Race Sim Set Ups - Show us
Discussion
My setup has evolved quite a bit over the years. I started on the sofa with a logitech G25 and a wheelstand pro.
Then I bought a gaming PC, specifically for sim racing and upgraded to a Thrustmaster T300 which I was using with the stock pedals for ages. Then upgraded to the Fanatec V3 loadcell pedals and added a shifter and got a playseat challenge, which really was an outstanding budget 'rig' - pictured below
Fast forward another year or so and, my current setup is simlabs GT Evo 1 rig, Fanatec DD2 direct drive wheel and triple 32" 1440p monitors (which it turns out, my ageing eyes much prefer to VR)
Heusinkveld pedals will be next, and thinking about adding some motion somehow but, need to save some pennies for that!
Then I bought a gaming PC, specifically for sim racing and upgraded to a Thrustmaster T300 which I was using with the stock pedals for ages. Then upgraded to the Fanatec V3 loadcell pedals and added a shifter and got a playseat challenge, which really was an outstanding budget 'rig' - pictured below
Fast forward another year or so and, my current setup is simlabs GT Evo 1 rig, Fanatec DD2 direct drive wheel and triple 32" 1440p monitors (which it turns out, my ageing eyes much prefer to VR)
Heusinkveld pedals will be next, and thinking about adding some motion somehow but, need to save some pennies for that!
What a fantastic looking rig. I have the Thrustmaster t300 rs with upgraded T3PA pedals, but only playing a PS4. Always wanted a high-end PC for iRacing and mod community for the AC games...but a really good graphics card (which I’d want) is silly money these days so I’ll hold off.
Love the Fanatec - is a Direct Drive really a sea change from the belt-drive wheelbases? Reading some reviews sounds like they’ll rip your arm off!
Love the Fanatec - is a Direct Drive really a sea change from the belt-drive wheelbases? Reading some reviews sounds like they’ll rip your arm off!
Aces_High said:
What a fantastic looking rig. I have the Thrustmaster t300 rs with upgraded T3PA pedals, but only playing a PS4. Always wanted a high-end PC for iRacing and mod community for the AC games...but a really good graphics card (which I’d want) is silly money these days so I’ll hold off.
Love the Fanatec - is a Direct Drive really a sea change from the belt-drive wheelbases? Reading some reviews sounds like they’ll rip your arm off!
I was lucky with the GPU - my 1070 died on me in late 2019 so I upgraded to an RTX 2080 for reasonable money, just in time before covid and crypto mining basically killed the GPU market. You can still pick cards up but, you'll be paying north of £1k for a 3070 and you have to be quick!Love the Fanatec - is a Direct Drive really a sea change from the belt-drive wheelbases? Reading some reviews sounds like they’ll rip your arm off!
The upgrade from the T300 RS to the DD2 is significant. I was understandably nervous, spending so much on something having never tried one for myself. It took about 2 corners round Brands in Assetto Corsa and, I already knew the upgrade had been worth it! You hear loads of people on forums and youtube going on about the 'detail' you get with a direct drive wheel. I didn't really understand what they meant until I got mine - it's true, you can feel the track through your arms - it's great!
They're not toys though. For the mostpart, they're fine and behave much like any other wheel. But, with the right car, the right settings and the right circumstances, they really can cause an injury! I was racing a friend in Caterhams on AMS2. By default, the steering feels quite light on those so, I cranked up the FFB a bit. I was then a bit, shall we say, optimistic with the throttle, lost the back end and pirouetted off into the barrier, at which point the wheel snapped as the front wheels made impact - it took me quite by surprise and I ended up with a pretty bad sprain. I couldn't use the rig for about 4 days after that!
Other than that, it has been an absolute joy! The software is great, you can save as many setups as you like. Takes a while and a bit of trial and error to get it set up on the various sims but, it is so worth the time and effort.
Many thanks Speckle. Must admit I’m looking at Scan and RTX 3080 builds. Crazy pricing and I’ll have to sell some stuff first, but I plan to also use the rig for DCS and a lot of non-gaming applications. If that goes ahead, a DD2 could come down the line. Undecided on VR or monitors but I still feel VR needs another next-gen bump before I’d go there. Happy with a monitor so far.
