Basic Sim Setup VS The Sim Racing Chassis (RTA Motorsports)

Most Sim Racers enthusiasts start off with a very modest PC system and basic controller. Some even might have done their first races using nothing more than a gamepad or joystick. For most of those who got infected with the Racing game /Simulation virus, it does not take long before they feel the urge to purchase a force feedback wheel.

For allot of enthusiasts, it stops there, but for a small minority, this is usually the start of a new online Sim Racing lifestyle. Usually, that is the time to grab the wallet and go shopping. The last few years the marked has flooded with a huge selection of high-end Sim Racing peripherals such as Force Feedback wheels, pedals, shifters, display units, handbrakes, andSim Racing chassis.

Those who are lucky enough to have an even higher budget can even crank it up a notch with luxury hardware such as a triple screen or triple projector display setups, Full Motion chassis, Tactile Feedback units, Direct Drive steering wheels, hydraulic pedals and a selection of immersion enhancers such as high-quality dashboards, working gauges, and button boxes.

Sim Racing has become a very exciting hobby for both people on a low or high budget. While both scenarios can result in a huge amount of fun, Crash of RTA Motorsports tries to find out if the medium-range of sim racing hardware and tools will also help you to do some faster lap times.

To do so, Crash compares his modest Sim Racing setup (Logitech DFGT / office chair / 42-inch TV ) to his triple-screen Sim Racing chassis that is fitted with a selection of goodies. Crash tests both setups running the same cars and tracks using Assetto Corsa and iRacing. After a solid test session, he points out some of the differences he experienced and shares his final thoughts.

Test system used:

• Asus M5a99FX Pro r2.0 Motherboard
• AMD FX 8350 OC to 4.4 GHz
• Cooler master hyper 212 EVO CPU cooler
• 2x Patriot Viper 8gb ram
• Sapphire R9 290X TRI-X 8 gb GPU
• InWin green Me 750 PSU
• Patriot 250gb Solid State Drive
• WD 3 TB HDD
• 4x  120 mm CASE FANS
• 2x  140 mm CASE FANS
• PCI Express USB hub
• PCI Express dual band wifi adapter
• Sound blaster mono USB sound card (For Simvibe)

Racing Rig:

• PlaySeat Challenge chassis
• Thrustmaster TX, TM 599xx Evo 30 add on wheel, TM 458 add on wheel, TH8A shifter, T500 pedals with
• TM 599xx Evo 30 add on wheel, TM 458 add on wheel, TH8A shifter, T500 pedals with
• TM 458 add on wheel, TH8A shifter, T500 pedals with
• TH8A shifter T500 pedals with
• TM T500 pedals with RC car hydraulic shock brake mod, 3×24 inch monitors, flight stick modded to
• 3x 24-inch monitors, flight stick modded to
• Flight stick modded to handbrake
• Track-IR
• Logitech g35 headset