Thrustmaster T300RS GT questions - Transitioning from G923

[mixamun]

/Storytime

I recently purchased a G923 as I have not had a wheel for sim racing for quite some time (had a Logitech DF GT ages ago with GT5) and I didnt want to dive into the higher end devices as i dont have a stand/seat etc or a really dedicated space i could use for a sim cockpit. Its also a bit pricey to consider when we have so many projects lined up for our house... wife happy life happy and all that.

I have been pretty happy with the G923 so far. The brake pedal with the progressive spring is a big improvement over the old DFGT I had and i quickly got used to it. Pushing myself backwards as my chair is on casters when heavy braking has been an issue though =]. The feedback seems decent and overall the wheel is a big immersion boost and brings back many fond memories from my PS3 days.

I seem to have some issues with my particular wheel - when resting my hands on the thing - even when out of game or just in GT7 menus the wheel will start buzzing/vibrating annoyingly. I cant really rest my hand on it to change through menus without it doing it randomly or sometimes continously.

The unit also doesn't seem to accurately center itself after calibration - being ever so slightly off center (not sure if im just imagining it... cars drive straight in game fine...)

Another annoyance that i think is going to only bother me as time goes on is the amount of noise the thing makes - i have it clamped to a solid wood desk but i think it just kind of amplifies the sound and turns the whole thing into a big rattling speaker. I cant mostly tune it out when racing with headphones but its a bit of a distraction and annoying for my family who sometimes sits not too far away.

As a result of these annoyances - and Logitechs general slowness and poorly considered responses to my inquiries for help I have been looking at the T300RS GT and it seems to tick all of the boxes. It comes with an accessory to make the brake more progressive / stiffer. The wheel itself is much quieter and also seems capable of more force as well (not that i need it, i run at lower torque/sense anyway... maybe i can work up to it). Reviews comparing them really seem to favor the Thrustmaster.

/Storytime over

Questions for folks with the T300RS GT.

1. Are there any gotchas or things that bug you about the wheel that made you look elsewhere... or at least had to be rectified with a mod or something like that? Little annoyances like pieces that tend to break or anything of the sort?

2. I know the G923 isnt some high end piece of kit but... would you say the T300RS is as good or better feeling in the hand?

3. Anyone make this transition before and have any specific feedback about it?

4. Im not that serious of a racer for a number of reasons - time being a big one. Would investing in a direct drive wheel really big worth it or that big of a difference? Is it something that could be resold later relatively easily without a big $ loss?


PS - i am getting a NLR GT Lite and im pretty excited to have a legit spot to play that can be folded up and stored away relatively easily...

 

[gelagmeierter]

Hi,

i made the same transistion and here are my answers to your questions:

1. Only thing i had to do is replace the stock cooling fan of the wheel with two new ones to prevent FFB-Fading on long races/ffb-heavy environments (Offroad etc.).

2. I had a G29 back in the day, my thoughts after getting the t300: Base with wheel attached feels much sturdier, ffb is cleaner and achieveable forces and detail are higher. If you don't mind the T300-Stock-Rims "Rubber"-Coating compared to the leather on the Logitech its overall a better expereiece. Pedals though are another thing, the 2 Pedal-Set is garbage (same garbage as the DFGT Pedals ), the 3 Pedal Set coming with the T300RS-GT (T3PA-Pedals) are also inferior to the logitech Pedalset. The T3PM and, of course, the T-LCM are both an improvement over the Logitech set.

3. The only thing you will be Disappointed about will be the Pedal-Set, as mentioned above.

4. In my opinion no. (You mentioned that you also bought the NLR-GT-Lite, and on that i wouldn't want to mount a DD-Wheel)

@PS: I'm also useing the NLR-GT-Lite (got a used one from ebay) with the T300 and the T-LCM Pedals and its working fine (though i had to reinforce the GT-Lite to a point where its no longer able to be folded and carried away... breaking with the T-LCM's was not possible without the reinforcements).

 

[Daz555]

1. Are there any gotchas or things that bug you about the wheel that made you look elsewhere... or at least had to be rectified with a mod or something like that? Little annoyances like pieces that tend to break or anything of the sort?

The cooling fan is garbage. You might not want to touch it whilst under warranty but as soon as it goes out, open it up and put in a decent cooling fan - it will help temps and allow the wheelbase to deliver stronger FFB for longer. In my view the T300 does have some general build quality issues and if you are unlucky you could get a bad one from the factory. But you will hear this sort of thing about all kinds of tech to be honest.

2. I know the G923 isnt some high end piece of kit but... would you say the T300RS is as good or better feeling in the hand?

T300 feels better in every regard. It is fully belt driven and is smoother, quieter and faster than the G29/932 wheelbases.

4. I'm not that serious of a racer for a number of reasons - time being a big one. Would investing in a direct drive wheel really big worth it or that big of a difference? Is it something that could be resold later relatively easily without a big $ loss?

I went from a T300 Alcantara Edition to Fanatec DD Pro and the upgrade was absolutely worth it. You will still get a decent price for your T300 if you choose to sell it in future.

 

[mixamun]

Thanks for the feedback.

@gelagmeierter - What reinforcement did you have to do to use the LCM pedals?

Can you describe the issue you had that lead to this?

I dont think i will be upgrading to pedals like that anytime soon but that is interesting to think about.

Something i am curious about in general - is it relatively easy to mix / match different parts - like shifters / wheels / bases / pedals / handbrakes etc?

I havent dove deep into the sim rabbit hole but is there some kind of hub you can connect various brands together to make them work or something?

Edit - I was looking at where to pickup a T300RS GTE and the Thrustmaster site itself links several retailers but it seems like everyone is out of stock / back ordered and best buy seems to be de-listing the item altogether...

Amazon seems to have it in stock at normal price just fine but isnt one of Thrustmasters listed retailers.

This seems a bit odd...

 

[gelagmeierter]

I've sent you a message with a picture.