Need help starting off with sim racing gear!

[Zim92]

Hi everyone, I'm getting into the sim racing scene and I would appreciate some feedback and opinions about what I should equip myself with.

A little background about me: I have no racing expereince but have always been in love with racing as I grew up travelling around North America due to my uncle being in a semi-pro racing league and the rest of my family shares that racing passion. One day I would love to follow his footsteps and get into racing but im in university and just dont have the money yet. I know any sim doesnt represent real racing to a tee, but I would love to practice racing techniques that are fairly realistic that I just can't do in my road car. Ive always played racing games on my gaming systems like forza on xbox 360 but have never had a wheel/pedals.

Basically what I want tp know is:

1. Whats the best/most realistic sim?
Ive heard that iracing narrowly wins but some people say it's too much money for tracks, cars and membership. Personally I dont think its that bad and is my number one choice so far.

2. Whats the best setup for someone like me who's starting out but wants the ability to upgrade to elite easily as I know I will probably be addicted. I also want to start off with really good gear though, just not like the csr elite at like $600 just for the wheel. I do want the works; racing seat, wheel, pedals ( including clutch), shifter (one that can change rom h pattern to sequential), and all the stands and other accessories I need. Im looking at starting off with 1 screen and upgrading to 3. Im not tech savy so what screen should I get? Also need ideas for a pc that can run iracing that isn't too costly as that's alli would use it for. All in all for only 1 screen im looking to spend about $2000 US. Any opinions on a setup?

Remember im looking for as realistic as possible but dont want to go spending $7000 on a setup right now. I know some people may say to start off cheap but I am a very competitive person and I am very into racing so i want something that will help me get to the front, not give me a disadvantage.

Thank you for your time

 

[TheORDL]

From experience;

Get a T500RS and shifter and build your own cockpit. I started with an ironing board to mount my G27, went to a pvc rig, then a Gamepod and finally to an aluminium rig. Save time and money and go straight for a custom rig. I am not saying go this way because I sell aluminium profile, it makes sense to have something that you can change over time and built to your own spec.

There are many great examples of profile rigs around and you can see an example on my website, www.kbaluminiumprofile.co.uk

iRacing is great and since you will be pc based the triple monitor voice will soon be heard in your head as you become unsatisfied with a single screen. Go for 24 or 27 monitors and I would get 3 to begin with as you can ensure the models are all the same and may save you having to replace the single screen when you go for triples and can no longer find another 2 to match the one you already own.

I have a ASUS rog machine with a Z77M Pro motherboard, i5 3570K, SSD, 8GB ram and a single ASUS GTX 770 and had no problems. A machine like this can be built for a reasonable price and runs triple screens fine, even for BF4 etc.

 

[Zim92]

Thank you for your input TheORDL. Does having a custom rig really make that big of difference compared to a playseat?

I have pretty much narrowed it down to 3 wheels now but there is just so much mixed opinions on each of them.
1. Thrustmaster t500rs
Pros: supposedly most realistic, ability to get Thrustmaster shifter which is also very good and has sequential option

Cons: unlreliable/bad customer service, expensive, comes with pedals which apparently people say arent the best (too stiff brake and clutch and throttle have same feel)

2. Fanatec csr/csre
Pros: csr very good for price, csre pedals are apparently very good (unsure of shifter)

Cons: prone to breaking, csre is very expensive, comparison to thrustmaster t500rs?

3. Logitech g27

Pros: cheapest option, 'best deal for what you pay for'

Cons: bad pedals, no sequential shifter, hw realistic is it?

Basically im wondering how big of a difference it is for these wheels mainly. The g27 and t500rs run about a $400 difference and the fanatec is in between. Is the g27 really that bad? Does it feel like a toy? Ive had a cheap wheel/pedal set that was garbage as a kid and I used it twice because I could steer better with my controller with my eyes closed. Is the jump from fanatec to the thrustmaster really worth that $200 or can you barely even notice it?

 

[Azure Flare]

Why not a Fanatec CSW?

It blows away any other wheels the Fanatec currently sells (the CSW is based on the CSR Elite), freakishly modular (even more now with the Universal Hub), FFB is very nearly as strong (well, on a PC at least), and the Clubsport V2 pedals compliment it excellently.

There is the Clubsport shifter as well, available as both H-pattern only or both H-pattern and sequential modes.

