Research Speed

Research speed is an infinite technology that increases the research throughput of each Matrix Lab in research mode by 60 Hash/s per level. It does not reduce the number of matrices required for a technology; it only lets the same number of research labs finish the work faster, or lets fewer labs sustain the same research rate. The effect applies to research mode only and has no impact on Matrix Lab production mode.

Research in Dyson Sphere Program is driven by hashes. Each technology requires a fixed total hash volume, and the lab network converts supplied matrices into hashes at a rate of 60 hashes per game tick, or 3,600 hashes per second per active lab. Because different technologies require different total hash amounts and different matrix ratios, the number of cubes consumed per second can vary widely. In practice, Research speed changes how many labs you need to keep up with a given science demand, rather than changing the demand itself.

The technology is notable because its prerequisite is not a normal lab-unlock chain, but the flavor-related Information Matrix requirement. Its levels scale as follows:

• Initial: 60 Hash/s
• Lv1: 120 Hash/s total, +60 Hash/s
• Lv2: 180 Hash/s total, +60 Hash/s
• Lv3: 240 Hash/s total, +60 Hash/s
• Lv4 and beyond: continues increasing by +60 Hash/s per level

Since Matrix Labs can be stacked vertically, the practical value of Research speed is limited in many factories. Research facilities are rarely the main bottleneck, especially once a player has built a reasonable lab stack and sorter throughput. For that reason, the upgrade is usually less important than technologies that improve production, logistics, or power generation. It is most useful when you want to compress a research block into a smaller footprint or reduce the number of labs needed to meet a specific science target.

A few practical notes apply:

• It affects only the conversion of supplied matrices into research progress.
• It does not make matrices themselves easier to produce.
• It does not help Matrix Labs working in matrix-producing mode.
• Because the bonus is per lab, additional stacked labs benefit in the same way as single labs.
• The in-game warning about research being too slow is only a prompt; it does not mean the factory is failing.

In short, Research speed is a scaling efficiency upgrade for lab throughput. It is straightforward, always useful in principle, but usually low priority compared with the technologies that expand the rest of the production chain.