Noob New Sim Rig Build

H

HatlessChimp

38
Australia
Melbourne
Hatlesschimp
Hi fellow GTPlanet Members!

I would like to build a Sim Rig in my spare room 10' x 12'. At this stage I want to get the majority of the kit together by the end of the week and later on I can full customization with mods and hacks.


My Background
I'm new to iRacing and competitive racing online overall. Im live in Australia. I work away on and off interstate hence why I am online at the moment at 4am LOL. My gaming history consists of consoles when I was younger and as I got older they lost their appeal to me. Games like call of duty and battlefield have had their day and I am bored with them and was left with only FIFA and NBA 2k as the only console games I will play every now and then when a friend comes over. So since 2011 i have been slowly migrating to PC gaming and sims. Games like ARMA 3 are good and have filled the COD and BF void. They are fun and especially the role playing servers are good because everyone is sensible and are committed to not being a tool. And although I'm yet to play iRacing (saving myself for the new sim rig) it does appear you have to respect the game and the others playing it. It obviously isn't NFS or Grid where side swiping cars or using cars as shields is tolerated or even funny. Its a racing sim and for it to be fully authentic it's not just the in game physics and visuals or the steering wheel you use but the other players doing their part to be sensible on road and could even say their is a bit of role play required for it to be a total sim. But obviously time to time you get people that are either noobs or experienced drivers that do something stupid by accident or brain fade from time to time. I guess we are human after all. But from what Ive interpreted through youtube and the forum is for many this is their passion and second love and lets face it for most of us it is the closest we will come to being a professional race driver. I used to have a Mitsubishi Evolution VIII Ralliart Edition and although I never raced it on a full track I did compete in a few DECA track days that included time attacks and head to head slalom runs on the skidpan. Its lots and lots of fun driving your car to its limits where you can feel the cars body weight swaying and gliding on the edge. Driving home after one of these events is always frustrating because you know what your car is capable of but at the same time you know if required at any time you can control your car to avoid an incident.
So since I've sold the car and have a baby on the way I would like to still have an outlet for myself and I think setting up a Sim Rig with the right components will go a long way to the realism and most definitely cheaper and safer than racing a real car. I want to make it feel as real as possible and I understand that sometimes it doesn't actually make you quicker in game and Ive heard about lads with 20k spent on systems getting toasted by kids on a 360 controller lol.


Racing Sim Rig - Build
Originally was all in for a full Fanatec Clubsport setup but I after a bit of research I'm worried about the reliability of the of the Fanatec Clubsport wheel base and also its force feedback strength.
But Im also concerned about the which is the better wheel out of the Thrustmaster T300 RS or the T500 RS and their is even the GTE version as well! Is it just a case of Thrustmaster releasing a new wheel with PS4 logos and cosmetic design change and they have dropped the more expensive pedals to compete with the G27 for console gamers. Or have they dulled the internal components down? or have they refined kinks in the T500 and made it better and noticed that many T500 owners where not using the T500 pedals as much and using fanatec CS V2 pedals or something else?
Im also undecided on if I should go projector or a single monitor/tv or even 3 monitors. I have Benq 1080p sitting on bedside table in front of the bed projecting onto the wall as the bedroom tv that I can trial with. So I guess I can start there. but the 3 monitor/tv surround setups look great.

My list items so far.
GTultimate V2 Racing Cockpit
Thrustmaster T300 RS
Fanatec Clubsport V2 Pedals
Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ AU
Fanatec Clubsport Hand brake
DSD Race King r12 LED - http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/race-king-r12-led.html
Things I have already that I can use
Recent new PC build (4970K - Gigabyte Z97X Gaming G1 - Sli GTX 780 ti)
Cambridge Audio Minx 325v2 5.1 Speaker set
Buttkicker Gamer 2

I haven't used SimVibe yet but from what I gather it makes the Buttkickers work better but require a sound card. My z97 motherboard does have onboard creative 7.1 audio will this do? But also I want to run HDMI out of my Nvidia GPU to the AVR and on to the display. Can I run both audio components at once? Will a dedicated sound card help?
Im think of getting a second Buttkicker Gamer 2 so I have Left and Right channel. Or should I just give up on the gamer 2 and grab something else with more audio transducers?

Room size is 12' x 10'

So I think you can understand what I am trying to achieve and who I am and I think the components above are what I want but I still have a lot of things uncertain. I would really appreciate any input from ya lads! So if you see anything that you think wont work or I may not like please tell me!
Also as it all comes together I will document it here with photos and videos.

Im not sure how iRacing rolls but if you want to add me as a friend I am more than happy as I currently have no friends
icon_cry.gif
LOL. I havent signed up yet but will do in the next day or two.

