Is there a secret to manufacturing computers?

[HumanMirthquake]

I always have to underclock to like 20% so I don't run out of materials. How do you get enough plastic for both the computers and circuit boards?

Thank you!

[Huren Ogeko]

then make more materials to feed the computer assembly line
that is the whole secret

[markuswolfe]

Alternate recipes are your friend. I can't even remember the last time I used plastic to make circuit boards or computers.

[Die Hand Gottes]

Underclocking is nothing bad for me
I build my factories so that I rather underclock or at most to 100% that saves a lot of energy
you can build your factories so that you still get the desired amount without overclocking.
Rather build more machines and not to have to overclock and if the material is not long enough to increase your other factories or simply underclock with it I would have no problems and see no problem in it.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[kbmodigity]

No point in underclocking unless you are hurting on power, which you shouldn't be by that point in the game. Sounds like you need to do what most others have said and produce more of the basic needed materials.

[Die Hand Gottes]

For me it makes sense to underclock because I prefer to save power but not because I have to but because I find it good for me I have anyway over 70GW of power on reserve because unlike my factories that I have now all converted to underclock at the same output I overclock my power generators as high as possible.

[F'lar]

I just got done a couple of weeks ago setting up a modest computer production that produces 5/min - IE, two manufacturers. Just for feed those two machines created enough constructors, assemblers, miners, etc. to require a bit over 1GW of power by itself - oh, and 290 plastic per minute for the boards and computers themselves. 290/min meant 14.5 refineries and a Mk IV belt to the 'Puter factory. I already had 3 refineries making plastic for other things, so I set up a dozen more refineries off of two normal oil nodes and borrowed 2.5 refineries of production off the 3 I already had going.
I mentioned the power requirement earlier because I cancelled out most of what I needed making the plastic. I used the recipe that creates plastic and hvy oil residue which I shoved through another refinery to make fuel to feed 6 fuel generators. That gave me 900 MW of the 1000 I needed to run the puter plant.
It's doable, you just got to plan it out a bit and find the right area - which for puters means iron, copper and oil. The area I setup in is just north of the 3 oil nodes you find on an island west side, central portion of the map.

[Huren Ogeko]

I went with caterium computers and caterium circuit boards
its a crap ton of caterium but where I start in the dune desert I am swimming in caterium and I havent setup much in the way of oil stuff yet so it was just easier to so it with caterium.
of course now I have way more rubber/plastic but that 25/minute computer setup is working just fine so I am not messing with it unless I find myself running short on caterium for some reason down the road, but I dont see that being an issue right now.

[NZ.Zero]

HumanMirthquake님이 먼저 게시:

I always have to underclock to like 20% so I don't run out of materials.

or you could just leave it and it will sit idle 20% of the time while the materials catch up. Same difference.

[Die Hand Gottes]

NZ.Zero님이 먼저 게시:

HumanMirthquake님이 먼저 게시:

I always have to underclock to like 20% so I don't run out of materials.

or you could just leave it and it will sit idle 20% of the time while the materials catch up. Same difference.

No don't leave it idle but calculate and tune the output my most important tool in the game for me is the calculator.

[NZ.Zero]

it has the same result though, the only difference is that the power usage will be uneven.

[kbmodigity]

NZ.Zero님이 먼저 게시:

it has the same result though, the only difference is that the power usage will be uneven.

^^^ This

[kbmodigity]

If you are worried about power consumption and that is making you underclock then you should be focusing on more power plants. After you have more power you can focus on making more of the parts you need so there is no lack of materials that made you want to underclock in the first place.

By end game you need SO much of everything that if you don't fix these gaps you will be standing around for days waiting for the final space elevator items to be produced.

[Die Hand Gottes]

NZ.Zero님이 먼저 게시:

it has the same result though, the only difference is that the power usage will be uneven.

And the machines do not work with 100% efficents
For me there are only two ways to proceed
Increase the production with other materials.
or as mentioned exactly calculate and underclock that the machines work with 100% efficiency.
to let them then always work with idle would not come into question for me.

I have over 70GW of overproduction.
Energy doesn't matter to me except that I have enough.
Overclocking factories is a waste of energy for me and feels wrong to me.
I would rather have more machines until I have the output I need and save energy and have my machines show green that is my way of building everything has to show green as good as it can and 100% efficient except my energy generators which are almost all running at full speed even if I have enough I could shut down my 13 nuclear power plants and still have enough energy.

[nfgman]

No. All 3 recipes suck, one way or another. But silicone circuit boards are so much better.
Since the computer recipe for radio control units is also my least favourite, they're only used for supercomputers and building, Fuel generators for the latter mostly.

[kbmodigity]

Back to the OP's original question which seemed to get side tracked, there are 2 main spots on the map that should produce more than enough plastic that you need for efficient circuit board and computer constructions.

They are the north shallow sea (what I call it, It was changed in one of the recent updates and i havent been there since so might be a bad description now), & at the bottom of the crater. Either should produce more plastic and rubber than you know what to do with. The nice part too is that with all the residue you can take that and convert it to fuel and get massive amounts of power as well. There are also more oil nodes at the end of the canyon that you would normally go down to get to the north sea area.

There is also a set of islands on the west side of the map. They have a decent amount of oil nodes but not nearly as much as the other 2 spots.

Beyond that there are a few nodes in the middle of the map but not nearly enough there to make enough to keep you running efficiently.