Efficiency
Lowers the power burden. It is not production speed, so it will not make a slow machine faster.
Machine upgrades
Modules and What Each Stat Does
Modules change what a machine does, but the same stat means different things on different machines. Efficiency lowers power use on all seven machines listed here, while Performance and Quality change output, purity, speed or attractiveness depending on where you fit them. A few special modules go further and add a whole new process.
7machines with documented stat effects
3stats on every ordinary module
2furnace modules with a special effect
6uses from a basic Module Extractor
The three stats
Ordinary modules add a percentage to each stat, plus a tier. Colours help you sort your inventory, but random drops roll their own shape and up to two effects, so read the whole tooltip.
Quality
Reaches a better output grade or aging rate, and does nothing at all on some machines.
Performance
Raises throughput where the machine supports it. A Furnace ignores it completely.
Before you install
What is it short of?
Too little output, low quality and a battery shortage are three different problems.
Do penalties cancel it?
Add up every negative modifier before you fit a strong module.
Does the shape fit?
Test long pieces and corners against the bay outline, and count the cost of removing it.
Can supply keep up?
Materials, containers, buyers and batteries all have to match the extra output.
Sample rolls
Stronger modules trade stats
These are example rolls. Your own module may differ, and bigger bonuses usually arrive with a penalty.
| Module | Modifiers |
|---|---|
| Efficiency | +16% Efficiency |
| Quality | +8% Quality |
| Performance | +16% Performance |
| Eco | +32% Efficiency, −16% Performance |
| Fineness | +25% Quality, −8% Performance, −15% Efficiency |
| Overclock | +36% Performance, −44% Efficiency |
Capped Neural Core
Its values are fixed: +100% Performance, −100% Efficiency and +50% Quality. AI cores are illegal on the Station, so read the full description before you choose a use.
Machine atlas
Where each machine rewards your module bays, sorted by the stat that pays off there.
Quality first
Performance adds little or nothing on these two.
Furnace
Quality raises maximum purity. Check whether a Blast or Junk module opens the process you want before you compare raw stats.
Furnace guide →
AgeWell
Every 125 Quality adds a day of aging, so your best Quality modules belong here. Poor wine needs better fruit and water first.
Wine guide →Balance both
Performance and Quality both do real work, so compare what you actually sell.
Water Purifier
Performance sets how much it removes each night and Quality sets maximum purity. Hotfix 1.0.0.2 reworked the machine, so try a small batch first.
Water guide →
Moisture Farm
Performance sets volume and Quality sets purity. If you already filter water, the priciest direct-purity layout may not be your best option.
Mirage Projector
Both stats raise attractiveness. Look for a real operating gain instead of the biggest number.
Performance first
Quality has no effect on these two.
Cryptographic Desequencer
Performance is speed, but the machine still needs its chip and blank cards. Choose a layout around the supplies you can get.
Alarm System
Performance adds to the prevention rate bonus. The Alarm Transmitter Module separately grants +1 reputation per night.
Special effects
These add a process rather than a percentage.
What each stat does, machine by machine
The instruction sheet's wording for each machine. Read across a row to see which stats are worth a bay.
| Machine | Efficiency | Performance | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Purifier | Power consumption | Amount removed per night | Maximum purity (½ effect) |
| Moisture Farm | Power consumption | Volume produced | Purity |
| Furnace | Power consumption | No effect | Maximum purity |
| AgeWell | Power consumption | Power consumption | +1 day of aging per 125 Quality |
| Cryptographic Desequencer | Power consumption | Speed | No effect |
| Mirage Projector | Power consumption | Attractiveness (¼ effect) | Attractiveness (½ effect) |
| Alarm System | Power consumption | Prevention rate bonus | No effect |
Machines do not always follow their sheets: the Mirage Projector and Water Purifier count the full totals, and the AgeWell halves Efficiency and Performance before they lower power.
Modules that unlock a job
Farm modules →These do something a percentage cannot, so buy them for the process and keep one of each useful type rather than a drawer of duplicates. Farm modules have their own list in the farming guide.
| Module | Base value | What it does | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal Printer Module | 300 Credits | Lets a 3D Printer use metal chips | Sold by the Retired Gunsmith |
| Computer Numerical Control Module | 400 Credits | Lets a 3D Printer use frame and gun-part chips | Needs the Metal Printer Module too |
| Melee Batch Module | 250 Credits | Raises each melee print by one weapon | Slow and power hungry |
| Chemical Equipment Module | 250 Credits | Upgrades the Blender, Heating Plate and Chem Finisher | Needs an extractor to remove |
| Evaporator Solvent Recovery Module | 275 Credits | Limits what the Evaporator recovers to alcohol | Chemistry trade only |
| DNA Manipulator Stabilizer | 500 Credits | Keeps the seed alive through extraction | A successful pull still removes a rank |
| DNA Manipulator Positive Filter | 500 Credits | Limits extraction to good traits | Clashes with the Negative Filter |
| DNA Manipulator Negative Filter | 500 Credits | Limits extraction to bad traits | Clashes with the Positive Filter |
| DNA Manipulator Precision | 1,000 Credits | Narrows extraction to a single trait | The dearest module in this list |
| Alarm Transmitter Module | 100 Credits | Grants +1 reputation per night | A second one on the same faction adds nothing |
| Neural Core Module (Capped) | 250 Credits | Large Performance and Quality gains | Illegal on the Station |
| Blank Module | 60 Credits | Can be rewritten on the right machine | Keep it even though it looks plain |
Removing modules and adding bays
A module is stuck once installed, so plan the layout before you commit. Shapes differ between module families: a larger piece is not automatically better per cell, and a small one can fill a gap.
Basic Module Extractor
Pulls a stuck module without breaking the machine. It lasts 6 uses and Electronic Parts can partly refurbish it.
Advanced Module Extractor
Does the same job and never degrades, which pays off if you rearrange often.
Module Bay Expansion Kit
A one-use kit that adds module capacity. It does not work on chemical or other special machines.