Cheers

P.S. Sorry for any poor grammar I only got a C in English at high school
icon_e_confused.gif
 
In order of priority:
  • 3 Screens;
  • Pedals using a pressure based brake. Clubsport V1 are a great product for the money. There are other more expensive pedals if you want to spend more;
  • Good wheel. I recommend the G27
There are many racing chassis from which to choose. The Playseat is a good bang for the buck, and the rSeat is excellent as well. I recommend the DSD Pro Sequential and Handbrake. The Thomas H shifter is the best you can get.

If you get a chassis you want something else to hold your screens to prevent screen shaking. A good table large enough to support three screens can be had from Ikea for not too much money. You must have, at minimum, three screens, a good wheel and good pedals. From there you can acquire the other goodies to enhance your immersion.

Good luck...and make sure you practice much in iRacing. It's worth the commitment.

d
 
derekspeare
In order of priority:
  • 3 Screens;
  • Pedals using a pressure based brake. Clubsport V1 are a great product for the money. There are other more expensive pedals if you want to spend more;
  • Good wheel. I recommend the G27
There are many racing chassis from which to choose. The Playseat is a good bang for the buck, and the rSeat is excellent as well. I recommend the DSD Pro Sequential and Handbrake. The Thomas H shifter is the best you can get.

If you get a chassis you want something else to hold your screens to prevent screen shaking. A good table large enough to support three screens can be had from Ikea for not too much money. You must have, at minimum, three screens, a good wheel and good pedals. From there you can acquire the other goodies to enhance your immersion.

Good luck...and make sure you practice much in iRacing. It's worth the commitment.

d
Click to expand...
WOW!!! Derek Comes in with a bang! Cheers mate!!!

My Evo had a beautiful rally Sequential shifter, I totally loved it until the gearbox broke and nearly had to sell some organs on the black market! I also love vanilla manual too!!!

Whats the lead time on the DSD Pro Sequential and Handbrake plus rough estimate time for delivery to Melbourne Australia?

With the 3 screens how big? I guess 27" guarantees computer monitors with sharp image and color thanks to 4:4:4 chroma and also in general good input lag times and motion blur. Or should I go 32" or 40" tv's? Was contemplating the Curved 55" Samsung as a single monitor at one stage.

As for the cockpit I have got the Playseat at the moment and it has the middle bar and it drives me bonkers even though I've offset the pedals a bit to mitigate the annoyance. Also very hard to get in and out. The other day I sat in the GTultimate V2 and loved it! Its ridged and has lots of add on bits to suit personal taste.

I love the look of this Samsung S27D590P 27in Widescreen PLS Monitor. However mounting options are very limited due to the lack of no VESA mount on the back. I guess I could always debezel the 3 of them and custom mount them. http://www.overclock.net/t/1397263/the-official-debezelled-monitor-club
S27D590P-features_01.jpg


Below is the Cockpit I will pickup tomorrow. Funny enough it was reviewed by Inside Sim Racing only 2 months ago and they loved it and gave it a 10! Also must be noted before I even saw the video clip I saw the cockpit in a local store and is the WHOLE reason that this sim rig is happening! Damn its nice!!! I love the easy access in and out! It really put my playseat to shame and put me off racing sims!!! My pregnant wife even jumped in and had a race and also loved it! I told her right then I was going to get it and put together with a proper high end gear but before I bought it I wanted to do some research first. Oh and I also I told her she could practice her parking with it LOL. and it wont cost to much!!! :)

ISR Review - They only review the Next level racing wheel mount stand and not the seat or other bit that joins onto it that creates the GTultimate V2 package.


http://www.pagnianimports.com.au/me...525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/g/t/gtultimatev2_4.jpg

http://www.pagnianimports.com.au/me...b33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/g/t/gtultimate8.jpg
 
iRacing Day One - Practising Laguna Seca.

I've got a long way to go but I think Laguna is a good place to start. It is a very technical track and will help me hone multiple skills at once.

 
20140807_094400.jpg I've completed 8 Okayama Races in the Mazda MX5. Two in the Cup and 6 in the roadster. I've found the Roadster better to handle. Best I've finished was 6th and worst was 10th but I'm usually 7th. My Fanatec Clubsport V2 pedals arrived yesterday and I must say they feel awesome. I topped up the oil in the hydraulic brake cylinder and adjusted the spring tension to my liking. The clutch and throttle need to be adjusted but I don't have the correct tools to get the job done so today sometime I'll pick up some shifters and spanners.