Ironically, may not be too long before the only way to enjoy driving is solely on a track or on a sim....as roads become purely A to B transport on electric vehicles with insurance-required digital speed limits. Not for a bit, but some day.
Ironically, may not be too long before the only way to enjoy driving is solely on a track or on a sim....as roads become purely A to B transport on electric vehicles with insurance-required digital speed limits. Not for a bit, but some day.
Don't rule out a DD1 - same motor, just throttled to a slightly lower max power output. It would arguably give an almost identical experience for less money. I believe Fanatec have also just released an entry level DD solution too but, the power on that is much lower and would be far less of an upgrade.
I'm with you on VR. I have an HTC Vive and I've used it for many hundreds of hours but, I'm at that age where my eyesight is slowly deteriorating and it just got to a point where using VR was becoming too much of a chore.
Sure, the spatial awareness of VR is great and the immersion is second to none but, switching to triple screens has been brilliant - I haven't used VR for over a year now and doubt I will again until future generation headsets are released.
I'm with you on VR. I have an HTC Vive and I've used it for many hundreds of hours but, I'm at that age where my eyesight is slowly deteriorating and it just got to a point where using VR was becoming too much of a chore.
Sure, the spatial awareness of VR is great and the immersion is second to none but, switching to triple screens has been brilliant - I haven't used VR for over a year now and doubt I will again until future generation headsets are released.
Edited by Speckle on Friday 4th June 13:03
Good advice thanks. Spent some time looking at the DDR1 and it is tempting but still close enough to make me want to go the extra mile for the DD2. Don’t fancy the impending cheaper model as not enough of an upgrade over the t300rs, which I think is a brilliant belt drive.
What’s your take on the Evo rig? It’s not motion enabled (which is silly expensive and maybe too gimmicky?) but it makes it rock solid, is it worth it?
This is really getting me back into sim racing!
What’s your take on the Evo rig? It’s not motion enabled (which is silly expensive and maybe too gimmicky?) but it makes it rock solid, is it worth it?
This is really getting me back into sim racing!
My thought process was the same and, I haven't regretted the decision (although, having never tried a DD1 I don't know exactly how they compare). I like the carbon fibre on the DD2 though, and the emergency stop is a convenient on/off switch.
The Evo rig is absolutely superb. It simply doesn't move, not even a little bit. I'm sure the same is true for all 80/20 rigs. For me, it was well worth it - if you're going to get a powerful wheelbase, you want it to be rock steady on the rig. I don't even think it was that expensive, although you have to budget for a seat too. I obviously went with a full fat, FIA approved (which is obviously essential on a static sim rig
) Sparco Rev bucket seat but, any car seat will do.
Cheapest way to add motion would be the Next Level Racing motion platform at about £2500. I haven't quite been able to get my man maths to justify that yet but, it is on the list for sure!
The Evo rig is absolutely superb. It simply doesn't move, not even a little bit. I'm sure the same is true for all 80/20 rigs. For me, it was well worth it - if you're going to get a powerful wheelbase, you want it to be rock steady on the rig. I don't even think it was that expensive, although you have to budget for a seat too. I obviously went with a full fat, FIA approved (which is obviously essential on a static sim rig
) Sparco Rev bucket seat but, any car seat will do.Cheapest way to add motion would be the Next Level Racing motion platform at about £2500. I haven't quite been able to get my man maths to justify that yet but, it is on the list for sure!
This thread is proving absolutely deadly. I didn’t know I wanted motion until I saw the Next Level Racing kit. Not just cars but also the flight sim gameplay improvements look amazing. Crazy money though, especially if combining the V3 with the traction loss platform. V3 alone does look superb. Maybe one day....
This all prompted a return to PC2, Bathurst and the Ferrari 330 P4 last night. Epic!
This all prompted a return to PC2, Bathurst and the Ferrari 330 P4 last night. Epic!
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