If you are working toward upgrading your Utility Station in Arc Raiders, chances are you will quickly run into a bottleneck: the Fried Motherboard. This rare crafting item is easy to miss if you are scavenging randomly, but once you understand where it spawns and how loot systems work, farming it becomes much more efficient.
What Is the Fried Motherboard Used For?
The Fried Motherboard is a rare recyclable item primarily used for Utility Station upgrades. To unlock Utility Station Level 3, you will need three Fried Motherboards, making it a mandatory progression item rather than optional loot.
When recycled, it breaks down into:
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- Plastic Parts
- Electrical Components
It also has a modest sell value, but most players should keep it for crafting rather than selling early on .
How Fried Motherboard Spawns in Arc Raiders
Before jumping into specific locations, it helps to understand why this item spawns where it does.
Fried Motherboards are tied to Technological loot pools. This means they do not appear as random ground loot. Instead, they are found inside:
- Breachable electrical panels
- Server cabinets
- Metal tech containers
- Electrical boards mounted on walls
If a building or area contains visible machinery, power systems, or server infrastructure, it has a chance to spawn this item.
Best Maps to Find Fried Motherboard
Spaceport (Best Overall)
The Spaceport is the most reliable map for Fried Motherboards because nearly every major structure qualifies as a technological zone. Control rooms, towers, terminals, and secured buildings are packed with breachable tech containers.
Key reasons Spaceport is ideal:
- High density of electrical boards
- Multiple large loot buildings close together
- Better chances of finding multiple motherboards in a single run
If your goal is fast progression, this should be your primary farming map .
Dam Battlegrounds (Strong Early Option)
The Dam Battlegrounds map contains several overlooked technological buildings that are excellent for farming, especially early in the game.
Look for:
- Control towers
- Research and administration buildings
- Power-related structures
Some smaller buildings may not look important from the outside but contain multiple server cabinets inside, each with its own loot roll.
Other Maps With Reliable Tech Zones
While less efficient than Spaceport, you can still find Fried Motherboards in:
- Buried City – Research and space-travel related structures
- The Blue Gate – Fortified and reinforced buildings
- Stella Montis – Medical, communications, and assembly areas
The key factor is not the map itself, but whether the location contains electrical infrastructure .
Confirmed Fried Motherboard Locations
The following locations are known to consistently spawn technological containers where Fried Motherboards can appear:
Dam Battlegrounds
- Control Tower
- Research & Administration
Buried City
- Research
- Space Travel
Spaceport
- Arrival Building
- Departure Building
- Launch Towers
- Control Tower A6
- North Trench Tower
- South Trench Tower
The Blue Gate
- Ancient Fort
- Pilgrim’s Peak
- Reinforced Reception
Stella Montis
- Lobby
- Lobby Metro
- Communications
- Medical Research
- Assembly
- Assembly Workshops
Can Fried Motherboards Drop Outside Tech Areas?
Yes, but with conditions.
While they are most common in technological zones, any location that contains an electrical board or server cabinet technically has a chance to drop one. This is why places like power complexes sometimes reward unexpected finds.More Gaming Guides
That said, relying on non-tech areas is inefficient. For consistent results, always target known tech locations. Play Now!
