diff --git a/tinygrad/codegen/late/linearizer.py b/tinygrad/codegen/late/linearizer.py
index 24ba9ff005..894a87b9a4 100644
--- a/tinygrad/codegen/late/linearizer.py
+++ b/tinygrad/codegen/late/linearizer.py
@@ -20,16 +20,8 @@ def linearize(u:UOp) -> list[UOp]:
     # this will cause ranges to be placed late and ends to be placed early
     run_count = prod([int(r.vmax)+1 for r in u.ranges])
 
-    # put loads in the beginning of the block and prevent priority inversion. hack for BARRIER grouping too
-    priority = [0] + [priorities[x][1] for x in consumers[u]]
-    if u.op is Ops.LOAD: priority.append(-1000)
-    if u.op is Ops.BARRIER: priority.append(-1500)
-    # ranges are scheduled as late as possible so anything that can be outside is
-    # if u.op is Ops.RANGE: priority = [2000]
-    if u.op is Ops.END: priority = [-1000]
-    # move defines and consts to the top
-    if u.op in {Ops.DEFINE_GLOBAL, Ops.DEFINE_LOCAL, Ops.DEFINE_REG, Ops.DEFINE_VAR, Ops.SPECIAL, Ops.CONST}: priority.append(-2000)
-    priorities[u] = (run_count, min(priority))
+    # simple priority
+    priorities[u] = (run_count, 0)
 
   # number the uops in "ideal" order
   nkey = {u:i for i,u in enumerate(sorted(lst, key=lambda x: (priorities[x],)+x.tuplize))}
diff --git a/tinygrad/uop/__init__.py b/tinygrad/uop/__init__.py
index 4264fc2fac..39c15a208e 100644
--- a/tinygrad/uop/__init__.py
+++ b/tinygrad/uop/__init__.py
@@ -9,6 +9,22 @@ class FastEnum(IntEnum):
 
 # the order of these Ops controls the order of the toposort
 class Ops(FastEnum):
+  # ** 1 -- defines/consts **
+
+  # TODO: unify these ops into the levels of the memory hierarchy. depends on ASSIGN is STORE
+  DEFINE_GLOBAL = auto(); DEFINE_LOCAL = auto(); DEFINE_REG = auto() # noqa: E702
+
+  # this is for symbolic shapes
+  DEFINE_VAR = auto(); BIND = auto() # noqa: E702
+
+  # consts. VCONST is a vectorized const
+  VCONST = auto(); CONST = auto() # noqa: E702
+
+  # this is a RANGE for GPU dimensions, similar to symbolic shapes but not exactly
+  SPECIAL = auto()
+
+  # ** 2 -- non op uops **
+
   # uops that aren't rendered
   NOOP = auto(); SINK = auto(); UNIQUE = auto(); DEVICE = auto(); KERNEL = auto(); PRECAST = auto(); REWRITE_ERROR = auto()  # noqa: E702
   SENTINEL = auto()
@@ -32,33 +48,28 @@ class Ops(FastEnum):
   RESHAPE = auto(); PERMUTE = auto(); EXPAND = auto(); PAD = auto(); SHRINK = auto(); FLIP = auto() # noqa: E702
   MULTI = auto()  # MULTI is really a movement op
 
-  # TODO: unify these ops into the levels of the memory hierarchy. depends on ASSIGN is STORE
-  DEFINE_GLOBAL = auto(); DEFINE_LOCAL = auto(); DEFINE_REG = auto() # noqa: E702
-
-  # this is for symbolic shapes
-  DEFINE_VAR = auto(); BIND = auto() # noqa: E702
-
-  # this is a RANGE for GPU dimensions, similar to symbolic shapes but not exactly
-  SPECIAL = auto()
-
-  # reduce
+  # reduce (movement)
   REDUCE_AXIS = auto(); REDUCE = auto(); ALLREDUCE = auto() # noqa: E702
 
   # optimization helper ops
   UNROLL = auto(); CONTRACT = auto(); GEP = auto(); VECTORIZE = auto(); CAT = auto(); PTRCAT = auto() # noqa: E702
 
-  # UnaryOps
-  CAST = auto(); BITCAST = auto(); EXP2 = auto(); LOG2 = auto(); SIN = auto(); SQRT = auto(); RECIPROCAL = auto(); NEG = auto(); TRUNC = auto() # noqa: E702
+  # ** 3 -- load/store **
+
+  # INDEX is a BinaryOp similar to ADD, but it operates on pointers
+  INDEX = auto()
 
   # load/store before math
   LOAD = auto(); STORE = auto() # noqa: E702
   ASSIGN = auto()  # TODO: ASSIGN is STORE, remove ASSIGN
 
+  # ** 4 -- math **
+
   # tensor core math op, not elementwise
   WMMA = auto()
 
-  # INDEX is a BinaryOp similar to ADD, but it operates on pointers
-  INDEX = auto()
+  # UnaryOps
+  CAST = auto(); BITCAST = auto(); EXP2 = auto(); LOG2 = auto(); SIN = auto(); SQRT = auto(); RECIPROCAL = auto(); NEG = auto(); TRUNC = auto() # noqa: E702
 
   # BinaryOps
   ADD = auto(); MUL = auto(); SHL = auto(); SHR = auto(); IDIV = auto(); MAX = auto(); MOD = auto() # noqa: E702
@@ -69,12 +80,11 @@ class Ops(FastEnum):
   # TernaryOps
   WHERE = auto(); MULACC = auto() # noqa: E702
 
+  # ** 5 -- control flow / other **
+
   # control flow ops
   BARRIER = auto(); RANGE = auto(); IF = auto(); END = auto(); ENDIF = auto() # noqa: E702
 
-  # consts. VCONST is a vectorized const
-  VCONST = auto(); CONST = auto() # noqa: E702
-
   # CUSTOM/CUSTOMI are used to output strings into codegen. the I makes the string inline
   CUSTOM = auto(); CUSTOMI = auto() # noqa: E702