Best products from r/iRacing

The biggest question is: How committed is he, and what is his price range?

With wheels, there are a few things to take into account. There are two methods of driving force feedback: gears, and belts.

• Gears are relatively old technology. They are simple, reliable, and cheap, but provide a low-fi FFB experience. The teeth in the gears are very distinct in the feedback you get: as you turn the wheel, you will get a strong vibration as the gears mesh together. Gears also have rather limited strength in the FFB, even cranked up they aren't very strong. Gears also have gaps in their force feedback where you will not get any response whatsoever, often times this is the middle.
  
  
• Belt driven wheels are a much newer and more advanced design. They really emerged only in the last 3 or 4 years in significant quantities. Belts have smooth, analog-like feedback compared to the ratchety, noisy operation of gear based wheels. They have much stronger, and much more realistic FFB. Their only cons are price, and reliability, and in the case of the early belt-driven wheels, there was some noticeable lag on the FFB. Being more complex, they may have more reliability issues, but in the vast majority of cases, they won't have any problems. Otherwise, belts are wholly superior to gear based wheels. The wheels' response will be much smoother, and much more enjoyable overall.
  
  I have done significant research on all the major wheels available today. And if you want to go cheap, the Black Momo or DFGT are your best choices. If you are going gear based, stick to $100 or less if possible. Any more, and you should really just skip right to belt-driven wheels. The Black Momo is not considered a "desirable" wheel, and they are plentiful. Thus, it's easy to find them cheaply; I have seen them as low as $50. I'd say amongst cheap gear wheels, the Momo is probably your best bet. I have had one for almost a decade now and it's holding up well, and I have no problems doing well in iRacing with it, despite its low steering lock. It does everything you need it to as a beginner, and is built pretty well.
  
  The DFGT is very similar mechanically to the Momo, the most notable difference being that it has 900 degrees of rotation, and does not have shifter paddles like the Momo. It only has buttons. However, the DFGT has a strong reputation and is in high demand, and since it has been discontinued, the price is quite high. It is possible to find them for $100 on Craigslist or other private sellers, but even the cheapest used on Amazon is $150. If you can find a DFGT for $100, I would go for it, but I wouldn't pay any more for one for a few reasons.
  
  Finally, the one people always seem to recommend, the G27. At the time of its release, the G27 was one of the better wheels available on the market, and it was great value. However, fastforward to modern day, the G27 is about 5 years old, and its almost identical predecessor, the G25, is 8 years old. In the interim since its release, belt-driven wheels have begun mass-production and their prices have gone down significantly, and now belt-driven wheels price-match the G27, and significantly outperform it as far as FFB goes.
  
  The G27 was, and still is a great wheel, but it is an old design and there are much better options now. And at the end of the day, being gear-driven, it plays by the same rules, and has the same characteristics as the far cheaper Momo and DFGT, although it is slightly more refined. This means that the G27 isn't really that great of a contender in the current market anymore at its list price. Gears are only advantageous for their price, and the G27's relatively high cost undermines this. If you can find a G27 for $150 or less, then you would have a great deal, but do not pay $200 or more for one, because at that point you really should be getting the Fanatec 911 GT3 + CS pedal bundle for $225 or so, or just going all the way to the Thrustmaster TX (which also comes with pedals) for $300. Both are significant upgrades from the G27.
  
  Here are some links: the "Black" MOMO Racing, Driving Force GT, and Logitech G25/G27.
  
  The 911 GT3 + pedal bundle can be found here for $230, $4 less than the G27 is selling for on Amazon right now. It is quite a big step up from the G27, but it is one of the older mass-produced Belt-driven wheels on the market, so it won't be as refined as the much newer model, the Thrustmaster TX, is.
  
  The TX is the new kid on the block and combines one of the best "bases" (basically the entire housing with the motor and belts inside, everything but the wheel, in essence) on the market, with a really low price. It's listed at $300, but you could probably find it on Craigslist or Ebay for less, or you could wait for an official sale on Amazon or some other retailer. The TX is by far the best value for your money now as far as wheel quality goes, it is only $66 more expensive than the G27 at list price, but you will get a drastically better driving experience with it. The TX's FFB is the best in the sub $500 market. As far as value goes, I would recommend the TX wholeheartedly. Users who have upgraded from the G27 to the TX have talked about a "drastic improvement" in quality, I can provide links if you would like.
  
