mining Tech Comparison
Deep Core Drilling vs Nano-Sifters
Comparing the Deep Core Drilling (Tier 2) and Nano-Sifters (Tier 3), both mining technologies in Starforge MMO. Use this to decide which to queue first when your research lab can only run one project at a time.
Research Comparison
| Attribute | Deep Core Drilling | Nano-Sifters |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | T2 | T3 |
| Research time | 4▼ | 10 |
| metal cost | 5,000▼ | 18,000 |
| crystal cost | 2,000▼ | 9,000 |
| gas cost | — | 3,000▼ |
| Effect | +20% metal production; +20% crystal production | unlocks resource: rare earth |
▼ marks the lower resource / time cost. Cheaper isn't always better — weigh it against the effect each tech unlocks.
Deep Core Drilling
Advanced drilling rigs increase metal and crystal yield by 20%.
Unlocks buildings: deep drill
Requires: mining 1
Nano-Sifters
Molecular-scale filtration extracts rare trace elements from ore. Unlocks rare-earth resource.
Unlocks buildings: nano sifter plant
Requires: mining 2
Which Should You Research First?
The Deep Core Drilling is the lower-tier prerequisite step and typically comes first in the mining branch, opening the path toward Nano-Sifters.