Diablo 4 item level vs gear stats: Which takes priority?

In Diablo 4, whenever players get a new piece of equipment, the tool tip shows a lot of information. This ranges from the overall item level of the equipment you've received and the various stats that the item has. If the equipment is of legendary rarity, then there's a small description of the additional perks on the weapon as well. However, what tends to confuse most players is what takes priority: the item level or the stats of the gear.

Item levels and gear stats are two important aspects of the game. But which of these is a priority when it comes to leveling up, and which takes priority while fine-tuning a build in Diablo 4? Read on to find out.

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Which is more important in Diablo 4: Item level or gear stats?

First and foremost, it's worth noting that both need to be taken into account when making a build in Diablo 4. However, the gear stats take precedence in certain cases, and in some other cases, the item level does.

For example, if you've picked up a piece of jewelry with a 750 item level and you've currently equipped one that is at the 680 item level but has better stats, then the latter is the one that you should be using. Jewelry pieces in Diablo 4 always come with elemental resistances, so it's important that you compare both stats before swapping out the items.

However, item level does come into play when it comes to the weapons and gear you're using. For example, the item level of your armor will determine the overall armor that you have. In this case, the item level of the piece of gear takes some precedence over the stats that it has to offer.

That said, the logic holds true if there is a minor difference in the item levels of two pieces of gear in Diablo 4. If the difference is greater than +90, then it's worth switching to the gear with the highest item level.

In most cases, the stats of gear with a high item level will never be lower than that of gear with low item levels. So, to sum it up in short, your item level will matter if you're taking into account your gear and weapons. However, if you're taking the jewelry pieces into consideration, it's the stats of the item that you need to take into account.

That said, item drops are quite balanced in Diablo 4, so you'll never run out of good pieces of gear. Furthermore, you can farm the endgame bosses for uniques, so there's technically no dearth of areas where you can get your hands on good gear in the game.