  The main criticism of the TX is the lack of clutch pedal and general low quality pedals. A "progressive brake" mod has been created for the TX pedals which gives them a great, much more realistic feel, and makes them a decent set of pedals. This mod is DIY and can be done for $10. Once the mod is performed, the TX package is pretty strong overall. You get a decent progressive brake with some of the best FFB on the market for $300 or less, what more do you want?
  
  If you want to see a video of the TX in action and an indepth review, check out this video.
  
  I know this was a long post, but I wanted to encompass the current state of the wheel market as completely as I could.
  
  In summary:
  
  The only remaining selling point of gear-driven wheels is price, and even then the gap is shrinking rapidly. If you are looking to spend $150 or under, get a gear based wheel. Ideally, a Black Momo or Driving Force GT. If you can find a Logitech G27 for $150 or less, go for it, however, do not spend more than $150 on a gear based wheel.
  
  We're at that awkward phase where the new tech has arrived and is becoming readily available, but the old tech hasn't had time to compensate by dropping prices, sort of like video tapes and DVD's being sold simultaneously. A DVD player would only be marginally more expensive, but provides a significantly upgraded experience from VHS.
  
  Belt driven wheels are superior in every way other than price, and perhaps, reliability. If you are looking to spend more than $150, go for the Fanatec 911 GT3 for $175, and optionally the 911 GT3 + pedal bundle for $230. If you are looking at +$250, go for a Thrustmaster TX for $300.
  
  I hope you found this helpful! Feel free to respond or PM me if you have any other questions. I'm quite familiar with most of the hardware on the market today.

I just started -- the first thing is just learning how to drive like a race car driver. It's a lot different than other racing games.

There are a lot of good resources online on how to drive fast. Or if you want a good book check out https://www.amazon.ca/Speed-Secrets-Professional-Driving-Techniques/dp/0760305188

The first little while will be pretty frustrating. Learning a new track and new car involves a lot of spins and crashes. There will be new stuff you're not used to -- going over a small bump in the track will cause the wheels to lose grip. Braking and turning at the same time will send you into a spin.

Spend a whole just learning the track -- several hours at least, until you can drive clean laps without wrecking.

Once you can get around the track a couple times without going off, then jump into an open practice. There you'll learn how to be on track with other cars. Try following other cars around the track. See if you can drive close to them without wrecking. Learn to follow someone into a corner and stay with them coming out.

When you're ready to move up to racing, don't think about winning for the first little while. You'll just end up wrecking and feeling frustrated.

The first job is just to get the car back safely. Think of a race as just lapping with other cars. Honestly if you start in last place, you will probably finish fourth or fifth if all you do is just keep the car on the track. Learn how to let a faster car go by without hitting them (harder than it seems.)

As you get faster, you'll start to be competitive and then you can start racing. Then you'll learn how to pass people without hitting them (also harder than it seems.)

The more you can stay calm and avoid crashes, the better off you'll be. That's true at every level.

Also as you level up, don't feel like you have to race in the highest class. I moved up to the IMSA races too quickly and I wasn't really ready for it. I got DQ'D from.a couple races, and it knocked my rating waaaay down.

So I've dropped back down to the Skip Barber car and I'm having a lot more fun. This isn't like other games where you have to level up to have fun. Your rating is about your driving skill, and it's better to have along slow climb than to yo-yo up and down, wrecking along the way.

Oh -- also check out the Crew Chief app. I just installed it (it's free) and it's way better than the built in spotter.

Good luck! Have fun!

You can use anything, really, but there are some things to consider. What graphics card do you have?

If you can afford to wait, I suspect the Oculus Rift CV will be the best way to play any sort of first-person-perspective games, including racing sims. But that won't be out until perhaps the last half of next year. You could get the DK2 version, which won't be as high quality as the CV version, but is at least available now.

