How to Build Processors and Craft Ingots in Subnautica 2

TL;DR

• The Processor is a base machine that converts raw ores into Ingots — you cannot craft Ingots anywhere else.
• Scan a broken Processor to unlock the blueprint. Best location: inside a wreck ~275 meters southwest of the Lifepod, or inside the Old Habitat ~350 meters north.
• Build the Processor at your base using the Habitat Builder: 2x Titanium, 1x Mild Acid, 1x Copper Wire.
• The Processor uses 10 energy per second while running — ensure your base has enough power.
• Ratio: 3 raw ore = 1 Ingot. Titanium Ingots take 30 seconds. Some items take up to 2 minutes.
• The Processor also makes Strong Acid (from 2x Necrolei Cyst) and other refined materials beyond just ingots.
• Load a batch before heading out to dive — it finishes while you are away.

At some point in Subnautica 2, raw ores stop being enough. You will try to craft the Sonic Resonator, the Vehicle Fabricator, or an upgraded air tank, and the recipe will ask for something you cannot make at the Lifepod Fabricator — a Titanium Ingot, a Copper Ingot, or Strong Acid. That is the Processor wall, and nearly every player hits it at some stage.

The Processor is a base-mounted industrial machine that refines raw materials into higher-tier components. This guide covers everything: finding its blueprint, building it, powering it correctly, and using it to produce every Ingot and refined material it can make. If you have not built a base yet, start with our guide on how to unlock the Habitat Builder first.

What Is the Processor?

The Processor is described in-game as a machine that “completes complex biochemical and manufacturing tasks over time for more advanced recipes.” In plain terms, it is a smelter and refinery. You load raw ores into the input side, select a recipe, and after a processing timer completes, you collect the refined product from the output side.

Unlike the Fabricator — which produces items instantly — the Processor has a real-time processing delay. Titanium Ingots take 30 seconds each. Some more complex outputs can take up to two minutes. This makes the Processor a batch operation rather than an on-demand crafting station.

Beyond ingots, the Processor also produces:

• Strong Acid — from Necrolei Cysts. Required for Fiber Mesh, Power Cells, and Advanced Batteries.
• Water — an alternate route using Fibrous Pulp, instead of harvesting Water Slugs.
• Other refined materials that unlock as you discover new raw resources through exploration.

New recipes appear in the Processor automatically as you pick up new types of raw resources. The more of the ocean you explore, the more the Processor can do.

Step 1: Find and Scan the Processor Blueprint

The Processor blueprint is not available by default. You must scan a broken Processor machine found out in the world. There are several locations, but here are the two most accessible early on.

Location 1 — Wreck ~275 Meters Southwest of the Lifepod (Earliest Option)

The fastest confirmed early location is a section of wreckage roughly 275 meters southwest of the Lifepod. Head in that direction from your Lifepod and look for a sunken structure. You will know you are in the right area when a large aggressive fish comes after you — bring Distraction Flares to keep it occupied while you search.

Find the opening into the wreck by swimming underneath it and looking for an entrance point. Head straight to the back of the interior. The broken Processor is lying on the floor at the rear of the structure. Scan it with your Scanner and the blueprint unlocks immediately.

Location 2 — Old Habitat ~350 Meters North of the Lifepod

The Old Habitat colony ruins north of the Lifepod also contain a scannable Processor. NOA sends you to this area during the early blackbox mission chain, so you will end up here anyway. Enter the building and go into the second room — look in the right corner for the Processor machine. Scan it.

This location is also where you find Necrolei Cysts in the nearby jellyfish forest, making the trip doubly valuable. Our guide on how to get Necrolei Cyst and Strong Acid covers this area in detail.

Both locations only require one scan to unlock the full blueprint. Pick whichever one you reach first and come back to base ready to build.

Step 2: Gather the Processor Crafting Materials

The Processor recipe requires three components. Here is what you need and how to get each one.

Titanium x2

Raw Titanium is the most common ore in the starting biome — on the seafloor, inside caves, and on rock surfaces near the Lifepod. You almost certainly already have plenty. If you need more, see our full Titanium guide for the best farming locations.

