How To Find and Use Motherboards and Chips in RoboCop: Rogue City

RoboCop’s trusty pistol is upgradeable with new Motherboards throughout your adventure. There are penalties for misusing this mechanic, and it could be better explained. That said, let me show you how to find and use Motherboards and Chips in RoboCop: Rogue City.

Related: How to beat ED-209 in RoboCop: Rogue City

What are Motherboards and Chips in RoboCop: Rogue City?

You’ll get your first Motherboard early in the story, and you can use this to install Chips into your Auto-9 Handgun. You’ll find other Motherboards as you explore new areas, and you’ll also earn a handful as quest rewards. Every Motherboard has a unique layout and offers different buffs. 

Chips are used to complete the circuit on each Motherboard and are commonly found in OCP Containers scattered throughout the game. If you’re vigilant and explore your surroundings, you’ll quickly amass a respectable collection.

How to build the perfect Motherboard in RoboCop: Rogue City

Motherboards are covered in nodes that offer buffs, and the strength of each buff is determined by what Chips you place on top. Chips have 1-4 gates to let power through and must be linked to the Power Source to grant bonuses. 

It’s important to remember that you don’t need a matching Chip for each node. If you need an L shape to get around a corner but only have a chip with 3 or 4 gates, it’s absolutely fine.

The ultimate goal is to have high-value chips on each bonus without triggering any red nodes. 

Beware of Penalties

If you send power to a red node, you’ll incur a penalty, which can be pretty significant. The best way to avoid this is by using a dead-end node to stop power from reaching the red node. Some Motherboards are laid out so that you have to incur penalties if you want every buff. Oddly enough, some Motherboards you’ll find later in the game are all but useless unless you’re happy to trigger a few red nodes. In my experience, the payoff is rarely worth it, and even early-game boards can outshine new ones.

What are the best nodes on a Motherboard?

Weapon Damage is arguably the best node to aim for, and many Motherboards have multiple nodes of this type. I recommend spending your low-value Chips on nodes like Magazine Size. By default, the Auto 9 has a 50-round magazine, which should be plenty. 

The real game changers are highlighted in orange and are typically found around the edges of the circuit. These powerful bonuses include an automatic ammo feeder and piercing rounds. There’s even one that increases gore, and although it’s just a visual effect, we both know you need it!

What can I do with low-value chips?

You can use the Chip Merger on the Motherboard Screen to merge several Chips together. This feature is a great way to get rid of your low-value Chips, and you can discard 3 to get a brand-new one. In my testing, the outcome seems to be completely random. Putting high-value Chips in appears to yield the same quality as low ones, so only spend low-value ones on merging.

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