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Arc Raiders: How to Get Power Cables

What is a Power Cable?

A Power Cable is classified as a Rare item in Arc Raiders. Its main purpose is for crafting and upgrading certain workshop items. While you can carry it in your inventory, it’s not a weapon or armor—it’s purely a material.

In practical terms, you’ll often use Power Cables for:

  • Workshop upgrades (like improving your gear benches).
  • Crafting advanced equipment when combined with other components.
  • Recycling into wires, which are a common base material for other recipes.

A single Power Cable weighs 2.0 units and stacks up to 3 per inventory slot, so you don’t have to worry too much about overloading your bag when farming them.


Where Can You Find Power Cables?

The most straightforward way to get Power Cables is through scavenging. Based on in-game patterns, players tend to find them in three main types of locations:

  1. Electrical Areas These are areas with power boxes, transformers, or circuit panels. They’re high-value spots for electrical components, and Power Cables often spawn there.
  2. Residential Zones Inside apartments or houses, especially near breaker panels or old utility closets. Loot these spaces carefully; Power Cables don’t spawn everywhere, but if you check every potential container, you’re likely to find some.
  3. Commercial Buildings Warehouses, offices, and industrial floors sometimes contain storage crates or maintenance rooms where Power Cables appear.

A key practical tip: players usually clear multiple buildings in one area rather than chasing a single spawn. Power Cables are rare, so persistence is important. They won’t appear in every container, but if you hit multiple sites systematically, you’ll usually get a few per run.


How Many Do You Get When Scavenging?

Each Power Cable you pick up counts individually, but the drop rates are low. On average, a successful scavenging run will yield 1–2 Power Cables per building, depending on whether you’re clearing electrical-heavy areas.

If you’re aiming to stockpile for crafting or workshop upgrades, plan multiple runs. It’s common for players to combine scavenging with trading or buying to save time.


Can You Buy Power Cables?

Yes, if scavenging isn’t your thing, there are often marketplace options. On consoles like Xbox, some players list Power Cables or even complete Arc Raiders blueprints for sale Xbox. This is especially useful if you’re trying to upgrade your workshop without running multiple scavenging routes.

Buying them is straightforward but comes at a premium. If you have spare currency, this can save hours of farming.


Using Power Cables in Workshop Upgrades

The most practical use of Power Cables is in workshop upgrades. For example, upgrading a Gear Bench from level 1 to level 2 requires:

  • 3× Power Cable
  • 5× Electrical Components
  • 5× Hornet Drivers

This combination is consistent across most Gear Bench upgrades, so if you want to plan ahead, stockpile Power Cables along with electrical components.

Pro tip from experience: don’t hold onto rare components unnecessarily. Upgrade when you have enough materials to complete the bench in one go; partially upgrading benches can be inefficient.


Recycling and Salvaging Power Cables

If you end up with extra Power Cables, recycling is your friend. In practice, here’s what happens:

  • Recycling a Power Cable yields 4 Wires, which are used in other crafting recipes.
  • Salvaging a Power Cable (for partial recovery) gives 3 Wires.

For most players, recycling is the preferred choice, since it maximizes material output. Wires are a versatile base component that you’ll use frequently in other builds and upgrades.


Tips for Efficient Farming

From my experience, here’s a set of practical behaviors to improve your Power Cable acquisition:

  1. Combine Locations Clear electrical, residential, and commercial areas in the same run. It saves travel time and increases your odds of multiple drops.
  2. Check Every Container Power Cables are rare. They may be in small crates, toolboxes, or near electrical panels. Skipping a container can mean missing one.
  3. Plan Workshop Upgrades Know exactly how many Power Cables you need for your next upgrade. Don’t overfarm unless you want spare stock for recycling.
  4. Consider Marketplace Options If you’re short on time, check online marketplaces or in-game stores for listings. Players who sell Arc Raiders blueprints for sale Xbox sometimes include rare components like Power Cables.
  5. Prioritize Rare Spots Some electrical rooms consistently spawn Power Cables more often. Learn which rooms in each zone are high-value and prioritize those.

Power Cables are a small but essential part of Arc Raiders gameplay. They’re rare, but not impossible to acquire. The best strategy combines scavenging in high-value zones, smart inventory management, and occasionally using the marketplace if you want to speed up upgrades.

By focusing on electrical, residential, and commercial areas, and understanding how they fit into workshop upgrades and recycling, you can manage your crafting efficiently. Over time, knowing where to find them and how to use them effectively becomes second nature, letting you spend more time on actual raids instead of endlessly hunting materials.

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