Advice on a decent sim-racing setup

[durbster]

I fancy getting back into sim-racing this year and, since my PC graphics card was purchased in 2011 (Geforce GTX 560 baby!), I suspect my hardware isn't really up to the job any more and it's time to treat myself to some shiny new things.

My original plan was to get a decent spec PC, a seat of some kind and a VR headset because I assumed that was the only way to go for sim-racing.

However, the deeper I've dug, the more out of the loop I realise I am and I'm seeing people saying they prefer the triple-monitors to VR. I've watched a few YouTube videos comparing the two setups but most YouTubers don't really tell you much and I'm never quite sure how sponsored they are. I thought I'd ask some real people instead.

What do you reckon is the minimum required for a top-tier sim-racing experience these days?

(that would ideally be good for Half Life: Alyx too ).

[w00dsy]

You might want to try VR before committing to it. A lot of people get nauseous. Also it makes using buttons, keyboards and mice harder. Some people are going for the large curved screens too now.

[norbs]

i7 Cpu and 20 series GPU will get you going for 90% of games Durbs.

As to VR. I have a Rift S and triple monitors. I play 99% of the time using my monitors. You will hear plenty of people swear by VR, but like woodsy said, try it first. It is still not very sharp, there is still some screen door effect, and I get hot as fuck in mine. It is very immersive and oh so cool, but given the choice, I would go triples every time. Or, like woodsy says, I good large curved screen is sexy too.

You might want to budget for a good wheel too. Not sure what you have now, but there are some solid wheels out there.

[Sarsippius]

I've raced exclusively in VR for about 4 or 5 years now but there are pros and cons to it, as the others have said it's good to get some personal experience with a VR headset first. However, I'm not sure how things work in the UK but if return policies are good you can always try one and return it if you don't like it. The Rift S would be a good start and probably the minimum you'd want out of the current headsets.

The latest hotness is 49" ultrawide monitors and these can be a good choice, they don't have the fov range of a triple setup but you can avoid the extra headaches of triples.

For a rig I would suggest going straight to 8020, you're lucky you have Sim-Lab in the UK, a GT-1 Evo with a monitor mount and seat is hard to go past. If you were to get really serious the P1-X would survive an atomic blast, let alone whatever you could throw at it wheel and pedal wise.

On wheels and pedals it's really a matter of how much you want to spend, it's hard to give any real recommendation without having a ball park. Low end you're probably looking at Fanatec CSL gear, you want a load cell brake which ever way you go, mid tier would be Fanatec CSW level, higher and it's a DD base and something like Heusinkveld Sprint pedals.

On the PC side the 9600KF is a good sweet spot, with a good quality mobo you can overclock up to 5.0GHz fairly easily. Ryzen chips aren't that far behind but can't overclock to the same degree so do lose out. The upcoming 10th gen Intel chips won't bring much to the table aside from an incremental increase across the board.

With graphics cards I don't keep as up to date on as they're less critical for iRacing VR, GPUs are really overpriced in my opinion but something around the 2060 Super level is probably what I would aim for.

Sim-racing is becoming less of a cheap hobby by the day but one thing to bear in mind is some things like an 8020 rig or a set of pedals like HE Sprints, they will last a lifetime and will also hold their value well if you decide to pack it in a few years down the track and sell it off. For anyone who thinks they will get into sim-racing long term you're better to go higher end from the get go and not have to upgrade as you go.

[Duke]

Agree on all the above posts, I too have a choice of triples or VR & hardly ever use VR.
Main reason apart from visuals being much better with monitors is that in VR you are completely oblivious to your actual surroundings.
So if someone has to disturb me it scares the absolute bejessus out of me especially as I am in a garage simming, the house or garage could be on fire or getting robbed & I would have no clue!!!

[nutty]

Well said everyone. I brought into a low end Windows Mixed Reality VR headset a year or two ago. I think in terms of immersion its insane, Just the way things like the front wheels look on an open wheeler, or as you turn in being able to judge apex's and line them up is fantastic.

But, I just cant do it for more than 5min at a time, the sharpness just isn't there and gives me a headache. Im sure going to a high end headset would dramatically improve the situation, but I just cant see it being something I would happily use every-time.

