Where to Find Damaged Heat Sinks in ARC Raiders (Fast & Easy Farm)
Damaged Heat Sinks are a key crafting component in ARC Raiders, required to upgrade the Utility Workstation to level 2. While they can appear in any Technological Loot Zone, the fastest and most reliable way to farm them is by looting breachable containers in the Assembly Workshops area on the Stella Montis map.
Why You Need Damaged Heat Sinks
To upgrade your Utility Workstation to level 2, you’ll need the following materials:
You can view this upgrade and all other workstation requirements on Metaforge’s Needed Items page, which clearly shows what each station needs at every level.
It’s also worth noting that after upgrading the Utility Workstation to level 2, the level 3 upgrade requires 3× Fried Motherboards. These drop from the same Technological loot pool and can be found in the Assembly Workshops area on Stella Montis, making this location ideal for preparing both upgrades at the same time.
Best Location: Assembly Workshops (Stella Montis)
Damaged Heat Sinks spawn in Technological Zones, but the most consistent location is the Assembly Workshops at the north side of Stella Montis.
Use the Stella Montis interactive map to quickly locate the Assembly Workshops and plan a direct route in.
This area contains a high concentration of breachable lockers and containers, all sharing the same tech loot pool — which is why Damaged Heat Sinks appear here far more often than elsewhere.
Step 1: Load In With an Empty Loadout
For the safest runs, load in with an empty loadout so you retain access to your Safe Pocket. This lets you secure Damaged Heat Sinks immediately after finding them, even if something goes wrong later.
If possible, play on NA servers and avoid PvP. ARC Raiders’ reputation-based matchmaking means players who don’t engage other Raiders often end up in noticeably friendlier lobbies — perfect for farming workshop materials without stress.
Step 2: Reach the Assembly Workshops
Once inside Stella Montis, move straight toward the Assembly Workshops at the top of the map. This seems to be where most breachable tech containers are located.
Ignore low-value side loot and focus entirely on lockers, crates, and tech storage.
Step 3: Breach All Tech Containers
Breach every container inside the Assembly Workshops. Damaged Heat Sinks commonly appear here alongside other valuable tech items from the same loot pool, including:
- Cooling Fans used for Expedition Project upgrades
- Fried Motherboards (needed for the Utility Workstation level 3 upgrade)
- Electrical Components and other utility materials
Because both Damaged Heat Sinks and Fried Motherboards share this pool, it’s highly efficient to farm this area even after you finish the level 2 upgrade.
Across multiple runs, it’s common to find one or even both required Damaged Heat Sinks in a single raid.
Step 4: Secure the Item and Surrender (Fast Method)
Since you’re running a completely empty loadout, as soon as you find Damaged Heat Sinks, place them into your Safe Pocket. Once it’s secured, you can press Escape and select Surrender.
This will kill your Raider, but any items stored in your Safe Pocket will still return home with you. It’s a much faster method than running to extraction and is perfect for quick farming runs.
If you happen to find additional items you also need such as Fried Motherboards which are needed for the next Utility Station upgrade, then extract normally instead so you can bring everything back safely.
More ARC Raiders Resources
If you’re still missing materials or want to speed things up:
- Trade excess items or buy missing components using the Metaforge Marketplace
- Plan efficient farming routes using Metaforge’s interactive maps and tools
