Simple research bench

A simple research bench is a Production bench at which your colonists (not prisoners) can research new technology. Once you've selected a project in the Research tab, your research-capable colonists will operate the bench when not otherwise occupied. Multiple researchers can contribute toward a project at the same time, so long as sufficient research benches are available and/or double shifts. Simple research benches are incapable of researching certain advanced technologies. Getting further along on the research tree requires using a hi-tech research bench. It produces research at only 75% the rate of the high-tech research bench.

Building research benches outdoors imposes a x0.75 penalty to research speed. Indoors, the cleanliness of the room the bench is in comes into play, granting modifiers ranging from x0.75 for very dirty rooms to x1.09 for sterile. You can reinstall them at convenience. Because research projects are such long-term projects, it is strongly advised you place dining chairs or armchairs at each bench to keep your researchers comfortable.

Acquisition

The simple research bench is built with 75 Stuff (Metallic/Woody/Stony, 750 for SMVs), 25 Steel in 2,800 ticks (46.67 secs).

Analysis

The simple research bench should be one of the first things to be set up in a new base, after building beds, a cookhouse, storage, and, possibly, a freezer.

As soon as you have the manpower to spare, putting two or more researchers to work is perfectly valid, and speeds up research immensely.

For future reference, know that any and all advanced research can only be done at hi-tech research benches. Here, the term "advanced" means any technology with "hi-tech research bench" as a listed requisite, which is essentially anything branching further from that in the research tree. If you have simple research benches and are researching a non-advanced technology, either or both types of bench can be used, but the moment you switch to researching an advanced technology all simple benches will be abandoned, since they can contribute nothing to that effort.

So, as soon as possible, simple research benches should be replaced with a hi-tech research bench as soon as you finish the Microelectronics research. While it takes up more space (2x5), requires more resources and needs power (250 W), it is also 33.33% faster and allows the player to continue on to Fabrication research, as components can often a major bottleneck as more progress relies on them and ore veins of them are consumed. But more importantly it's simply not possible to for a researcher to do their job without one if you wish to pursue any advanced technologies beyond Micro-electronics.

If resources are tight but several researchers are available, old simple research benches can be retained for the less effective researchers when researching projects that don't require the hi-tech bench*. These too should eventually be replaced by the faster hi-tech benches, however.

(* There are always some lower-tech technologies that can be helpful down the road. Hydroponics, firefoam, prosthetics]], all speak for themselves. Medieval plate armor is a requisite for [[* Note that any and all advanced research can only be done at hi-tech research benches! Here, the term "advanced" means any technology with "hi-tech research bench" as a listed requisite, which is essentially anything branching further from that in the research tree. If you have simple research benches and are researching a non-advanced technology, those can be used, but the moment you switch to researching an advanced technology those will be abandoned, since they can contribute nothing to that effort.|flak armor]], carpets turn any room into an impressive one, and drug production is quite profitable.)

Stats table

Simple research bench	Beauty	Work to Build	HP	Flammability	Market Value
Material	Beauty	Work to Build	HP	Flammability	Market Value
Bioferrite	0	007,000 ticks (1.94 mins)	500	75%	129
Gold	20	002,520 ticks (42 secs)	150	40%	7,555
Granite blocks	0	016,940 ticks (4.71 mins)	425	0%	176
Limestone blocks	0	016,940 ticks (4.71 mins)	388	0%	176
Marble blocks	1	015,540 ticks (4.32 mins)	300	0%	171
Plasteel	0	006,160 ticks (1.71 mins)	700	0%	745
Sandstone blocks	0	014,140 ticks (3.93 mins)	350	0%	166
Silver	6	002,800 ticks (46.67 secs)	175	40%	810
Slate blocks	0	016,940 ticks (4.71 mins)	325	0%	176
Steel	0	002,800 ticks (46.67 secs)	250	40%	200
Jade	10	014,000 ticks (3.89 mins)	125	0%	475
Uranium	0	005,320 ticks (1.48 mins)	625	0%	515
Wood	0	001,960 ticks (32.67 secs)	163	100%	145