Trying to decide on new wheel. Advice welcomed :)

M

MarcusarilliuS

81
Hey guys.

Decided to start looking at new wheels to replace my G27.

I have been looking at the CSW, CSR-Elite and T500RS.

Which out of these is the best?

The CSW with the f1 wheel, Club sport pedals v2 and the Thrustmaster shifter is what I was thinking about getting but the price is fairly crazy.

Is it really worth the difference over the T500?

I can get a T500RS with the standard wheel + F1 wheel and pedals and probably a loadcell for just over half the half the price.

Also is there much difference between the CSW and CSR?

Another option would be either the CSR elite with clubsport v2 pedals and thrustmaster shifter
or CSR elite with CSR elite pedals and thrustmaster shifter

I could probably afford the T500RS set in a month or so but if I was to get the Fanatec package it would be a few months more.
Are they good enough to wait for, or will the T500RS do the job?

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks,

Mark.
 
Haven't played anything in a while.
Got rfactor the night it was released but have held off on racing it with the g27 as the rattling is awful so this is why I'm changing to belt driven wheel.

The last 6 months I have been focused on building my new pc, so now that is completed I decided to get back in to sim racing again and get some decent hardware.

The 2 main sims I will be racing will be..

Assetto Corsa & rFactor 2

Might renew my iRacing account too 'cause I haven't tried it since the new tyre model was released and I bought a lot of cars tracks that just gathering dust, so to speak :)

Will all be PC sims anyway.
 
Read the CSW/CSPv2 review in my sig.

Then read my T500RS review.

I am not a fan of the T500RS. I find its pedals severely lacking. FFB to be more shock an awe than actual precision and enjoyment. It is a good wheel, but not a great wheel to me. And consequently not really a great value. Others feel differently but I stand by my opinion.

The CSW is very expensive. Perhaps too expensive. But aside from Frex and ECCI it is the best wheel on the market. It has silky, strong and precise FFB. The wheel also has a bright future with more addons and wheel rims coming. Fanatec still has some issues with quality control, but their customer service is fast and friendly.

After you read both my reviews and still have questions, ask away.
 
Cheers mate, I'll have a read and get back to you.

I heard from a few other places that Fanatec customer support was somewhat lacking so interesting that you have good things to say about them.

Is it too early to tell if the csw line of wheels suffers reliability issues in general or are they limited to a few batches?

Do you have any idea what rims will be released?
I was going to get the F1 rim as the GT rim is supposed to slow down the FFB and response. Would be nice to get a regular wheel at some stage for it but hopefully they make a lighter version than the GT one.
 
MarcusarilliuS
Cheers mate, I'll have a read and get back to you.

I heard from a few other places that Fanatec customer support was somewhat lacking so interesting that you have good things to say about them.

Is it too early to tell if the csw line of wheels suffers reliability issues in general or are they limited to a few batches?

Do you have any idea what rims will be released?
I was going to get the F1 rim as the GT rim is supposed to slow down the FFB and response. Would be nice to get a regular wheel at some stage for it but hopefully they make a lighter version than the GT one.
Click to expand...

I mean, it is not like Logitech's support where you talk to a native English speaker in like 30 seconds. Communication is mostly done through email. Response time for both companies is usually 24hrs with a slight edge going to Thrustmaster. Fanatec support and Thrustmaster support could have better control of the English language but it is not a deal breaker. Fanatec is a little particular about their directions (when determining what the problem), but if you follow their instruction (like I did), there is no hassle.
 
ok good to know.

Just read the reviews.

Man the CSW does sound like the best package by a mile to be honest.
I know the price is a bit silly but it is a setup for life hopefully(with a little maintenance).

I hope Fanatec have since sorted out the manufacturing flaws that were present in the testing models like the shaft around the quick release mechanism grinding and sticking over time ans screws coming loose.

If the build quality is sorted it is a no brainer to save the extra few months and have a product I think I will be happy with, rather than getting the T500 and then wishing I would have saved up the extra moola for the CSW.
 
MarcusarilliuS
ok good to know.

