-related assumptions. The displayed simulation is a decision aid; it does not guarantee that a ship will survive a live encounter.

Worked fitting budget: one module can break a fit

This is an illustrative fitting-resource example, not actual stats for a named EVE hull. Suppose a fictional frigate has 155 tf available CPU and 48 MW available power grid at the selected skill assumptions. Its installed modules currently use 145 tf CPU and 39 MW power grid.

Now consider an upgrade that uses 14 tf CPU and 5 MW power grid more than the module it replaces. The new totals become 159 tf CPU and 44 MW power grid. Power grid is still under budget, but CPU is 4 tf over. You could choose a different module, reclaim CPU elsewhere or revisit skills and fitting rigs. The fact that one resource is available does not compensate for exceeding another.

Skills change the comparison

All Skills V is useful as a common reference, but it can be misleading when deciding whether your character can undock a design. Skill levels and relevant hull bonuses can affect available fitting resources, damage, resistances, cycle times, capacitor use and more. Where available, use your authorized character profile in the fitting tool rather than treating an All-V fit as a promise of your own stats.

For a conceptual example, increasing available CPU from 155 tf to 162.75 tf would make the 159 tf fit pass the CPU limit, if a legitimate bonus raised that exact resource by 5%. This does not imply a particular EVE skill grants that bonus to every hull. Verify the real modifiers and required skill levels in FitBuilder and in the game.

Read DPS, application and capacitor together

Paper damage per second is potential output before the target's motion, range, signature, resistances and your own firing conditions matter. A weapon may look stronger on paper while applying much less damage to a smaller, faster target. Missile damage depends on application factors such as target signature and velocity; turret performance depends on conditions such as tracking and transversal.

Capacitor stability also needs context. A fit described as stable while propulsion or active repairs are off may become unstable when every active module runs. Test the operating configuration you actually expect to use, including boosters, repairers, electronic warfare and tackle.

Tank is not one universal number

Effective hit points vary with the assumed damage profile. Active repair tank adds an amount over time, but timing, capacitor availability, incoming alpha damage, repairs between volleys and module heat can change outcomes. In practical terms, a high EHP number cannot replace thinking about your actual opponents. Nor does a repair amount alone tell you how the ship behaves while webbed, neuted or unable to maintain range.

Five-step FitBuilder check before you spend ISK

1. Select your hull. Confirm you chose the exact variation and tech level you mean to fly.
2. Build by role. Add damage, tank, utility and propulsion modules for your intended activity, not merely because a slot is vacant.
3. Resolve red flags. Check CPU, power grid, slot restrictions, hardpoints, rigs, cargo and any illegal or unavailable modules.
4. Choose the pilot profile. Compare All-V assumptions with actual character skills where supported, and read the missing requirements.
5. Price and validate. Compare the current market total at a hub you can use, inspect module effects, and consider a cheaper fallback fit if you can lose the ship.

If you are fitting drones or fighters, distinguish units in the bay from those deployed or assigned. An occupied hold or fighter bay does not mean every drone is actively applying DPS. Module states and ammunition should also match the intended scenario when you compare numbers.

What to record when comparing two fits

Make a note of the hull, skill profile, modules, ammunition, active states, damage profile, pricing hub and date. Change one factor at a time, especially when comparing two fitting tools. Otherwise you may attribute a difference caused by skills or loaded charges to a calculation defect. If the numbers disagree with PYFA or the in-game fitting simulator, compare the exact same configuration, skill assumptions and active states before concluding which result is wrong.

Next: open FitBuilder, read the site's fitting data methodology, or use the market search for a hull to check its market context.