diff --git a/test/test_ops.py b/test/test_ops.py
index e79d071502..aea862f4b4 100644
--- a/test/test_ops.py
+++ b/test/test_ops.py
@@ -269,12 +269,13 @@ class TestOps(unittest.TestCase):
     helper_test_op([(45,65)], lambda x: float("inf")/x, lambda x: float("inf")/x)
     helper_test_op([(45,65)], lambda x: (-float("inf"))/x, lambda x: (-float("inf"))/x)
     helper_test_op([(45,65)], lambda x: float("nan")/x, lambda x: float("nan")/x)
+  def test_pow_full(self):
+    helper_test_op([(45,65), (45,65)], lambda x,y: x**y, Tensor.pow, a=0)
   def test_pow(self):
     # TODO: why is a=0 for these tests?
     helper_test_op([(45,65)], lambda x: x**2, lambda x: Tensor.pow(x,2), a=0)
     helper_test_op([(45,65)], lambda x: x**3, lambda x: Tensor.pow(x,3), a=0)
     helper_test_op([(45,65)], lambda x: x**-2, lambda x: Tensor.pow(x,-2), a=0)
-    helper_test_op([(45,65), (45,65)], lambda x,y: x**y, Tensor.pow, a=0)
     helper_test_op([()], lambda x: x**2, lambda x: Tensor.pow(x,2), a=0)
     helper_test_op([()], lambda x: x**-2, lambda x: Tensor.pow(x,-2), a=0)
     # Regression tests for https://github.com/tinygrad/tinygrad/issues/1151
diff --git a/tinygrad/helpers.py b/tinygrad/helpers.py
index b30c8d279b..80ce851b86 100644
--- a/tinygrad/helpers.py
+++ b/tinygrad/helpers.py
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ class ImageDType(DType):
     super().__init__()
   def __repr__(self): return f"dtypes.{self.name}({self.shape})"
 
+class PtrDType(DType):
+  def __new__(cls, dt:DType): return super().__new__(cls, dt.priority, dt.itemsize, dt.name, dt.np, dt.sz)
+  def __repr__(self): return f"ptr.{super().__repr__()}"
+
 class dtypes:
   @staticmethod # static methds on top, or bool in the type info will refer to dtypes.bool
   def is_int(x: DType)-> bool: return x in (dtypes.int8, dtypes.int16, dtypes.int32, dtypes.int64, dtypes.uint8, dtypes.uint16, dtypes.uint32, dtypes.uint64)
diff --git a/tinygrad/shape/shapetracker.py b/tinygrad/shape/shapetracker.py
index 7b1b180b92..4a7741fac9 100644
--- a/tinygrad/shape/shapetracker.py
+++ b/tinygrad/shape/shapetracker.py
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ class ShapeTracker:
     return tuple(ret)
   def unit_stride_axes(self, ignore_valid=False) -> List[int]: return [i for i,st in enumerate(self.real_strides(ignore_valid)) if st == 1]
 
-  def _expr_idx(self, idx, valid):
+  def _expr_idx(self, idx, valid) -> Tuple[Node, Node]:
     for v in reversed(self.views[0:-1]):
       valid = v.expr_node_mask(idx, valid)
       idx = v.expr_node(idx)
diff --git a/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py b/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py
index 7a44867d03..9cad0fd19b 100644
--- a/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py
+++ b/tinygrad/shape/symbolic.py
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ class Variable(Node):
 
 class NumNode(Node):
   def __init__(self, num:int):
+    assert isinstance(num, int), f"{num} is not an int"
     self.b:int = num
     self.min, self.max = num, num
   def __int__(self): return self.b
diff --git a/tinygrad/tensor.py b/tinygrad/tensor.py
index f8e404a59e..d7694216bd 100644
--- a/tinygrad/tensor.py
+++ b/tinygrad/tensor.py
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@ class Tensor:
     if x.__class__ is not Tensor and not reverse:
       # simple pow identities
       if x < 0: return (1.0/self).pow(-x)
+      if x == 3.0: return self*self*self
       if x == 2.0: return self*self
       if x == 1.0: return self
       if x == 0.5: return self.sqrt()