diff --git a/test/test_dtype.py b/test/test_dtype.py
index b10ba41669..faaff6b3a6 100644
--- a/test/test_dtype.py
+++ b/test/test_dtype.py
@@ -348,14 +348,9 @@ class TestEqStrDType(unittest.TestCase):
     assert dtypes.imageh((1,2,4)) != dtypes.imageh((1,4,2)), "different shape doesn't match"
     assert dtypes.imageh((1,2,4)) == dtypes.imageh((1,2,4)), "same shape matches"
     assert isinstance(dtypes.imageh((1,2,4)), ImageDType)
-  def test_ptr_ne(self):
-    if PtrDType is None: raise unittest.SkipTest("no PtrDType support")
-    # TODO: is this the wrong behavior?
-    assert dtypes.float32.ptr() == dtypes.float32
-    assert not (dtypes.float32.ptr() != dtypes.float32)
+  def test_ptr_eq(self):
     assert dtypes.float32.ptr() == dtypes.float32.ptr()
     assert not (dtypes.float32.ptr() != dtypes.float32.ptr())
-    #assert dtypes.float32.ptr() != dtypes.float32
   def test_strs(self):
     if PtrDType is None: raise unittest.SkipTest("no PtrDType support")
     self.assertEqual(str(dtypes.imagef((1,2,4))), "dtypes.imagef((1, 2, 4))")
diff --git a/tinygrad/dtype.py b/tinygrad/dtype.py
index eb1d12b5b6..2dcbd2ea81 100644
--- a/tinygrad/dtype.py
+++ b/tinygrad/dtype.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 from typing import Final, Optional, ClassVar, Set, Tuple, Dict, Union, Callable
 import math, struct, ctypes, functools
-from dataclasses import dataclass
+from dataclasses import dataclass, replace
 from tinygrad.helpers import getenv
 
 ConstType = Union[float, int, bool]
@@ -17,40 +17,36 @@ class DType:
   def __lt__(self, o:DType): return (self.priority, self.itemsize, self.name, self.fmt, self.count) < (o.priority, o.itemsize, o.name, o.fmt, o.count)
   @property
   def vcount(self): return self.count
-  def vec(self, sz:int):
+  def vec(self, sz:int) -> DType:
     assert self.count == 1, f"can't vectorize {self} with size {sz}"
     if sz == 1 or self.name == 'void': return self  # void doesn't vectorize, and sz=1 is scalar
     return DType(self.priority, self.itemsize*sz, f"{INVERSE_DTYPES_DICT[self.name]}{sz}", None, sz)
-  def ptr(self, local=False, v=1) -> Union[PtrDType, ImageDType]:
-    return PtrDType(self.priority, self.itemsize, self.name, self.fmt, self.count, self, local, v)
+  def ptr(self, local=False) -> Union[PtrDType, ImageDType]:
+    return PtrDType(self.priority, self.itemsize, self.name, self.fmt, self.count, self, local)
   def scalar(self) -> DType: return DTYPES_DICT[self.name[:-len(str(self.count))]] if self.count > 1 else self
 
-@dataclass(frozen=True)
-class ImageDType(DType):
-  shape: Tuple[int, ...]   # arbitrary arg for the dtype, used in image for the shape
-  base: DType
-  local: bool = False  # images are never local
-  def scalar(self) -> DType: return self.base
-  def vec(self, sz:int): return self.base.vec(sz)
-  def ptr(self, local=False, v=1) -> Union[PtrDType, ImageDType]: return self
-  def __repr__(self): return f"dtypes.{self.name}({self.shape})"
-
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class PtrDType(DType):
   base: DType
-  local: bool
-  v: int
-  def __hash__(self): return super().__hash__()
-  def scalar(self) -> DType: return self.base.ptr(self.local, 1)
-  def vec(self, sz:int) -> DType: return self.base.ptr(self.local, sz)
+  local: bool = False
+  v: int = 1
+  def scalar(self) -> PtrDType: return replace(self, v=1)
+  def vec(self, sz:int) -> PtrDType: return replace(self, v=sz)
+  def ptr(self, local=False): raise RuntimeError("can't make a pointer from a pointer")
   @property
   def vcount(self): return self.v
-  # local isn't used in the compare
-  def __eq__(self, dt): return self.priority==dt.priority and self.itemsize==dt.itemsize and self.name==dt.name and self.count==dt.count
-  def __ne__(self, dt): return not (self == dt)
-  def __repr__(self):
-    arg = (["local=true"] if self.local else []) + ([f"v={self.v}"] if self.v != 1 else [])
-    return f"{self.base.__repr__()}.ptr({','.join(arg)})"
+  def __repr__(self): return f"{self.base.__repr__()}.ptr({'local=true' if self.local else ''})" + (f'.vec({self.v})' if self.v != 1 else '')
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class ImageDType(PtrDType):
+  shape: Tuple[int, ...] = ()   # shape of the Image
+  # NOTE: scalar/vec are wrong
+  def scalar(self): return self.base
+  def vec(self, sz:int): return self.base.vec(sz)
+  def ptr(self, local=False) -> Union[PtrDType, ImageDType]:
+    assert not local, "images can't be local"
+    return self
+  def __repr__(self): return f"dtypes.{self.name}({self.shape})"
 
 class dtypes:
   @staticmethod