I think in 3-4 years, I would look at converting, but for now ill stick to my triple 27's

[norbs]

Well said everyone. I brought into a low end Windows Mixed Reality VR headset a year or two ago. I think in terms of immersion its insane, Just the way things like the front wheels look on an open wheeler, or as you turn in being able to judge apex's and line them up is fantastic.

But, I just cant do it for more than 5min at a time, the sharpness just isn't there and gives me a headache. Im sure going to a high end headset would dramatically improve the situation, but I just cant see it being something I would happily use every-time.

I think in 3-4 years, I would look at converting, but for now ill stick to my triple 27's

Dont be so sure Nutty. Rift S is still a long way off the sharpness of monitors. Even my shitty 24 inch things.

[durbster]

This is brilliant information. Thanks everyone.

On VR, it was this video that made me want to go that route. It looks awesome:


Sounds like it'd be sensible to start with triple monitors (three is probably better for work than an ultrawide, and since I'm working from home indefinitely it'd be useful for that...), then hold off to give VR a trial somehow later on.

Right, I'm off to do some reading up on the suggestions.

[w00dsy]

VR always looks better on a video because it's captured the free movement of the headset but at monitors resolution. It's not quite that crisp in the headset. I've only used it once and the depth perception is terrific but the lack of detail in the distance, like brake markers, is hard to get used too. I'm holding off until they get it closer to what you'd see on a monitor.

[norbs]

VR always looks better on a video because it's captured the free movement of the headset but at monitors resolution. It's not quite that crisp in the headset. I've only used it once and the depth perception is terrific but the lack of detail in the distance, like brake markers, is hard to get used too. I'm holding off until they get it closer to what you'd see on a monitor.

Yup. This is the big thing for me too. I am sure they will get better, and the Rift S is a big step up from the last Rift I had, but still a ways to go.

The closest I can think of explaining it. If you are a SCUBA diver, and your mask starts to fog up. Then you clear it with water. That is what it is like going from VR to monitors. You do however lose the depth perception.

[GT VIRUS]

The triples-VR thing is never ending. I will forever swear by VR compared to when I had triple 5+ years, but monitors have gotten better since then. The biggest factors in my opinion are space and cost. 3 quality monitors seems to be more expensive than a good VR headset, but they also take up a HUGE amount of space. That might be a much bigger deal in the UK.

For the rig itself, unless you are sure you want to get into this properly, I'd skip it. A Desk, and some wood to secure your pedals to the chair, will get you started nicely. Or, go on ebay/gumtree and find something cheap to get started. For a wheel, I'd start with a Thrustmaster T300 or something like that, a great cheap starter wheel. Pedals are the most important thing to spend money on, and I would highly recommend even a starter find some Fanatac clubsport pedals of any generation to start with.

[Sarsippius]

Don't be scared off VR because it's a very personal thing, just last weekend I did a full length oval race that went for four hours and I regularly do endurance races doing multiple two hour stints in a day. There are trade offs with each option with no clear winner.

[norbs]

I agree, VR for some people is a clear winner. it isnt for me.

What about people that wear glasses? Do you wear specs Durbs?

[Cursed]

My chunky glasses fit fine in a Rift-S.

[durbster]

Luckily, I do have a decent sized room to set this up in so space is not an issue.
I don't wear glasses.

Oh man. I had absolutely no idea racing sims had got so sophisticated. I've been reading up on some of the suggestions above and bloody hell, what have I walked into!? The rigs, the seats, the hydraulic assisted wheels!

I'm gonna need a bigger budget.

[norbs]

Luckily, I do have a decent sized room to set this up in so space is not an issue.
I don't wear glasses.

Oh man. I had absolutely no idea racing sims had got so sophisticated. I've been reading up on some of the suggestions above and bloody hell, what have I walked into!? The rigs, the seats, the hydraulic assisted wheels!

I'm gonna need a bigger budget.

It has changed a lot since the GPL days.

[durbster]

You're not kidding. I think I used to play GPL on a 14" monitor. Now I'm wondering how I could possibly race without three 32" monitors

[durbster]

Thanks for all the help here. I've worked out a plan to do this in phases:

Can't do much without a new PC so that's the first step, and after lots of reading I'm looking at this spec:
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/ocuk-gam ... ag-og.html

Although I will probably build it myself to save a few quid.