Mild Acid x1

Craft Mild Acid at the Lifepod Fabricator using:

• Acidic Raion Pouch x2 — harvested from purple brain-like Acidic Raion plants found in caves. Use your Survival Multitool to cut the pouches from the sides of the plant. Always remove the pouches before touching the centre — interacting with the centre first triggers an acid blast.
• Copper Ore x1 — very common in early cave systems near the Lifepod.

Mild Acid is found under Basic Materials in the Fabricator Resources tab. It only takes seconds to craft once you have the ingredients.

Copper Wire x1

Craft Copper Wire at the Fabricator using 2x Copper Ore. Copper is abundant throughout the starting biome in rocky cave walls and seafloor deposits. You should have no trouble finding it near your Lifepod.

Step 3: Build the Processor at Your Base

The Processor is a large machine. It cannot be crafted at the Fabricator — it must be placed inside a room at your base using the Habitat Builder. It cannot be placed in corridors or outside the base structure.

Steps to build it:

1. Enter your base with the Habitat Builder equipped.
2. Open the build menu and navigate to Production facilities.
3. Select the Processor and place it inside a room with enough floor space.
4. The Processor anchors to the floor and becomes active once your base has sufficient power.

Build it in a room with nearby storage lockers. The Processor automatically draws raw materials from your storage when you load it, so having your ore stockpile in the same room makes the workflow much smoother.

Step 4: Power the Processor

The Processor draws 10 energy per second while running. That is a heavy power draw. A small starter base with two or three Solar Panels can sustain it during the day, but nighttime solar output drops to near zero — leaving it running overnight risks cutting power to your base life support and oxygen supply.

Recommended power setup before relying on the Processor regularly:

• Three or more Solar Panels on the roof of your base for daytime operation.
• Hydroelectric Turbines placed in nearby ocean currents for consistent 24-hour power — far more reliable than solar once you have them connected via Power Transmitters.

The Processor only consumes power while it is actively running a batch. It does not drain power when idle. Switch it on, start a batch, and it will power down automatically when the process completes. For a full power planning guide, see our article on what to build in your base first.

Step 5: How to Use the Processor — Step by Step

The Processor has two distinct interactive sides. You need both to complete a full crafting cycle.

1. Walk up to the left side of the Processor and interact with it.
2. Two options appear: Load and Change Recipe.
3. Select Change Recipe first. A list of available recipes appears based on the raw resources you have discovered and picked up.
4. Select the recipe you want — for example, Titanium Ingot.
5. Select Load. The Processor automatically draws the required raw materials from your nearby storage. Make sure the ore is in a locker in the same room or in your inventory.
6. A processing timer begins. Watch the progress or go out to dive while it runs.
7. Once the timer completes, interact with the right side of the Processor to collect your finished product from the output tray.

Important: New recipes only appear in the Processor menu after you have physically picked up that type of raw resource at least once. If you do not see a recipe you expect, find and collect the raw material first — picking it up registers it in your databank and unlocks the corresponding Processor recipe.

All Processor Ingot Recipes

The core conversion ratio for all metal ingots is 3 raw ore = 1 Ingot. Here are the main ingots available and what they are used for:

Titanium Ingot

Recipe: 3x Titanium = 1 Titanium Ingot. Processing time: 30 seconds.

Titanium Ingots are the most commonly needed Ingot in the mid-game. They are required for the Sonic Resonator, the Vehicle Fabricator, and several advanced base components. Do not convert all your raw Titanium into Ingots at once — base building still needs raw Titanium for walls, rooms, and other structures. Keep a healthy raw reserve and only process what specific recipes demand. See our Titanium guide for stocking up efficiently.

Copper Ingot

Recipe: 3x Copper Ore = 1 Copper Ingot. Processing time: 30 seconds.

Copper Ingots feed into the Vehicle Fabricator recipe and advanced electronics. Copper Ore is common in early caves throughout the starting biome. Collect extra during any cave run to keep a processing buffer ready.

Silver Ingot

Recipe: 3x Silver = 1 Silver Ingot. Processing time: 30 seconds.

Silver Ingots are needed for the Tadpole submarine Moonpool dock and other mid-game components. Because Silver is harder to farm than Titanium or Copper, be selective about when you process it into Ingots. Many early recipes use raw Silver directly — check the recipe before converting. For Silver farming locations, see our Silver guide.

Strong Acid

Recipe: 2x Necrolei Cyst = 1 Strong Acid. Processing time: 30 seconds.