If you don't fancy the Rift and have the money, a triple monitor setup is a great way to play sims (you get so much extra peripheral vision!), but it requires a fairly beefy graphics card (because you need to push around 3x as many pixels). On the positive side, iRacing isn't very demanding, so it's not hard to get high frame rates even with 3 screens.

Failing both of those options, a single monitor will be fine. In general, the bigger the better. I wouldn't go below 22". If you can manage it, 27" seems to be the cost/size sweetspot. I just bought 3 of these which are great. They're only 1080p and 60Hz, but they work fantastically for me.

I don’t know which races you watch on youtube but chances are that those people are really good and have lots of experience.

Being 1-5 seconds off pace from the really good drivers isn’t that bad actually. Especially when you’re still new and even more on a track like Bathurst (which is quite challenging).

In iRacing you’re being paired with drivers approximately your skill level anyways. So don’t worry about that too much and just keep on gaining experience.

edit: if you’re totally serious about gaining speed real fast, you may wanna have a look at this book. Didn’t read it yet but heard lots of good things about it: http://www.amazon.de/The-Perfect-Corner-Step-Step-ebook/dp/B019WQFEIK

The 3400G has no point in favour(except the useless in that case integrated gpu)compared to the old 2600/2600X and costs very little less.

https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/amd_ryzen_5_3400g_review,1.html

Get a windows 10 pro OEM key and use the money saved to get a better hardware.

https://www.allkeyshop.com/blog/buy-windows-10-professional-cd-key-compare-prices/

Ryzen 2600X, always faster than the 3400G and with 6C/12T instead 4C/8T, same price.

https://www.amazon.com/AMD-Ryzen-Processor-Wraith-Cooler/dp/B07B428V2L/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=2600x&qid=1566549660&s=gateway&sr=8-1

For the motherboard go with the AORUS B450M, still micro-atx but with better vrm section and 4 dimm slot.

https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-B450-AORUS-Thermal-Motherboard/dp/B07FWY246F/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=GIGABYTE+B450+AORUS+M&qid=1566548666&s=electronics&sr=1-3

For the ram go with the 3200Mhz, the price is not so different from the 3000mhz and in the ryzen 2xxx the frequency of the ram is never enough. This one go without any problem at 3200mhz in all the 4 dimm slot(in many MB it slow down when you use all of them).

https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-Technology-HyperX-HX432C16PB3K2-16/dp/B01GCWQ8VO/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=HX432C16PB3K2%2F16&qid=1566548905&s=gateway&sr=8-2

For the ssd go with a NVME one, not a simple and slower sata-on-m2 like the one you linked, this is good and immensely faster than a m2-sata one.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-SN500-500GB-NVMe-Internal/dp/B07P7TFKRH/ref=pd_cp_147_3?pd_rd_w=4Enu4&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=X7MNXV3BTN7KTDVWETV3&pd_rd_r=65132661-a55d-48a9-b339-2de3f59635c6&pd_rd_wg=wdzbp&pd_rd_i=B07P7TFKRH&psc=1&refRID=X7MNXV3BTN7KTDVWETV3

The rest is ok.

https://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Slide-Extension-Steel-Set/dp/B00AHFRUHE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_60_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VK085B067MNX13MMPGEP

Install these sliding racks and a piece of nice oak or a hardwood of your choice under the desk. To the right of your shifter is one mounting point and the leg on the left is the other. Then you'll have an easy to use pull out drawer to put both your keyboard and mouse on.

IMO the best solution is to build a quickie driving rig with a junkyard seat. You can have all the wood cut at Lowe's, home depot, or menard's if you have your measurements sheet. The seat should cost around 10 bucks on half off day or 20 at the worst (most pull your own yards have this and black friday is coming up when they have 75% off for one day.) For about the same price as a name brand keyboard rack you can have a nice custom rig.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buhFEla7Lq4

This youtube video is pretty close to what I mean. It's a little fancier than mine but it's around the same price plus he gets a ton of close-ups and explains the build fairly well. You can build a nice little PC rack on the side to keep everything looking crispy for when you start streaming :)

EDIT: wrong link

EDIT: When I looked at the page before the price was $167 Euros, not USD which is where I got the $207 USD. Somehow I followed the euro link? It looks like it is $165(promotional) USD so that would make it a little cheaper but I still would prefer 4 strong shakers in chassis mode over a pad; the extra $70 bucks seems worth it to me.

