Upgrade Guide

This Upgrade Guide lists the locations and prices for all equipment and power upgrades available in Mass Effect 2. Upgrades are listed by their locations and equipment type or biotic/tech, with purchase prices given as before possible discounts where applicable. When starting a new play-through with a Shepard that beat the game, your upgrades from that previous file won't carry over.

The amount of credits available from a normal play-through covering all missions, assignments and current DLC is 1,280,251 with a theoretical maximum of 1,347,951 if avoiding the use of medi-gel and heavy weapons and choosing Renegade options for credits. Acquiring all upgrades no longer requires importing a level 60 (+50,000) character with the "Rich" achievement (+100,000) or starting with the completion bonus (+200,000) from Mass Effect 2 as long as all the DLC is installed, otherwise these import standards are necessary.

See Credits by Location for tips on generating more income.

Note that research costs depend on the number of upgrades researched so far. So the cost for the first Heavy Pistol Damage upgrade will always be 2,500 Palladium, regardless of where it is acquired, followed by 5,000 and 7,500 for the next two tiers. Acquiring an upgrade from a store does not change the cost of the research upgrades. You can also get up to 25% discount on all research projects by being an Engineer, furthermore after completing the game with a single character all subsequent playthroughs will be granted +50,000 of each resource for free.

Total resources needed to research/buy all useful upgrades:
 * 205,500 palladium (237,500 for all upgrades from DLC)
 * 225,000 platinum (255,000 for all upgrades from DLC) (+50,000 for Med-bay Upgrade)
 * 220,000 iridium (242,500 for all upgrades from DLC)
 * 35,000 element zero (+5,000 for each Advanced Training and +2,500 for each Retrain Powers)
 * 1,253,416 credits (including discounts, this includes all maps, and items which either lead to more credits or which lead to other upgrades)

Assignments

 * N7: Anomalous Weather Detected: Damage Protection – Reward.
 * N7: MSV Strontium Mule: Heavy Skin Weave – Located at the end of the mission on a hackable terminal with the payload.
 * N7: Blood Pack Base: Heavy Weapon Ammo – Reward.
 * Project Firewalker: Prothean Site: Biotic Damage – Located at the end of the mission on a research terminal.
 * Overlord: Atlas Station: Heavy Skin Weave – Located in the room at the bottom of the elevator, scan the damaged geth.
 * Arrival (assignment): Heavy Weapon Ammo – After exploding the gas line on Aratoht, a path will be blocked by two sets of flames. Use the nearby valves to disperse the wall and access a room. In the back behind the shelf.
 * Arrival (assignment): Medi-Gel Capacity – In the hangar area with the crane on Aratoht. The crane must be manipulated to move a large box revealing a PDA with the upgrade.
 * Arrival (assignment): Heavy Skin Weave – In a room on the left after leaving the reactor core at the Project Base.

Citadel

 * Damage Protection – Sold at Saronis Applications.
 * Tech Damage – Sold at Saronis Applications.
 * Submachine Gun Damage – Sold at Rodam Expeditions.
 * Heavy Pistol Damage – Sold at Rodam Expeditions.
 * Sniper Rifle Damage – Sold at Rodam Expeditions.
 * Medi-Gel Capacity – Sold at Sirta Foundation.

Derelict Reaper

 * Sniper Rifle Damage – After your first encounter with husks on the bridge, before you fight the first Scion. It is next to some power cells, some platinum and a terminal.
 * Heavy Skin Weave – In a hacked computer near the altar after fighting your first Scion of the level.
 * Shotgun Damage – In the middle of a bunch of Scion and Husk fights after the first appearance of Legion, in the lower floor right at the side of power cells and just under a medikit. (Easily Missed)

Disabled Collector Cruiser
Either one of the following weapons or advanced weapon training can be obtained. See Collector Ship (mission) for more details.
 * Damage Protection – On a research terminal after examining the dead Collector and choosing a new weapon, but before encountering any Collectors.
 * Tech Damage – After fighting the Praetorian.
 * Weapon: M-76 Revenant – Soldier only.
 * Weapon: M-300 Claymore – Soldier and Vanguard only.
 * Weapon: M-98 Widow – Soldier and Infiltrator only.

Freedom's Progress

 * Heavy Weapon Ammo – On the dead YMIR Mech just outside Veetor's shack.

