Hard Drive/Alternate recipe analysis

Alternate Recipe Analysis
Item	Recipe Name 	Resource</br>Saving	Power</br>Saving	Space</br>Saving	Less</br>Complex	Combo Recipes / Remarks
 	Iron Alloy Ingot 	No 	No 	Yes 	No 	
 	Pure Iron Ingot 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Steel Rod 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Steeled Frame or default Screw
 	Coated Iron Plate 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Plastic Smart Plating
 	Steel Coated Plate 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Plastic Smart Plating
 	Automated Miner 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	The only way to automate this recipe.
 	Copper Alloy Ingot 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Pure Copper Ingot 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Caterium Wire 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	Caterium Ingot
 	Fused Wire 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Iron Wire 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	NA 	Stitched Iron Plate
 	Coated Cable 	No 	No 	Yes 	No 	
 	Insulated Cable 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Quickwire Cable 	No 	No 	Yes 	No 	
 	Fine Concrete 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Rubber Concrete 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	Heavy Flexible Frame
 	Wet Concrete 	Yes 	No 	Yes 	No 	
 	Cast Screw 	NA 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Pure Iron Ingot
 	Steel Screw 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Adhered Iron Plate 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Bolted Iron Plate 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	
 	Stitched Iron Plate 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	Iron Wire
 	Steamed Copper Sheet 	Yes 	No 	Yes 	No 	
 	Copper Rotor 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	
 	Steel Rotor 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Default Stator, Default Motor
 	Bolted Frame 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Steeled Frame 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Steel Rod
 	Plastic Smart Plating 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Coated Iron Plate
 	Biocoal 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	This recipe can never be fully automated.
 	Charcoal 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	This recipe can never be fully automated.
 	Pure Caterium Ingot 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Fused Quickwire 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Cheap Silica 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Pure Quartz Crystal 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Crystal Beacon 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Infused Uranium Cell, Uranium Fuel Unit
 	Insulated</br>Crystal Oscillator 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Compacted Coal 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	The only way to produce this item.
 	Fine Black Powder 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Coke Steel Ingot 	Yes 	No 	Yes 	No 	Heavy Oil Residue
 	Compacted Steel Ingot 	No 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Solid Steel Ingot 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	Pure Iron Ingot
 	Flexible Framework 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Encased Industrial Pipe 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	
 	Quickwire Stator 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	
 	Electric Motor 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Rigour Motor 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Automated Speed Wiring 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Heavy Encased Frame 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Encased Industrial Pipe
 	Heavy Flexible Frame 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Rubber Concrete
 	Diluted Fuel 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	No 	These recipes form a cycle for improving oil product yield. Once Blender is unlocked at Tier 7, switch over from Diluted Packaged Fuel to Diluted Fuel to simplify the process.
 	Heavy Oil Residue 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	These recipes form a cycle for improving oil product yield. Once Blender is unlocked at Tier 7, switch over from Diluted Packaged Fuel to Diluted Fuel to simplify the process.
 	Recycled Plastic 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	These recipes form a cycle for improving oil product yield. Once Blender is unlocked at Tier 7, switch over from Diluted Packaged Fuel to Diluted Fuel to simplify the process.
 	Recycled Rubber 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	These recipes form a cycle for improving oil product yield. Once Blender is unlocked at Tier 7, switch over from Diluted Packaged Fuel to Diluted Fuel to simplify the process.
 	Diluted Packaged Fuel 	Yes 	No 	Yes 	No 	These recipes form a cycle for improving oil product yield. Once Blender is unlocked at Tier 7, switch over from Diluted Packaged Fuel to Diluted Fuel to simplify the process.
 	Polyester Fabric 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	The only way to automate this recipe.
 	Polymer Resin 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	The only way to mass-produce Polymer Resin.
 	Caterium Circuit Board 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	Caterium Computer (allows production of Computers without Copper)
 	Electrode Circuit Board 	No 	No 	No 	NA 	
 	Silicon Circuit Board 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	Crystal Computer, default Crystal Oscillator (allows production of Computers without oil)
 	Caterium Computer 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Caterium Circuit Board (allows production of Computers without Copper)
 	Crystal Computer 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Silicon Circuit Board, default Crystal Oscillator (allows production of Computers without oil)
 	Coated Iron Canister 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Steel Canister 	No 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Turbofuel 	NA 	NA 	NA 	NA 	The first recipe unlocked for this item.