Just read the reviews.

Man the CSW does sound like the best package by a mile to be honest.
I know the price is a bit silly but it is a setup for life hopefully(with a little maintenance).

I hope Fanatec have since sorted out the manufacturing flaws that were present in the testing models like the shaft around the quick release mechanism grinding and sticking over time ans screws coming loose.

If the build quality is sorted it is a no brainer to save the extra few months and have a product I think I will be happy with, rather than getting the T500 and then wishing I would have saved up the extra moola for the CSW.
Click to expand...

Well my test unit broke last week and I will be receiving my replacement (production model) next week. I will let you know how it performs.
 
and why not the CSR-Elite?come on ,we are talking about the csr-elite,a great and qualitative steering wheel!if you don't wanto di spend a plenty of money for the CSW you can easily go for the Elite that has the same base of the CSW(apparte some elettronic circuits)!it doesn't have a great wheel but Fanatec will release soon a F1 wheel for it.
 
wajdi1977
and why not the CSR-Elite?come on ,we are talking about the csr-elite,a great and qualitative steering wheel!if you don't wanto di spend a plenty of money for the CSW you can easily go for the Elite that has the same base of the CSW(apparte some elettronic circuits)!it doesn't have a great wheel but Fanatec will release soon a F1 wheel for it.
Click to expand...

I was informed by someone that has one that the base and electronics are different actually.
I hate the xbox stuff on it and much prefer the "real car" look of the csw gear.
Feeling wise it is supposed to be nice but I just don't like it for the reasons I mentioned.

You can replace the rim you were saying, well in that case you will end up spending more than the csw.

csr-elite is €499
csw is €449 + f1 rim €179

so if you were to get a new rim for the elite it would probably be around the €179 price point minimum.

So if you plan on getting the elite and changing the rim you are better off getting the CSW and you save €50 and have better quality and native quick release system.

I have also heard of a lot of reliability problems with the elites.

Another question I have is, how would the RennSport Wheel Stand V2 be for this setup?
I have been bolting my G27 to the coffee table but it would be nice to have some sort of stand for such a nice setup, and the RennSport is all I can afford and all I can fit in my room. Wanted to know if it will be strong and stable enough to support the CSW set?
 
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I'd be wary of the CSW's durability. And I'm not convince that in spite of the mostly metal construction of the base, it has totally shed the toy-like quality of the G25 or T500RS.

It's a nice enough wheel but the fact that I can't simply use any rim (with QR boss) attached to the base, it's rather limiting. Look at these pictures of the ECCI and how incredibly simple it look. It's form and function are so intertwined that the CSW base seems a tad overwrought.

7905225886_92c4099096_b.jpg


7905226298_f10b3a5ed8_b.jpg
 
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The truth is we really do not have a solid idea on what the CSWs failure rate is. I think it would be safe to assume it worse than logitech but compared to TM, I do not know. TM had a fair bit of problems with the T500RS for the first year iirc. This is pretty common for high tech products / products with moving parts.
 
MarcusarilliuS
I read on a review that FFB still not quite as responsive as gear / cog based wheels.
Supposed to be a lot smoother but not as responsive. Is this true?
Click to expand...

Think about it. A belt will absorb some of the energy (gives a little) while gears are more direct. So yes belts are smoother yet muffs out a little of the effects.
 
Well, I got my DFGT, two days ago, and i'm very happy about it. I upgraded from DS3, so... Anyway, this is my first wheel, so I can't really help on the “bigger ones”, but I talked to a guy yesterday, about wheels, and he said, that the best wheel he'd ever tried was the Thrustmaster. I can't tell, if what it's the truth, though, I can tell that I like the DFGT.
 
Zoom!Zoom!
Think about it. A belt will absorb some of the energy (gives a little) while gears are more direct. So yes belts are smoother yet muffs out a little of the effects.
Click to expand...

The CSW has no deadzone though. Like you said it is a trade off. Gears are more immediate and pronounced, but less precise. Belts are smoother and more precise, but are less granulated/detailed. Honestly though, it would be silky to think that this will make you slower or have less fun. It really is minutia.
 