 

[Zim92]

Im very new with sim racing gear (only heard about it a week ago) so I really dont kmow much. Basically those 3 were the most talked about but how much is the csw and how is it compared to the t500rs?

Ive pretty much made my mind up on the clubsport pedals but learning about the clubsport shifter is definitely a nice welcome!

 

[Zim92]

Looking at the website it's $500 just for the base? Then like $200-$400 for the wheel too? Thats really steep, but is it worth it? im 99% sold on the clubsport sequential shifter and clubsport v2 pedals though.

Is the csw worth it? And what wheel would be best? Im starting out so would be gt racing not formula

 

[Azure Flare]

I have both a T500RS and a CSW, and I much prefer the CSW.

Yes, it's more expensive, and I have read horror stories about the reliability of Fanatec hardware, but I've had no issues with my CSW or Clubsport V2 pedals (except for a knocking sound whose exact source that I can't trace).

I think you're mostly paying for material pricing, as the CSW is made from anodized aluminum, while the T500RS is mostly plastic.

As far as wheel rims, the Formula rim is the least expensive at $180, but that too is probably down to material pricing, where the most expensive rim for the T500RS (the Ferrari F1 rim) is just over $200 at the most, but that depends on where you buy it from.

Another kicker for the CSW is the way it looks. The T500RS just looks like a lump of plastic with a powerful FFB motor and a noisy fan. The CSW is more compact and elegant looking, and it's 2 fans are much quieter (one fan to take in air, and the other to exhaust the air out).

It's also pretty well documented that the CSW is more precise than a T500RS as the optical sensor looks at the steering axis, rather than the FFB motor.

However, the least expensive wheel from Fanatec is the $180 Porsche 911 GT2 RS V2 wheel, which is what the CSR is derived from if you would rather do that, but I couldn't tell you much about that as I have never tried it before.

 

[EF12345678]

Some things about the G27:

3. Logitech g27

Cons: no sequential shifter

Do you really need a sequential? It has paddles.

3. Logitech g27

Cons: bad pedals

Where did you hear this? They function perfectly!

3. Logitech g27

Cons: hw realistic is it?

It is very immersive, weight and the strength of the force feedback can be adjusted to make it fit your needs/wants.


Note:
Since your budget is generous, I'd go for a more expensive wheel with all the bells and whistles to help you get to the top.

 

[bevo]

I've got a csw and really like it but there seems to be several good wheel choices now. When I got my csw it had just came out and was the obvious choice for affordable high end wheels. I would love to feel what some of the non fanatec wheels feel like that are out now.

I've also got a playseat and really like it. It seems to transfer vibrations really well and if you get into racing you will probably end up buying bass shakers and simvibe and the shakers really work well on the playseat. I've felt them on an obutto r3volution and the playseat transfers the vibrations much better. I did get a crazy deal on my playseat though when I bought it. It was free shipping and about half the price of what they are now. Playseat has really jacked up their prices in the last 5 years.

Iracing is great. I've tried all the Sims and iracing is way ahead of everything else when it comes to competitive racing. They're system works really well to get you into competitive clean races one you get a decent rating and our of rookie classes.

My best advice on the actual cockpit would be to really research them and get what you think would be the best for you. There are a bunch of companies making them and some are more triple screen friendly or better suited for bass transducers.

Keep in mind too. This soon racing is crazy. It looks like you are gonna go in deep right off the bat so try and get something that you can easily upgrade as you but now equipment.

These guys made me a triple monitor stand are were really good to work with. http://www.sim-seats.com/#2895

They can make it to your specs and as our change things how you want. They also have a lot of accessories. I would give them a serious look. There stuff doesn't look as fancy as other options but they seem more adaptable.

 

[MrDavid5465]

I think one very important thing that you should consider is what platform are you planning on using the wheel with primarily. If you intend on playing with:
Xbox 360, you would have to get the Fanatec CSR or Porsche 911 GT2
XBone you have 1 option, The Thrustmaster TX
PS3 you have Logitech g27, all the Fanatec, and Thrustmaster T500RS and T300RS(soon)
PS4 as far as we know is just with Thrustmaster T300RS and T500RS

PC? take your pick! the list goes on!