 	Turbo Blend Fuel 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Diluted Fuel, Heavy Oil Residue
 	Turbo Heavy Fuel 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Heavy Oil Residue
 	Silicon</br>High-Speed Connector 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	
 	Instant Scrap 	No 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Sloppy Alumina 	No 	No 	No 	Yes 	Sloppy Alumna and Electrode-Aluminum Scrap produce the most efficient Bauxite conversion rate. Pure Ingot has an inferior conversion rate but allows the process to proceed without involving Silica.
 	Electrode-Aluminum</br>Scrap 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	Sloppy Alumna and Electrode-Aluminum Scrap produce the most efficient Bauxite conversion rate. Pure Ingot has an inferior conversion rate but allows the process to proceed without involving Silica.
 	Pure Aluminum Ingot 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Sloppy Alumna and Electrode-Aluminum Scrap produce the most efficient Bauxite conversion rate. Pure Ingot has an inferior conversion rate but allows the process to proceed without involving Silica.
 	Alclad Casing 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Radio Connection Unit 	No 	No 	No 	NA 	
 	Radio Control System 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	
 	Classic Battery 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	OC Supercomputer 	No 	No 	No 	NA 	
 	Super-State Computer 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	
 	Electromagnetic</br>Connection Rod	No 	No 	No 	No 	Quickwire Stator (1:1 production:demand). Recipe allows Control Rods to be made without AI Limiters.
 	Infused Uranium Cell 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	Paired, produce Uranium Fuel Rods with much higher efficiency, as well as eliminating the need to recycle waste Sulphuric Acid.
 	Uranium Fuel Unit 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Paired, produce Uranium Fuel Rods with much higher efficiency, as well as eliminating the need to recycle waste Sulphuric Acid.
 	Heat Exchanger 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Cooling Device 	Yes 	No 	No 	No 	
 	Heat-Fused Frame 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Turbo Electric Motor 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	
 	Turbo Pressure Motor 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	
 	Fertile Uranium 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	NA 	
 	Instant Plutonium Cell 	Yes 	No 	Yes 	Yes 	Most efficient way to produce Plutonium Fuel Rods if using them for power. Undesirable if only using Plutonium to dispose of Uranium Waste.
 	Plutonium Fuel Unit 	Yes 	Yes 	Yes 	No 	Most efficient way to produce Plutonium Fuel Rods if using them for power. Undesirable if only using Plutonium to dispose of Uranium Waste.
== Detailed analysis and powerful combinations ==
=== Diluted Packaged Fuel cycle ===
This combination uses Heavy Oil Residue -> Diluted Packaged Fuel to increase the Crude Oil -> Fuel conversion ratio by 4.5x. Combining this fuel conversion with Compacted Coal to yield Turbofuel greatly improves energy generation, allowing a single oil node to supply over 11x as many Fuel Generators at maximum usage, compared to the normal Crude Oil to Fuel recipe. Even relative to directly using the Fuel produced by the Diluted Fuel combination, Turbofuel increases the number of generators that can be supplied by 2.78x, at the cost of requiring Coal and Sulfur input for the Compacted Coal. The final ratio is 148.15 Fuel Generators (22,222 MW) for 300 Crude Oil and 480 Sulfur and Coal per minute, which can be accomplished, via overclocking, off of a single Oil node of normal or pure quality, and a single node each of Sulfur and Coal at pure quality, or two each at normal quality, using Miner Mk.2s. 
The Blender's Diluted Fuel recipe skips the packaging-unpackaging steps, making the process simpler and more energy saving.
=== Recycled Plastic/Rubber ===
In addition to power generation, combining the above recipe with Recycled Plastic and Recycled Rubber will improve your ratio per crude oil. The idea is to have half the output of Recycled Plastic feeding the Recycled Rubber production, and vice versa. This does require the system to be "primed" which can be sped up by sending the full output of one side to the other initially. With the system equalized you can achieve 12 resources per crude oil ( [2.667 recycled plastic + 3.333 residual plastic] x 2 for the rubber ). The original recipes yield 0.667 resources per crude oil, and no Heavy Oil Residue is wasted, thus no longer require continuous removal of the Heavy Oil Residue. 
A major benefit of this recipe: If one resource of the combined recycler system is not fully utilized, the usable output of the other will increase as the unused side overflows. Thus, there is no need to build the system asymmetrically.