The clubsport v2 pedals have shaved my Okayama lap times from 1:59 to 1:56 but I still need to work on shaving more time to be more competitive with the top 3. Need to be around 5 seconds faster still. I also have to work on balancing the car through corners and maintaining speed through corners. And I'm still driving conservative 80 percent of the time and not pushing the car to its limits. I know I can be more aggressive and use more of the track but I still don't have that feel of car and trust where I will be coming out of the corners.
 
Greetings fellow Aussie sim-racer. I was in the same boat as you recently. I've been an avid PC/Console gamer for years, since I was a teenager, and found myself losing interest in most games until I recently took up sim racing. I use to love the DECA track days, I had an S13 Silvia that I unfortunately sold when my daughter was born. I miss automotive events between DECA and Winton, however sim racing fills most of the voids and I don't have to pay for any mechanical repairs which is good. The worst part is I now live around the corner from DECA. Dammit.

My gaming mostly consists of Assetto Corsa and now some iRacing (when I get the time to sit a race that is) but have hundreds of hours clocked up in Race 07 and GTR2 respectively, and haven't looked back. Unfortunately my dedicated sim-rig only uses a single 32" screen as my eyefinity setup is on my gaming PC in the study. I would love to move them over, but I use my PC for some odd gaming here and there and drafting and modelling so the multiple screens is still handy there, but will be investing in an Occulus Rift shortly or when the final public release is out instead instead.

Good luck and have fun.
 
HatlessChimp
Hi fellow GTPlanet Members!

I would like to build a Sim Rig in my spare room 10' x 12'. At this stage I want to get the majority of the kit together by the end of the week and later on I can full customization with mods and hacks.


My Background
I'm new to iRacing and competitive racing online overall. Im live in Australia. I work away on and off interstate hence why I am online at the moment at 4am LOL. My gaming history consists of consoles when I was younger and as I got older they lost their appeal to me. Games like call of duty and battlefield have had their day and I am bored with them and was left with only FIFA and NBA 2k as the only console games I will play every now and then when a friend comes over. So since 2011 i have been slowly migrating to PC gaming and sims. Games like ARMA 3 are good and have filled the COD and BF void. They are fun and especially the role playing servers are good because everyone is sensible and are committed to not being a tool. And although I'm yet to play iRacing (saving myself for the new sim rig) it does appear you have to respect the game and the others playing it. It obviously isn't NFS or Grid where side swiping cars or using cars as shields is tolerated or even funny. Its a racing sim and for it to be fully authentic it's not just the in game physics and visuals or the steering wheel you use but the other players doing their part to be sensible on road and could even say their is a bit of role play required for it to be a total sim. But obviously time to time you get people that are either noobs or experienced drivers that do something stupid by accident or brain fade from time to time. I guess we are human after all. But from what Ive interpreted through youtube and the forum is for many this is their passion and second love and lets face it for most of us it is the closest we will come to being a professional race driver. I used to have a Mitsubishi Evolution VIII Ralliart Edition and although I never raced it on a full track I did compete in a few DECA track days that included time attacks and head to head slalom runs on the skidpan. Its lots and lots of fun driving your car to its limits where you can feel the cars body weight swaying and gliding on the edge. Driving home after one of these events is always frustrating because you know what your car is capable of but at the same time you know if required at any time you can control your car to avoid an incident.
So since I've sold the car and have a baby on the way I would like to still have an outlet for myself and I think setting up a Sim Rig with the right components will go a long way to the realism and most definitely cheaper and safer than racing a real car. I want to make it feel as real as possible and I understand that sometimes it doesn't actually make you quicker in game and Ive heard about lads with 20k spent on systems getting toasted by kids on a 360 controller lol.


Racing Sim Rig - Build
Originally was all in for a full Fanatec Clubsport setup but I after a bit of research I'm worried about the reliability of the of the Fanatec Clubsport wheel base and also its force feedback strength.
But Im also concerned about the which is the better wheel out of the Thrustmaster T300 RS or the T500 RS and their is even the GTE version as well! Is it just a case of Thrustmaster releasing a new wheel with PS4 logos and cosmetic design change and they have dropped the more expensive pedals to compete with the G27 for console gamers. Or have they dulled the internal components down? or have they refined kinks in the T500 and made it better and noticed that many T500 owners where not using the T500 pedals as much and using fanatec CS V2 pedals or something else?
Im also undecided on if I should go projector or a single monitor/tv or even 3 monitors. I have Benq 1080p sitting on bedside table in front of the bed projecting onto the wall as the bedroom tv that I can trial with. So I guess I can start there. but the 3 monitor/tv surround setups look great.