:) Good to know.

Think I am sold on the CSW set to be honest.

Was looking at prices for the ECCI and FREX wheels. AH MAN!!!! now that is a crazy price.
The CSW doesn't seem so bad in comparison :D
 
I have the full CSW set up. I was lucky enough to place the order and receive goods on the launch of the product.
I had a DOA BMW rim and had a replacement delivered to my office exactly 36 hours later. (helps to live 35 miles from the U.S. fulfillment warehouse and to follow their detailed CS procedures. lol) Like Paskowitz said...they have a very detailed procedure for sending in emails for service and claims. It makes sense and if you follow it they reply quickly and are friendly. I had a reply within 4 hours. Pretty cool!
I used a Logitech G25 since it first came out. Loved it! Reliable and fun to use. The CSW is just so much more fun to use and the immersion to me makes it worth it, after the sticker shock of course. Lol
Just remember this item is a high precision piece of hardware and it's not perfect, but it's pretty darn close and care must be taken with it.
I also recommend you use gloves when using it. The Alcantara is real and sweaty hands will wear it out.
Lastly, once you use the V2 peddles you'll never go back to travel only brakes. Load cells are awesome :-)
 
Cheers for the reply mate. I think I'm sold on the CSW setup.
Think I have convinced a mate of mine to take the plunge too.

As I can tell it's the official wheel of Assetto Corsa. Race with an Italian league and some of the guys are friends with Kunos and AC just sounds amazing.
They were at gamescom and tried it on the Full motion rig with the CSW setup and it was supposedly fantastic!!

Was thinking that about the gloves, also boots for the pedals.
Was looking at these..

http://www.fasttracksims.com/fast-track-sims-racing-gloves/

http://www.simboot.com/

Anyway will be a few months before I have the cash to upgrade but I think this will be my new setup.

Does anyone here know if the Rennsport stand is sturdy enough for this setup?
I am limited enough on funds already and more than that, very limited on space, so the rennsport would be perfect if it would take the weight of this kit.
 
With the exception of parts of the main board, the quick release hub/rims and the paint scheme, the CSW and CSR-Elite are identical. Bearings, motors, all of it.

The rims and the extra functionality they provide would be the main attraction of the CSW.
 
The 2 motors can be accessed individually.

Here are some other differences the csw has over the csr-e.

Hot plug during gameplay
Analog joystick
5 way encoder switch
Advanced functionality
Direct data output plug
2 shifters in parallel
Static paddle
Much better choice of rims
supports up to 111 buttons on wheel rim instead of 10 + 5 way joystick on elite

Apart from the fact it looks like a piece of racing hardware and not a computer wheel.
 
MarcusarilliuS
The 2 motors can be accessed individually.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by this. Both motors are coupled on both wheels via a belt.

MarcusarilliuS
Here are some other differences the csw has over the csr-e.

Hot plug during gameplay Rim
Analog joystick Rim
5 way encoder switch Rim
Advanced functionality Rim
Direct data output plug
2 shifters in parallel
Static paddle Rim
Much better choice of rims Rim
supports up to 111 buttons on wheel rim instead of 10 + 5 way joystick on elite Rim

Apart from the fact it looks like a piece of racing hardware and not a computer wheel.
Click to expand...

I suppose I should have stated more specifically, the hardware is the same. I also stated the the main board itself has some differences.

You asked for advice and I am simply letting you know that the mechanics of the base itself are identical. You don't get better FFB, stronger motors, better reliability, etc. The added functionality you get through the benefit of changing rims and the functionality of the rims themselves is a pretty big deal. However, that's basically where it ends and I wanted to make you aware of that.

You've obviously made up your mind and that's great. Best of luck with the new wheel.
 
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Ah see what you mean. Just read somewhere about the motors operating independently in the csw instead of being linked on the csr-e, dunno if this is true?

I see what you mean about the rim.

Yea think I have made my mind up :D

Thanks for the feedback though.
 

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