Then hook that up to a single 27" freesync monitor at 1440 e.g.:


That's not enough to get me racing but it'll get me moving on things I use it for e.g video editing and coding.

Phase 2 is to get racing and I'll need some kind of frame. I haven't read up much on this yet although I have looked at some DIY solutions, and the Sim lab kit suggested above sounds good:
https://sim-lab.eu/product/gt1-evo/

I wonder if I can get a car seat from a scrap yard that I could use too.

Phase 3 will depend on how things are going. I might have been able to try out VR by then, or figured out how to use triples on a desk without having to to faff about too much every time I want to switch between racing and other stuff.

[NeilPearson]

Simlab is the beezneez of cockpits.

[wabbit]

If it helps I did a bucket load of research because I have a tiny space (between a spare bed and cupboard doors), I wanted something I wouldn't just replace or regret and something on wheels. I went with the GT1 evo and grabbed a Golf front seat from the wreckers.

Also please don't get shamed into something, get whatever, there's plenty of good stuff out there and there's plenty of accounts of quick guys using and winning with the 'trash' that others wouldn't even touch.

[w00dsy]

You don't need to get a fancy wheel or cockpit. I only have a basic wheel attached to my desk and I am a world record holder at the moment

[durbster]

I've actually still got an old G27 but I've no idea if it still works.

[Sarsippius]

It's not a bad idea to do it in stages unless you definitely feel like you will be racing for some time. I've seen guys buy heaps of gear and then pack it in and sell it all off, although like I said earlier high quality gear tends to hold its value well.

On the PC front you could possibly drop back to something like the Ryzen 5 3600 paired with a newer and well reviewed motherboard. Then later this year when Ryzen 4th gen comes out you will have an upgrade path to what should be faster and higher core count cpus. I mean it will cost more overall but could be a good strategy. I'm sure the motherboard at that link is fine but it's x470 rather than the newer x570, again I'm not suggesting there's anything fundamentally wrong here but it seems like they're moving old stock. Just something I noticed, you can actually make an argument that a b450 motherboard is all you need, even for the 4th gen chips on the way.

If you're planning for triples then I assume the 27" monitor you're looking at is what you will buy initially and then buy another two of the same spec later? Better to not have to buy 3 new monitors down the track.

There's nothing wrong with using a desk but just remember that monitor positioning is important, whether for singles or triples you want them as close to you as possible, right up against the back of the wheel base. Also if you do go for a sim-lab rig then I think you will really need a proper triple monitor mount if you eventually go triples. They have a relatively inexpensive single monitor mount you can use in the interim, I actually bought it myself for use on my diy 8020 rig, I've gone a little bit extreme in the pic below as I don't actually race on the monitor but you get the idea.

Rig03.jpg

[durbster]

Thanks. I've been playing with a bunch of configurators and it's so easy to just reach little further with each part and find you've doubled the prices

I'm now looking at an overclocked Ryzen 7 3700 on a x570 mobo for roughly the same price as the one I posted above. That said, I'm hoping I won't have to upgrade anything for a few years.

If you're planning for triples then I assume the 27" monitor you're looking at is what you will buy initially and then buy another two of the same spec later? Better to not have to buy 3 new monitors down the track.

Yeah that's plan A. I'll see how much time I end up on it before committing to that though.

Rig03.jpg

That looks great but I need the monitors to not be fixed so I can easily switch between using them for other stuff (video editing mainly) so I'm not sure how to deal with that yet. I've got some kind of sliding frame in mind in my imagination.

[Sarsippius]

I'm now looking at an overclocked Ryzen 7 3700 on a x570 mobo for roughly the same price as the one I posted above. That said, I'm hoping I won't have to upgrade anything for a few years.

Yeah I came back here to say that AMD have stated just a few days ago that the 4th Gen chips coming later this year won't be supported on x470 or b450 boards, so if you get an x570 board you will still have an upgrade option down the track.

That looks great but I need the monitors to not be fixed so I can easily switch between using them for other stuff (video editing mainly) so I'm not sure how to deal with that yet. I've got some kind of sliding frame in mind in my imagination.

You can probably use a monitor arm while you have a single monitor, could be tricky when it comes to triples though.