Strong Acid is one of the most important outputs of the Processor and is technically not an ingot, but it is made here in the same way. It is required for Fiber Mesh, Power Cells, Advanced Batteries, and the Rebreather. If the Strong Acid recipe does not appear in your menu, craft a Mild Acid at the Fabricator first — this seems to trigger the Strong Acid recipe to appear. Full details in our guide on how to get Necrolei Cyst and Strong Acid.

Other Refined Materials

The Processor can also make Water from Fibrous Pulp as an alternative to harvesting Water Slugs. Additional refined materials unlock as you explore further and discover new raw resources. The Processor’s recipe list grows with your exploration progress — the more biomes you visit and new materials you collect, the more options appear.

Key Things to Craft Using Ingots

Here is why building the Processor early matters — these are the key recipes that require Ingots:

• Sonic Resonator — requires 2x Titanium Ingot. This tool mines large ore deposits and clears Bloom Biofilm. It is one of the biggest progression unlocks in the game. See our guide on how to harvest large resource nodes and clear Bloom Biofilm.
• Vehicle Fabricator — requires Titanium Ingots and Copper Ingot alongside Glass. Needed to craft the Tadpole submarine.
• Tadpole — the first vehicle in the game. Requires a Power Cell (which needs Strong Acid from the Processor) and other advanced components.
• High Capacity Air Tank — requires Ingots via the Processor chain. A major oxygen upgrade for deep diving.
• Scanner Station materials — the System Chip recipe requires Wiring Kits which feed from Silver. The Scanner Station guide covers the full recipe breakdown.

Processor Tips and Best Practices

• Load a batch before every dive. The Processor runs in real time. Start a batch of Titanium Ingots or Strong Acid before heading out to farm resources. By the time you return, the output tray will have finished products waiting. Zero active playtime wasted.
• Keep ore stockpiles in the same room. The Processor draws from nearby storage automatically. A dedicated locker in the same room for each ore type — one for Titanium, one for Copper, one for Necrolei Cysts — makes loading batches fast and organised.
• Do not convert all raw ore to Ingots. Base building uses raw Titanium. Many early recipes use raw Silver and Copper directly. Only process what you specifically need for the next recipe. Keep a large raw ore reserve at all times.
• Power your base before running it. A crashed power grid during processing wastes time and potentially leaves output stuck in the tray. Sort your Solar Panels or Hydroelectric Turbines before relying on the Processor for regular crafting.
• Pick up every new ore type you find. Each new raw resource you collect unlocks a new Processor recipe. Exploration and Processor usefulness are directly linked. The more you explore, the more the Processor can refine.
• Collect output before starting a new batch. The output tray holds finished products until you collect them. If you forget to collect and start a new batch of the same recipe, check whether the tray is full first — a full tray may block new output.
• Use Distraction Flares near the southwest wreck. The aggressive fish near the Processor fragment location can be a nuisance. Toss a flare away from you to draw it off while you scan.

Summary: How to Get the Processor Running

1. Head ~275 meters southwest of the Lifepod and scan the broken Processor inside the wreck (bring Distraction Flares for the aggressive fish). Or scan the one at the Old Habitat ~350 meters north during an early NOA mission.
2. Gather 2x Titanium, 2x Acidic Raion Pouches, and 3x Copper Ore.
3. Craft 1x Mild Acid and 1x Copper Wire at the Fabricator.
4. Use the Habitat Builder to place the Processor inside a room at your powered base.
5. Interact with the left side to change the recipe and load raw materials. Interact with the right side to collect finished products.
6. Start crafting: 3x Titanium = 1 Titanium Ingot (30 seconds), 2x Necrolei Cyst = 1 Strong Acid (30 seconds), and so on.
7. Load batches before diving, collect output when you return.

The Processor is the gateway to everything mid-game in Subnautica 2. Once it is running, Ingots stop being a mystery and start being a resource pipeline. The Sonic Resonator, the Tadpole, the Rebreather chain — all of it flows through this machine.

For more help with progression, see our guides on how to get Quartz, how to get Rubber and Lucifer Rotsac, how to unlock blueprints, best early upgrades and progression path, and our full Subnautica 2 co-op multiplayer guide. The game is available on Steam and Xbox Game Pass.