My list items so far.
GTultimate V2 Racing Cockpit
Thrustmaster T300 RS
Fanatec Clubsport V2 Pedals
Fanatec ClubSport Shifter SQ AU
Fanatec Clubsport Hand brake
DSD Race King r12 LED - http://www.derekspearedesigns.com/race-king-r12-led.html
Things I have already that I can use
Recent new PC build (4970K - Gigabyte Z97X Gaming G1 - Sli GTX 780 ti)
Cambridge Audio Minx 325v2 5.1 Speaker set
Buttkicker Gamer 2

I haven't used SimVibe yet but from what I gather it makes the Buttkickers work better but require a sound card. My z97 motherboard does have onboard creative 7.1 audio will this do? But also I want to run HDMI out of my Nvidia GPU to the AVR and on to the display. Can I run both audio components at once? Will a dedicated sound card help?
Im think of getting a second Buttkicker Gamer 2 so I have Left and Right channel. Or should I just give up on the gamer 2 and grab something else with more audio transducers?

Room size is 12' x 10'

So I think you can understand what I am trying to achieve and who I am and I think the components above are what I want but I still have a lot of things uncertain. I would really appreciate any input from ya lads! So if you see anything that you think wont work or I may not like please tell me!
Also as it all comes together I will document it here with photos and videos.

Im not sure how iRacing rolls but if you want to add me as a friend I am more than happy as I currently have no friends
icon_cry.gif
LOL. I havent signed up yet but will do in the next day or two.

Cheers

P.S. Sorry for any poor grammar I only got a C in English at high school
icon_e_confused.gif
Click to expand...


Hi there, I have just purchased the GTultimate V2 Racing cockpit and also the Fanatec Clubsport V2 pedals along with the Fanatec Clubsport Shifter SQ.

I’m having a bit of trouble hard mounting the Clubsport Pedals to the GTultimate rig. Has anyone successfully worked out how to hard mount them? There are no bolt holes that line up. I just cant seem to work out how the pedals (4 bolts) will bolt on to the checker plate as the bars underneath that enable the plate to slides forwards or backwards foul the bolts underneath. I have read online that other people have just bottled on one side of the pedals to the plate, that doesn’t sound very good to me as I want the pedals to be as secure as possible.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be hugely appreciated.

Kind regards
Andrew
 
I just took the heel plate off and used cordless drill and tec screwed it to the aluminium plate. It couldn't move then! Then put the heel plate back on the pedals. 4 screws in total and done in 2 minutes.
 
HatlessChimp
I just took the heel plate off and used cordless drill and tec screwed it to the aluminium plate. It couldn't move then! Then put the heel plate back on the pedals. 4 screws in total and done in 2 minutes.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for the reply. I'm obviously not all that handy. I will give it a go. Thank you again, very much appreciated. Cheers Andrew.
 
AndrewG
Thank you so much for the reply. I'm obviously not all that handy. I will give it a go. Thank you again, very much appreciated. Cheers Andrew.
Click to expand...
I was just wondering if there is any chance you could please take a quick photo of how you set yours up for me. Sorry, i'm utterly useless at building things. Thank you so much!! This had made my day, i've had my set up for two weeks and still not up and running.
 
HatlessChimp
I just took the heel plate off and used cordless drill and tec screwed it to the aluminium plate. It couldn't move then! Then put the heel plate back on the pedals. 4 screws in total and done in 2 minutes.
Click to expand...
I was just wondering if there is any chance you could please take a quick photo of how you set yours up for me. Sorry, i'm utterly useless at building things. Thank you so much!! This has made my day!! I've had my set up for two weeks and still not up and running.
 
I sold my gtultimate and T300. I had no time because of my new born baby.
Basically just position the pedals where you want them on the checker plate. And drive two screws through the the CS pedal mounting holes at the back / top near the pedals and right through the checker plate. Then remove the 3 counter sunk bolts holding the heel plate in front of the pedals and that gives you access to the mounting holes at the front. Ram 2 tec screws through the holes and into the checker plate. The reinstall heel plate and 3 counter sunk bolts.
 
HatlessChimp
I sold my gtultimate and T300. I had no time because of my new born baby.
Basically just position the pedals where you want them on the checker plate. And drive two screws through the the CS pedal mounting holes at the back / top near the pedals and right through the checker plate. Then remove the 3 counter sunk bolts holding the heel plate in front of the pedals and that gives you access to the mounting holes at the front. Ram 2 tec screws through the holes and into the checker plate. The reinstall heel plate and 3 counter sunk bolts.
Click to expand...
Brilliant! Thank you so much, that is extremely helpful - i'm super grateful! All the best. Andrew
 

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