diff --git a/tests/analytical_visualization/app.py b/tests/analytical_visualization/app.py
index 5a8d1aa..0285b02 100644
--- a/tests/analytical_visualization/app.py
+++ b/tests/analytical_visualization/app.py
@@ -172,12 +172,18 @@ if st.session_state.get("_last_preset") != preset_name:
     st.session_state["pp"] = _snap(_default_suggestion.pp, _PP_OPTS)
     st.session_state["dp"] = 1
     st.session_state["ep"] = 1
+    # Apply the picked cp_placement so the sidebar reflects the packed
+    # config (autosuggest may have chosen "pe" packing to minimize cubes).
+    st.session_state["cp_placement"] = _default_suggestion.cp_placement
     st.session_state["_last_preset"] = preset_name
 
 with st.sidebar.expander("Parallelism", expanded=True):
     st.caption(
         f"Auto-suggest (memory-min): CP={_default_suggestion.cp}, "
-        f"TP={_default_suggestion.tp}, PP={_default_suggestion.pp}"
+        f"TP={_default_suggestion.tp}, PP={_default_suggestion.pp} "
+        f"→ **{_default_suggestion.cubes_used} cube(s)**, "
+        f"{_default_suggestion.pes_used} PEs "
+        f"(cp_placement={_default_suggestion.cp_placement})"
     )
     # Three latency-optimal apply buttons — pick a scope, load the
     # latency-min Pareto config into the sidebar sliders.
diff --git a/tests/analytical_visualization/autosuggest.py b/tests/analytical_visualization/autosuggest.py
index 7d8f7c4..29e04ca 100644
--- a/tests/analytical_visualization/autosuggest.py
+++ b/tests/analytical_visualization/autosuggest.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ class Suggestion:
     fits: bool
     pes_used: int
     sips_used: int
+    cubes_used: int = 0            # picked to minimize this (see _score_candidate)
+    cp_placement: str = "cube"     # "pe" packs CP into intra-cube PEs when it fits
     reason: str = ""
 
 
@@ -59,7 +61,25 @@ def _score_candidate(cp: int, tp: int, pp: int,
                      model: ModelConfig, machine: MachineParams,
                      s_kv: int, mode: str,
                      slack_frac: float = 0.10) -> Suggestion:
-    topo = TopologyConfig(cp=cp, tp=tp, pp=pp, s_kv=s_kv, mode=mode)
+    # For each triple, try both cp_placement options and keep the one
+    # with fewer cubes (breaks the historical "CP always across cubes"
+    # default when a smaller pack is possible). The pe placement is only
+    # valid when CP·TP fits within a single cube's PE count.
+    best_topo: TopologyConfig | None = None
+    best_placement = "cube"
+    _pe_per_cube_hw = TopologyConfig().pes_per_cube_hw  # instance-invariant HW const
+    _placements_to_try = ["cube"]
+    if cp * tp <= _pe_per_cube_hw:
+        _placements_to_try.append("pe")
+    for _place in _placements_to_try:
+        _t = TopologyConfig(
+            cp=cp, tp=tp, pp=pp, s_kv=s_kv, mode=mode,
+            cp_placement=_place,
+        )
+        if best_topo is None or _t.cubes_used < best_topo.cubes_used:
+            best_topo = _t
+            best_placement = _place
+    topo = best_topo
     cfg = FullConfig(model=model, topo=topo, machine=machine)
     mem = compute_memory(cfg)
 
@@ -80,6 +100,8 @@ def _score_candidate(cp: int, tp: int, pp: int,
         fits=fits,
         pes_used=topo.total_pes,
         sips_used=topo.sips_used,
+        cubes_used=topo.cubes_used,
+        cp_placement=best_placement,
         reason=reason,
     )
 
@@ -87,20 +109,27 @@ def _score_candidate(cp: int, tp: int, pp: int,
 def auto_suggest(model: ModelConfig, machine: MachineParams,
                  s_kv: int, mode: str = "decode",
                  slack_frac: float = 0.10) -> Suggestion:
-    """Return the smallest-PE-count (CP, TP, PP) that fits.
+    """Return the smallest deployment (fewer cubes, then fewer PEs)
+    that fits.
+
+    Sort key: (cubes_used ↑, pes_used ↑, pp ↑, tp ↑, cp ↑).
+    Fewer cubes wins first because a cube is the physical die-level
+    hardware unit; PE count is the tiebreaker. Preferring fewer PP then
+    TP then CP keeps the earlier historical bias (avoid pipeline
+    bubbles / head-dim splits) among equal-cube-and-PE ties.
 
     If no candidate fits, returns the best-effort one (highest slack,
     even if negative) with fits=False.
     """
-    best_fit: Suggestion | None = None
-    best_effort: Suggestion | None = None
-
+    scored: list[Suggestion] = []
     for cp, tp, pp in _iter_candidates(model):
-        s = _score_candidate(cp, tp, pp, model, machine, s_kv, mode, slack_frac)
-        if s.fits and best_fit is None:
-            best_fit = s
-            break  # candidates are pre-sorted by PE count
-        if best_effort is None or s.slack_gb > best_effort.slack_gb:
-            best_effort = s
+        scored.append(
+            _score_candidate(cp, tp, pp, model, machine, s_kv, mode, slack_frac)
+        )
+    scored.sort(key=lambda s: (s.cubes_used, s.pes_used, s.pp, s.tp, s.cp))
 
-    return best_fit or best_effort  # type: ignore
+    for s in scored:
+        if s.fits:
+            return s
+    # No fit — return the best-effort (largest slack, closest to fitting).
+    return max(scored, key=lambda s: s.slack_gb)