When looting/grinding stuff under constrained capacity, it's important to go for the most value per liter.
From earlier work, I know that ingots are denser than either their ore or the components made from them, which makes sense. I also know that steel plates take up less space than antennae components, and so on.
But what components are closest to their ingot forms in terms of density? Those would be the default go-to items for extraction unless there's specific material you need (e.g. taking medical components despite their obnoxious volume because they have silver)?
1 Answer
If the goal is to maximize ingots gained, the winner is Steel Plates, which only waste 11% of their volume for the volume of iron ingots you receive back.
This is, of course, assuming there are no gravity generator components or canvas on board, both of which are actually more dense than their component parts (in vanilla).
| Item | Volume (L) | Ingot Volume (L) | Wasted Space | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulletproof Glass | 8 | 6.435 | 20% | 100% Si |
| Canvas | 8 | 15.0265 | -88% | Space Saver |
| Computer | 1 | 0.1064 | 89% | |
| Construction Components | 2 | 1.016 | 49% | 100% Fe |
| Detector Components | 6 | 2.315 | 61% | |
| Display | 6 | 2.272 | 62% | |
| Explosives | 2 | 1.235 | 38% | Mg |
| Girder | 2 | 0.762 | 62% | 100% Fe |
| Gravity Generator Components | 200 | 319.74 | -60% | Co, Ag, Au - Space Saver |
| Interior Plate | 5 | 0.381 | 92% | 100% Fe |
| Large Steel Tube | 38 | 3.81 | 90% | 100% Fe |
| Medical Components | 160 | 2.726 | 98% | Ag |
| Metal Grid | 15 | 0.418 | 97% | Co |
| Motor | 8 | 0.845 | 89% | |
| Power Cell | 40 | 0.422 | 99% | Can't be ground |
| Communications Components | 70 | 1.513 | 98% | |
| Reactor Components | 8 | 1.23 | 85% | Ag + Gravel |
| Small Steel Tube | 2 | 0.635 | 68% | 100% Fe |
| Solar Cell | 12 | 0.669984 | 94% | |
| Steel Plate | 3 | 2.667 | 11% | 100% Fe |
| Superconductor | 8 | 1.374 | 83% | Au |
| Thruster Component | 10 | 3.96 | 60% | Co, Au, Pl |
| MR-20 Magazine | 0.2 | 0.146 | 27% | Mg |
| Tools | 20 | 2.37 | 88% | Easily remade |
After Steel Plate, things get pretty bleak, pretty fast. Bulletproof Glass is the best way to salvage silicon, if needed, Construction Components are 2nd best for iron, but after that it's all more than 50% wasted space but the order is: Thruster Components, Detector Components, Displays/Girders, Small Steel Tubes, and Superconductors - all of which are more valuable than your own tools if you're using basic tools. Anything else should only be added if you've got space to spare and at that point it almost doesn't matter what you grab.