Haestrom – Dossier: Tali

 * Heavy Pistol Damage – At the bottom of a stairwell leading up to the raised walkway (about half way along), next to the body of a quarian marine at the site of the first fight with the geth. (Easily Missed)
 * Assault Rifle Damage – In the room blocked by the collapsed pillar.
 * Weapon: Geth Pulse Rifle – After the Colossus fight, in the room Tali is in (only on Hardcore or Insanity difficulty).
 * Weapon: M-9 Tempest

Horizon

 * Heavy Skin Weave – On a dead Collector, just after first seeing husks. You must do this before examining the dead husk. If you examined the husk first, you won't be able to go back to the dead Collector.
 * Biotic Damage – On a dead Collector when you first meet a Scion, after finding Delan. You can find the dead Collector right behind the building where the Scion emerges. (Easily Missed)
 * Retrain Powers  – Automatically acquired after completing this mission.
 * Weapon: Collector Particle Beam – The weapon is awarded automatically at the end of the mission, if it is not picked up at the two possible pickup locations.

Illium

 * Assault Rifle Damage – Sold at Gateway Personal Defense.
 * Heavy Skin Weave – Sold at Gateway Personal Defense.
 * Submachine Gun Damage – Sold at Gateway Personal Defense.
 * Biotic Damage – Sold at Serrice Technology.
 * Medi-Gel Capacity – Sold at Serrice Technology.
 * Bypass Module – Sold at Serrice Technology.
 * Damage Protection – Sold at Gateway Personal Defense. Only available after completing the Collector Ship mission.
 * Tech Damage – Sold at Serrice Technology. Only available after completing the Collector Ship mission.

Illium – Dossier: The Assassin

 * Submachine Gun Damage – Just before the windy bridge between the towers, on the ledge you drop from.
 * Weapon: M-97 Viper – At the elevator leading up to the bridge, walk around to the left past the room where three salarians are hiding. (Easily Missed)

Illium – Dossier: The Justicar

 * Biotic Damage – In the small room with Elnora, the asari hiding behind the desk.
 * Weapon: M-27 Scimitar

Illium – Lair of the Shadow Broker

 * Heavy Pistol Damage – A research terminal in a room full of Shadow Broker Agents just at the beginning of the upper level of Baria Frontiers.
 * Damage Protection – Check Tela Vasir's crashed skycar.
 * Additional upgrades are available from the Shadow Broker's delivery terminal.

Korlus – Dossier: The Warlord

 * Sniper Rifle Damage – At the top of the stair case after the waves of krogan.
 * Krogan Vitality – In the same room you find Warlord Okeer.

Loyalty Missions

 * Garrus: Eye for an Eye: Sniper Rifle Damage – In a hackable terminal after the room where Fake ID is obtained.
 * Grunt: Rite of Passage: Shotgun Damage – Awarded by the Shaman automatically.
 * Jack: Subject Zero: Biotic Damage – On a hackable research terminal, inside a room with Power Cell ammo, right before fighting Kureck.
 * Jacob: The Gift of Greatness: Heavy Pistol Damage – In the abandoned camp just after the barricade is destroyed with the rigged LOKI mech.
 * Kasumi: Stealing Memory: Tech Damage – On a dead mercenary by a door near the end of the mission.
 * Kasumi: Stealing Memory: Weapon: M-12 Locust – Next to Keiji's Graybox in Hock's vault.
 * Legion: A House Divided: Geth Shield Strength – On a geth terminal found in a room that triggers conversation about the size of the station.
 * Miranda: The Prodigal: Submachine Gun Damage – Found in a shipping container you walk through after first fight following the first elevator. (Easily Missed)
 * Miranda: The Prodigal: Medi-Gel Capacity – On a dead merc after the first elevator ride and Submachine Gun upgrade. (Easily Missed)
 * Mordin: Old Blood: Krogan Vitality – In the same room as the dead female krogan.
 * Mordin: Old Blood: Heavy Weapon Ammo – On a hackable research terminal right before Maelon's room.
 * Samara: The Ardat-Yakshi: Assault Rifle Damage – On the wall in Morinth's apartment.
 * Tali: Treason: Geth Shield Strength – On a hackable monitor just down the hall after the first combat room on the Alarei. It's in a small room by itself.
 * Tali: Treason: Tech Damage – Awarded after trial if Tali is found innocent (either through Charm/Intimidate, Rallying the Crowd, or by handing over evidence (and losing Tali's loyalty permanently)).
 * Thane: Sins of the Father: Heavy Pistol Damage – Immediately at the beginning on the 800 Wards on a datapad. (Easily Missed)
 * Zaeed: The Price of Revenge: Heavy Weapon Ammo/Assault Rifle Damage – On the Paragon path you can find a Heavy Weapons Ammo upgrade, in the room with the fire extinguisher systems, whereas on the Renegade path, you can find an Assault Rifles damage bonus, accessed from a terminal next to a servo with credits.
 * Zaeed: The Price of Revenge: Weapon: M-451 Firestorm – On the body of a dead mercenary, both Paragon and Renegade choices.