 

[MrDavid5465]

also for a rig, DIY is a great way to go, wood can be very sturdy and fairly inexpensive (provided that you have a shop to work in. My rig cost me just under 100 CAD

I would highly recommend DIY over a prebuilt solution as you can get everything just the way you want it and the money that you save could go towards shiny things like button boxes and shift light indicators!

 

[Zim92]

Sequential is not really needed right now but would be a huge asset for me in terms of getting used to it as I will probably use one if I get into racing irl. Ive just heard that the fanatec csr and elite pedals are ahead of the logitech let alone the cs v2 pedals.

I want to start off strong because I'm not sure how much of a difference everything makes. I know I racing takes a while to get the hang of, but at the same time I dont want to be finishing at the back of the pack because of a lesser wheel/pedal/shifter combo. How much of a difference does it make per lap? Less than a second? 1-3 seconds?

I also dont want to end up buying cheaper gear worth about $500 to upgrade 6 months later and pay $1200 when I could have just bought the expensive gear from the start. Im just really worried both ways; if I go cheaper I will be disappointed/frustrated and then spend mpre money on the better gear anyways. I also dont want to buy the expensive gear only to realize theres not really a difference and I could have saved that $700 .

Maybe I should go cheaper for about a year just until I get the hang of iracing? I heard it takes a while to get used to

 

[EF12345678]

Yeah, before blowing tons of cash, I'd just see what is necessary. Find out what features you need to use, then go from there.

 

[Zim92]

I would go the diy route only that I live in a student house with no tools and no one that could possibly help other than paying someone which would probably cost the same or more than a rig. Also I dont have any experience so I wouldnt know what I would even have to build

 

[Zim92]

So maybe I should just get the fanatec csr with the csv2 pedals because I know I want those and a cheap fanatec shifter? Wont even bother with the rig until I start getting really into it?

 

[MrDavid5465]

With that in mind, look into Obutto, they have a pretty solid bang for the buck in features and I've heard that it's fairly sturdy.
I just upgraded from a g27 to a Thrustmaster TX which you can get for pretty cheap on amazon.com, A world of difference. The TX/T300 will have way better ffb then a csr/g27 but not as good as a CSW

 

[EF12345678]

So maybe I should just get the fanatec csr with the csv2 pedals because I know I want those and a cheap fanatec shifter? Wont even bother with the rig until I start getting really into it?

That's kinda what I meant...

Go on YouTube, forums, guides, etc. and see what they recommend. See what things you might need to hotkey to your wheel (see how many buttons you need), what kind of shifter is best to use (H-shifter, sequential, etc.).

@Zim92 You never did mention if you were going play on console or PC.

If on PC:

Do the same for your computer, look online for guides and suggestions for parts that work best with iRacing.

 

[Azure Flare]

@Zim92 You never did mention if you were going play on console or PC.

For inexpensive Fanatec shifters, there is only the CSR shifter set. I've read that these feel like plasticky toys compared to the TH8RS or even the Clubsport shifter.

 

[Zim92]

Oh sorry I will be playing pc only really, exclusively iracing I believe. Ive been all over the Internet but everyone seems to be saying different things. Definitely want the 3 screens but need to do a lot of research. As for the comp my cousin is a robotics engineer and gaming fanatic so he could help me out with that as I am not tech savy whatsoever

 

[Azure Flare]

As @MrDavid5465 said, the choices are through the roof.

Since you're just starting out, having a CSR with the Clubsport V2 pedals and a Thrustmaster TH8RS (or the upcoming TH8A) would be a good start.

(I still recommend the CSW though...)

 

[skazz]

If you're serious about diving into iRacing, two key comments:

1. Reserve plenty of budget for iRacing costs. Just racing anything after the rookie season will take a number of track purchases, which are $15 per track. You could easily need $300-400 in your first year to get all the iRacing content you need to race with.
2. Join up to iRacing now with one of the deals floating around. Read up on their hardware forums. There are loads of threads from people wanting to iRace and needing assistance with the PC selection.

In terms of gear, I'd say you will need roughly $800 for a triple screen capable PC, plus another $400ish for 3 screens with low latency and acceptable viewing angles. That's more important than a very expensive wheel right now. You can start off fine with a simple Logitech DFGT (many experienced iRacers use this wheel). If you decide that the pedals and shifter are too limiting, buy Fanatec items piece by piece. When you want to upgrade to a better wheel that $100 outlay on the DFGT can be mostly recouped by selling it on.