=== Nuclear Power ===
==== Uranium Fuel ====
The base conversion rate of Uranium to Uranium Fuel Rods is 100:1. Uranium Ore converts to Encased Uranium Cells at 2:1 and Encased Uranium Cells convert to Uranium Fuel Rods at 50:1. In total, this allows a single normal Uranium node (600/min using a Miner Mk.3 at 250%) to supply 30 Nuclear Power Plants, for a total of 75,000 MW of power. The alternate recipes Infused Uranium Cell and Uranium Fuel Unit drastically improve this ratio. Infused Uranium Cells convert Uranium ore to Encased Uranium Cells at a 5:4 ratio, and Uranium Fuel Unit converts Encased Uranium Cells to Uranium Fuel Rods at a 100:3 ratio. This increases the number of fuel rods generated by 2.4x, allowing a single normal Uranium node to supply 72 Nuclear Power Plants, for a total of 180,000 MW of power. This increases the maximum uranium power output from 262.5 GW to 630 GW (as of Update 4, there are 3 normal and 1 impure Uranium nodes on the map for a total of 2100 Uranium per minute).
==== Plutonium Fuel ====
The base conversion rate of Uranium Waste to Plutonium Fuel Rods is 225:1. The standard recipes for Non-fissile Uranium and Plutonium Pellets both consume Uranium Waste in a 3:1 ratio, meaning to fully convert all Uranium Waste, 75% should be allocated for Non-fissile Uranium and 25% should be allocated for Plutonium Pellets. Uranium Waste produces Non-fissile Uranium in a 3:4 ratio, Plutonium Pellets are produced in a 10:3 ratio (consuming 25% of the initial input Uranium Waste), Encased Plutonium Cells are produced in a 2:1 ratio, and Plutonium Fuel Rods are produced in a 30:1 ratio. When fully utilized, a single normal Uranium node produces between 300 Uranium Waste/min on the standard recipe chain or 720 Uranium Waste/min on the most efficient recipe chain, which respectively produce 1.5 and 3.6 Plutonium Fuel Rods/min. 
The standard recipe chain maximizes the use of Uranium Waste and minimizes other resources required to create Plutonium Rods. This makes this recipe chain ideal for creating a zero-waste Nuclear Power setup (meaning all Plutonium Fuel Rods are deposited in an Awesome Sink and not used in Nuclear Power Plants). The alternate recipe chain for Plutonium Fuel is more oriented towards maximizing the production of Plutonium Fuel Rods. 
Using all of the alternate recipes ("Fertile Uranium", "Instant Plutonium", and "Plutonium Fuel Unit") the conversion rate of Uranium Waste to Plutonium Fuel Rods is 75:2. However, "Fertile Uranium" requires input Uranium, which means some of the original Uranium harvested must be withheld without being refined into Uranium Fuel Rods. This fact, along with the limited amount of Uranium available on the map currently, makes this recipe sub-optimal for maximizing power. Using all of the alternate recipes for Plutonium Fuel Rods and Uranium Fuel Rods, except for "Fertile Uranium" produces the most Uranium waste-free Nuclear power possible, at 340 GW for a single normal Uranium node (160 GW of additional power from Plutonium) or 1190 GW (630 GW from Uranium and 560 GW from Plutonium) for all of the Uranium on the map. This recipe chain has a conversion rate of Uranium Waste to Plutonium Fuel Rods of 225:2. 
This is as compared to a maximum of 1050 GW (286.4 GW from Uranium and 763.6 GW from Plutonium) for all of the Uranium on the map if "Fertile Uranium" is used in combination with all other alternative recipes. Fertile Uranium also produces more permanent Plutonium Waste then the standard recipe.
=== Solid Steel Ingots ===
Using the normal recipe, one Steel Ingot is produced per Iron Ore and Coal input. Using Solid Steel Ingot combined with Pure Iron Ingot can increase this yield to 39 Steel Ingots for 14 Iron Ore and 26 Coal input. This is 2.79x as efficient with regards to Iron Ore, and 1.5x as efficient with regards to Coal.
Compacted Steel Ingot combined with Compacted Coal can be used instead to ease the demand on Coal at the cost of overall yield (relative to the Solid Steel Ingot recipe) and Sulfur. It provides 10 Steel Ingots for six Iron Ore, three Coal, and three Sulfur. Relative to the normal Steel Ingot recipe, this is 1.67x as efficient on Iron Ore, and 3.33x as efficient on Coal. Relative to the Solid Steel Ingot recipe, this produces only ~60% as many Steel Ingots per Iron Ore input, but requires only 45% as much Coal *per Ingot* at the cost of requiring an equal amount of Sulfur.
As part of the Heavy Encased Frame chain, use Pure Iron Ingot -> Solid Steel Ingot -> Encase Industrial Pipes -> Heavy Encased Frame to see the cascading effect of resource-saving. See Heavy Modular Frame#Tips for more info.
=== Iron Wire ===
Best paired with Stitched Iron Plate.
Category:Gameplay mechanics
Category:Tutorials