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To increase Intelligence permanently in Fallout: New Vegas, buy the Intelligence Implant from Doctor Usanagi at the New Vegas medical clinic, choose Intense Training to raise Intelligence, or earn a qualifying endgame reward. For more skill points without raising Intelligence, take the Educated perk. Mentats and Intelligence-boosting clothing are temporary: they can help with an immediate check, but do not increase skill points awarded at level-up.
Why permanent Intelligence matters
Intelligence determines the skill points you receive each level, using the formula 10 + (0.5 × Intelligence). The formula applies at level 1, and fractional halves carry across levels. Only permanent Intelligence increases affect those level-up awards; a temporary boost from a chem or clothing does not.
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That makes timing important: raising Intelligence permanently earlier can improve skill-point gains over more level-ups. A later increase does not retroactively award the points missed at earlier levels.
Permanent ways to increase Intelligence
Buy the Intelligence Implant
Visit Doctor Usanagi at the New Vegas medical clinic and purchase the Intelligence Implant. It permanently raises Intelligence by 1. The Fallout Wiki lists 4,000 caps as the normal price, but its discount figures conflict: one passage gives 3,000 caps for Intelligence below 4, while another gives 1,000. Check the price offered in your game rather than relying on either discounted amount. The clinic limits the number of implants you can buy based on Endurance and implants already purchased. Fallout Wiki: Intelligence implant
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Choose Intense Training
Intense Training lets you permanently raise one SPECIAL statistic by 1 per rank. Choose Intelligence when selecting the perk if you want its increase to affect future level-up skill points.
Take a qualifying endgame reward
Some ending-related rewards can raise a primary statistic by 1. This is a late-game route, and whether it is available depends on the ending content.
Temporary boosts for checks, not level-up points
Mentats and Party Time Mentats provide a temporary +2 Intelligence boost. Some scientist clothing and glasses provide +1 or +2, depending on the item, and Meat of Champions temporarily adds +1. These boosts can help when an immediate Intelligence-linked check or threshold matters, but they do not increase the skill points awarded when you level up. Fallout Wiki: Intelligence
Get more skill points without increasing Intelligence
The Educated perk directly grants 2 additional skill points per level; the cited skills reference lists it as available at level 4. It does not raise Intelligence. Skill books and magazines can also affect skill values, but they do not increase Intelligence. Fallout Wiki: Fallout: New Vegas skills
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Which option should you use?
| Option | Effect | Permanent? | Raises level-up skill points? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Implant | +1 Intelligence; costs caps and uses a clinic implant slot | Yes | Yes, for future level-ups |
| Intense Training | +1 to a chosen SPECIAL statistic per rank | Yes | Yes, if you choose Intelligence |
| Qualifying endgame reward | Can raise a primary statistic by 1 | Yes | Yes, for future level-ups |
| Mentats, clothing, or Meat of Champions | Temporary Intelligence boost | No | No |
| Educated | +2 skill points per level; does not change Intelligence | Perk effect | Yes, directly |
These mechanics are documented in specialist community-maintained references; the references do not establish platform-specific differences, and mods or game-version behavior may vary.
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