.1B.05. Upgrades

Learn how to find and apply all upgrades in Mass Effect 2, including mineral costs for EEZO, Iridium, Platinum, and Palladium.

Alright, let's talk about upgrades in Mass Effect 2. These are super important for making Shepard and the Normandy more powerful, and there are two main ways to get them. You can either find them out in the field while you're on missions, and then pay up with minerals back at the Normandy's Research Terminal in the Tech Lab, or you can just buy them outright from merchants using credits. The purchased ones apply instantly, but man, credits can disappear faster than a Krogan at a bar fight!

Now, if this is your first time playing, don't feel pressured to buy *every single* upgrade, especially the weapon ones. It's way smarter to focus on the gear you're actually using or plan to use. However, if you stumble upon an upgrade during a mission, make a mental note (or a real one!) to check the Research Lab later and pay the mineral cost to unlock its benefits. Remember, finding it is only half the battle!

For those of you who want to collect everything, and especially if you're not playing as an Engineer (their passive ability helps reduce research costs), you're going to need a hefty amount of resources. Here's the breakdown of what you'll need in total:

• EEZO: 42,500
• Iridium: 215,000
• Platinum: 275,000 (This includes 50,000 specifically for the Med Bay upgrade.)
• Palladium: 195,000

These numbers are pretty steep, so start scanning planets early and often! A full list of where to find each upgrade is detailed in the appendix, sorted by type, and these mineral costs are repeated there too.