Normandy SR-2

 * Medi-Gel Capacity – Complete Doctor Chakwas' assignment.

Omega

 * Heavy Skin Weave – Sold at Kenn's Salvage.
 * Heavy Weapon Ammo – Sold at Kenn's Salvage.
 * Shotgun Damage – Sold at Kenn's Salvage.
 * Sniper Rifle Damage – Sold at Omega Market.
 * Hack Module – Sold at Harrot's Emporium.

Omega – Dossier: The Professor

 * Assault Rifle Damage – In the quarantine area, just after a barricade of mercs, examine a "Modified Assault Rifle" near a Blue Suns corpse.
 * Medi-Gel Capacity – In the room opposite to the one Mordin is in inside the Clinic.
 * Weapon: M-6 Carnifex – Given automatically for talking to Mordin.

Omega – Dossier: Archangel

 * Submachine Gun Damage – Right before the assault on Archangel. There is a door you have to bypass across from the A-61 Mantis Gunship. (Easily Missed)
 * Tech Damage – On the ground floor of Archangel's during the assault, on a shelf near the base of the stairs.
 * Weapon: M-15 Vindicator – On a couch in the room Garrus is in.

Purgatory – Dossier: The Convict

 * Damage Protection – On a destroyed YMIR right after freeing Jack.
 * Shotgun Damage – On a dead guard right after destroying the first YMIR.

Shadow Broker Base

 * Assault Rifle Damage – Possible delivery from daily shipments.
 * Shotgun Damage – Possible delivery from daily shipments.
 * Sniper Rifle Damage – Possible delivery from daily shipments.
 * Submachine Gun Damage – Possible delivery from daily shipments.

Tuchanka

 * Assault Rifle Damage – Sold at Fortack's Database.
 * Biotic Damage – Sold at Fortack's Database.
 * Heavy Pistol Damage – Sold at Fortack's Database.
 * Shotgun Damage – Sold at Fortack's Database.
 * Heavy Weapon Ammo – Sold at Ratch's Wares.

Upgrades by Type
Prices shown are before the paragon/renegade discount and before the engineer research discount.

The mineral cost for each upgrade type follows a fixed price progression. For example, the first Sniper Rifle upgrade you research costs 2,500 Platinum, the second 5,000, the third 7,500 and the fourth 10,000, regardless of where they were acquired. Upgrades bought in stores are instantly active and do not need to be researched; they are not included in the price progression.

Heavy Weapon Upgrades
After completing N7: Blood Pack Communications Relay a Heavy Weapon Ammo upgrade may appear in the debriefing screen. The upgrade appears to be unusable, however; it cannot be researched. The only solution is reload an early save and play the mission again.

Normandy SR-2 Upgrades
Upgrades tied to squad mates are also unlocked after gaining their loyalty.

Credits by Location/Mission
This is a list of how many credits are attainable and what missions they are on. Credits that are optional are listed separately from the totals. Power cells and med kits are listed because you can get 100 credits from each of them if you are full, but they are not included in the totals.

These numbers show that if you maximize your credits (and have all the appropriate DLC) you will still fall a few thousand short of purchasing all upgrades, not including trinkets. That's also not taking into account the several thousand you will probably need to spend on probes and fuel. So starting bonuses from prior playthroughs are necessary to get all upgrades.
 * If the Normandy SR-2 possesses the Extended Fuel Cells or Modular Probe Bay upgrades after you complete the game, and the ship currently holds 1500/1500 fuel and 60/60 probes import this Mass Effect 2 save into a new game. The Normandy SR-2 will possess 1500/1000 fuel and 60/30 probes following the Freedom's Progress Mission. However the probes may revert to 30/30 once a single probe has been fired (only giving you one free probe), the extra 500 fuel will still be burnt off before your actual reserves are drained regardless.
 * It is sometimes possible to bypass a safe, datapad, or container more than once (doesn't work 100% of the time without tedious reloads), doubling or even tripling the credits received from that particular object. Rapidly press A (Green) on the Xbox 360 or Use (Spacebar) on the PC after the minigame screens flash green to accomplish this (upon finishing the final circuit, or final line of hack code).
 * Acquiring Urz and betting on him in the pit battles at Tuchanka (save before each match) can also provide an unlimited stream of credits due to his high win probability, although this method is tedious at best.