I don't have any experience with the Chair Pads.

I have a four bass shaker setup that is only slightly more expensive than that one chair pad. $165(promotional) USD vs $234 USD for four bass shaker setup in chassis mode:

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The bass shakers I used may not be available anymore. If that is the case, a lot of people have been using the aura bass transducers of similar price.

This is my DIY bass shaker setup:

Amp: http://www.parts-express.com/4x100w-at-4-ohm-tk2050-class-t-digital-audio-amplifier-board--320-335

Power Supply: http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPERNIGHT-24V-DC-14-6A-350W-Regulated-Switching-Power-SupplyTransformer-/331060676334?hash=item4d14c106ee:g:hV0AAMXQjWtRKt4z

Bass Shakers: http://www.amazon.com/Reckhorn-Bs-200-Tactile-Transducer-Theater/dp/B00AMH17GC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1425568544&sr=8-5&keywords=bass+shaker

Individual Components cost:

Bass Shakers: 4 x $40

Power Supply: 1 x $24

Amp: 1 x $50

DIY Total for a 4 bass shaker setup: $234

NOTE: I use an oculus rift to race. It has its own audio driver(doesn't need a sound card). If you are racing on monitors you will need one soundcard for your game sound and one soundcard for your bass shakers.

Examples:

http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php/724042-My-DIY-SimVibe-racing-rig

http://www.overclock.net/t/1354257/project-log-my-diy-simvibe-racing-rig

Racing Sims: Use SimVibe for racing sims($90).

If it were me, I would get this:

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-Racing-Wheel-Ferrari-458-Italia/dp/B00ENFVS5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480174329&sr=8-1&keywords=thrustmaster%2Btx&th=1

The pedals are meh, but at least you get the TX base which I would place awfully close to the T500, but significantly better than the G29.

it means the HMD lost view of your lighthouses. Position your light houses better. I highly recommend getting some tall photographic light stands and getting them up above you.

I use these for my lighthouses and they've worked a treat: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFG14ZT

Here is a link to the one I have

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ZPTBI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

I chose this based on price. I wasn't sure how good they worked so I didn't want to spend a lot to try one out. I was very happy with this one and can only imagine how good one with a couple hundred watts works.

Pretty sure he's using this with this.

Just ordered a G27 from Amazon for $199 yesterday as well. May be a slightly better deal depending on taxes.http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-941-000045-G27-Racing-Wheel/dp/B001NT9TK4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414074253&sr=8-1&keywords=g27

You were right. The book is very "basic" as written on the cover, I expected something more deep.

Anyway, I will buy https://www.amazon.fr/Analysis-Techniques-Racecar-Data-Aquisition/dp/0768064597/ref=dp_ob_title_bk :)

Thank you !

It's this one here:

https://www.amazon.com/Thrustmaster-TR-J12-USB-Adapter-pc/dp/B01F41W63S

Here it is on Thrustmaster's website, but if you're in the US, the Amazon link is probably easiest and fastest.

http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/trj12-usb-adapter

These are great: AuraSound AST-2B-4 Pro Bass Shaker Tactile Transducer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ZPTBI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_v1fyDbCXMBDHT

Thank you!

Link for Amazon UK

DFGT for ~120 on amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-PlayStation-Driving-Force-Racing-Wheel/dp/B0015HYPOO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492784540&sr=8-1&keywords=DFGT


The G25 USED to be the way to go, but are really expensive now. Too much for what they are. I got mine for $170, and it was perfect :/

Got the shaker on amazon. Reckhorn Bs-200 Bass Shaker / Tactile Transducer for Your Home Theater https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AMH17GC/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_WzwEwbXJVYEMX

The amp you can get on amazon also, but I got it direct from the amazon seller cheaper. Cannot remember model, but it's a Dayton 70wRMS mono amp procured from parts- warehouse.com