 

[Zim92]

Do you think the logotech g27 would hold me over then? It has everything I want (except sequential shifter) but I dont need that right away. It has the shifter and clutch that I really just want to practice and get a feel for at like $250 for the set. Would that be a good starting out option?

 

[skazz]

The g27 is a superb starting option. Very robust, compatible with everything, very direct and low internal resistance (unlike the cheaper Fanatec wheels). It rattles around more than belt drive wheels, but the rattle doesn't make you slower, just slightly less nice to use.

I still use my G25 (bought early 2008) on my PC rig, still works great. So much so that I prefer running PC sims with it than lugging my computer through the house to the T500RS (console) rig every time I want to race. (Yeah, yeah, first world problems...)

 

[Zim92]

Thanks for all of your input guys. i've done a lot of research and think i should start off with the g27 package as its fairly cheap ($235 + free shipping on amazon). The reviews all say its the best wheel for it's price (comparable to the csr but much less in cost) and I see a lot of serious iracers, rfactor players using it at high classes and doing well. Ive also heard theres a good spring you can get for the pedals for $30 that makes them much more realistic feeling? Although it does not come with the interchangeable shifter from seq to h pattern, I could take the time to get used to paddles and then practice seq when i upgrade. I plan to be into the sim racing world right after christmas as i am currently subletting a room to other students, and they will be moving out at christmas time; so free gaming room to set up my rig! I also heard that it does take a while to get used to because pc sim is not like console sim (I play forza right now without wheel/pedals). Because of this, i decided to go for the cheaper g27 because I will need to practice a bunch before i get good enough to be competitive anyways. After about almost a year i figure either i wont be serious enough to upgrade to anything better, or i will be very into it and will want to upgrade. From the reviews i think i like the sounds of fanatec products mainly because of the options you have. I believe the fanatec csw would be the best option (especially since ill ask the gf for it for my birthday/christmas so i dont have to spend that $500 bill). I would also get the clubsport v2 pedals and the clubsport seq shifter (the rim is yet to be decided but probably the BMW wheel). Who knows, maybe some new products will come out by then.

As for the rig, I'm definitely starting out with the 3 screen option as I will be going Black Friday shopping and hopefully getting them at a good price (and as TheORDL said, it would ensure i got 3 of the same screens instead of getitng one and then realizing i want 3 and then try to find 2 more of that same exact model.

I'm still very unsure of what to get rig wise. DIY is basically out of the equation since my lack of materials, knowledge, building space and tools etc. I might try setting everything up to my desk at first before i invest into a rig to make sure i love it and its worth it. if I do end of getting a rig though i know i will want something compatible with 3 screens. Is every rig compatible with setting up a 3 moniter stand? I know for the cheaper rigs such as the playseat you have to buy a separate triple monitor stand. I've heard that the playseat is really good for the price. As someone earlier in the thread pointed out, an aluminum rig is another way to go albeit a lot more expensive. Is it really worth that extra money? Do rigs like the playseat move/shift/shake at all when you steer, touch the pedals or shift? Im worried that the quality of the playseat isnt enough to handle someone really driving hard.

My last worry is the pc that i would need. As i said before i will be relying on my cousin as he is a robotics engineer and hardcore gamer on top of that, but I would also like some opinions from people who actually have experience with iracing/other pc sims. Im not tech savy whatsoever so please try to explain things to me ( I want to learn more about computers since with pc gaming there are a lot of mods/updates/problems that occur frequently). What would be the best/cheapest option for me to go? I know the minimum requirements but I dont want to just be making it by. I will probably be trying out many of the different sim games too, Im not sure if that would effect anything. Im really not looking to pay $1000 for a computer, but like i said before im very competitive and dont want anything weighing me down. Would it be best to buy a pc that has everything included? Or should i buy something more simple and add the upgrades like a graphics card? How much of sim racing relies on the computer/graphics, internet connection, and then the wheels/pedals? I want to have the fastest steering/pedals response, so should i Invest more into the speed of the pc, graphics card, internet, wheels/pedals?

I know that's a lot of questions but it's a lot of money for me, a student, to buy shelling out for a chance that i'll love it. I can't really try it before i buy it as i Have no friends/places around me that have anything like it so i'm relying on you guys to help me out!

I appreciate all of the time and effort you guys have put in for me, it's greatly appreciated !