Nothing comes for free in Satisfactory, in fact, everything you build requires components and those parts need machines to build them. Some items are more complicated than others but often it’s a very time-consuming process as the machines can only go so fast. But that’s where Power Shard Overclockers come in.
These nifty little gadgets can be inserted into most machines that your Pioneer can build and they boost the output of the machine by a factor of three. The lowest tier is 150%, the second 200%, and the third a respectable 250%. So for example, if it’s placed in a machine that builds items it will churn them out faster, or if placed in a generator it will increase its power capacity by a substantial amount. Overclockers are something you definitely need if you want to make decent progress, so whether you’re a familiar hand or a first-timer in Satisfactory, here’s a handy guide for getting started with Overclocking.
9 How They’re Made
One of the best features of Overclockers is that they have a simple and easy-to-understand crafting recipe. To get started with them you will need to collect Power Slugs and then research Power Shards in the MAM. They require just one Slug to create and they come in three distinct colors of green, yellow, and purple with the color affecting how many shards you can make per Slug.
Whilst that sounds like you should be rolling in Overclockers it does come with quite the caveat. The Power Slugs are relatively rare and are often placed in dangerous and hard-to-reach spots or guarded by hostile aliens. They also don’t respawn, so your number of them is finite. Thankfully there are still more than enough of them in the game so you should have plenty to use to get your factory up and running.
8 How To Find Power Slugs
Finding Power Slugs may seem like a difficult task at first, but it’s actually incredibly simple. Power Slugs tend to be found hidden away near Poison Gas spewing creatures and spires or located on large towers and rock walls. Generally, if you see a large odd-looking piece of Geometry in the game there’s a high chance that there’s a Slug in there somewhere.
To make things even easier you could also build the Object Scanner. This handheld device comes with a helpful Power Slug setting that will point you in the right direction of the nearest glowing bug every single time.
7 Just One Is Enough Early On
Starting off fresh in the game can seem like quite a daunting task. Satisfactory’s map is absolutely massive, there’s a long list of machines with all sorts of requirements and it can take quite a while to grind up some of the milestones.
Going all out and filling every single machine with an Overclocker may seem like the best idea at first, but it can be quite time-consuming to hunt down multiple Slugs, time that could be better-used building machines, or crafting important early game items. So it’s highly recommended to have just one Overclocker plugged in at first to double your capacity and gain a nice boost when you’re just starting off since you will have plenty of time to get more later.
6 Ensure Overclocked Machines Have A Constant Supply
Overclocked machines not only produce a lot more items, but they also need an increased amount of fuel to keep on happily churning away.
As a general rule of thumb, the more Overclockers you have in something the larger its fuel requirements are going to be. As an example, Coal generators at their base speed consume 2.75 pieces of Coal every minute, whilst at 250% with three Overclockers, it burns through a massive 30.4 per minute. So make sure to keep those hungry machines fed with whatever fuel they need.
5 Beware The Drain
One of the biggest benefits to OverClockers also its largest downside. If you’re using them to increase your production of a particular item then the machine it’s placed in is going to require a much larger amount of wattage in order to run at that speed.
This then results in the machine putting quite the thirsty power drain on your grid and unless you have the juice to spare then expect a fuse to trip at some point. So try to balance that drain or at least have a redundancy system setup with power storage to keep the lights on should any accidents happen.
4 Always Overclock Your Generators
Deciding what to put your newly acquired Overclockers in first can seem like a difficult decision, but a good tip is to fill up your Generators first. Whilst it is handy to have some extra items being pumped out, beefing up your power grid should always be a priority.
This is especially true once you start to scale to the much larger machines like the Blender, Manufacturer, or Particle Accelerators which can put a massive strain on your grid. So if you find yourself with a few Overclockers to spare, stick them in your generators if you can.
3 Some Machines Scale Differently
Most machines in Satisfactory will scale their production and fuel burn by a set amount when you place an Overclocker inside, but there are a few that will scale their demand differently, so just be aware of this.
For example, Nuclear Power Generators will use a higher amount of fuel than any other generator at max Clock Speed. So instead of hitting max clock speed right from the start, try to ramp it up in stages instead to ensure it doesn’t put too much of a strain on your particular setup.
2 Consider Underclocking
Different machines craft parts at different speeds and sometimes adding an Overclocker to the mix can create a massive backlog on your Conveyor Belts which in turn slows down other machines in your system. Underclocking, as odd as it sounds, could improve your production.
For example, if an assembler takes 60 seconds to craft something whilst the machines feeding it takes half that, it could be worth slowing those quicker ones down with Underclocking. You can do this by pressing E on the machine and then altering the Clock Speed bar at the bottom. Doing this then lowers the chances of a backlog happening as well as making everything neater, lowering your power requirements, and ensuring a smoother flow of item production.
1 Don’t Be Afraid To Move Things Around
As you progress through the various Tiers and Milestones in Satisfactory, you may find that your setup may need a little tweaking. Whether that’s to focus on more complex items or clear up space for bigger machines, changing things around now and then is always a good idea.
During this time you shouldn’t be afraid of moving around your Overclockers since your priorities for item production are going to change. Once you get to Tier 6 and above it’s always worth experimenting with Clock Speed to keep your factory running at peak efficiency.
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