PC Sim Racing
 

one night on Forza Steve mentioned iRacing.com and we started researching. A week or two later he had his rig, and a week after that I had mine.

Race Room RR1000 cockpit
Logitech G27 Wheel set
hooked to TV for monitor

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps1d173752.jpg

anyone else do any PC racing or driving sims?

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

iRacing is kinda unique in that its structured like a real race career.
theres 1 track per week during the season. you practice all week, then qualify, and the race. you don't get to choose who you race against, and the cars are limited to to the series you've choosen. all like real life. you can only race cars that you have got license levels for. it you start low and work up to the big cars like real racing.

there is also a Safety Rating (SR) that is a record of any time you hit someone or go off track, or loose control you loose safety rating. this record stays with you forever. going up as you get cleaner.

biggest difference I noticed is as with other games its about how fast your are. iRacing seems to be more about the challenge of driving and simply getting around the track. difficulty is definatly way up.

there are no assists (abs, tcs etc) and there are no outside views. only the drivers seat

Started in the Rookie Class in the Maxda MX5 Roadster
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psb5a3fbbb.png

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psdc52fef0.png

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps5b3010c7.png

not sure why the screen caps are all jaggy/aliased. probly the freebie fraps software.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Nice setup Cory.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

HELLA nice setup!

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

thanks fellas, hopefully steve will chim in, hes building an even better one.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Indeed, nice rig. "thumbsup"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Just remembered this: http://www.rccrawler.com/forum/chit-...6-iracing.html

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Wow, you guys and your video games! :shock:

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

I never cared for racing games but that is a super nice setup"thumbsup"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Damn you, Cory! Now I'm >this< close to selling off my Xray onroad racers in order to build or buy a gaming PC. Of course, I'll still have to get a new monitor. Not sure if logistically I'll be able to pull of a racing cockpit since the computer will still need to function as my home PC, but we'll see. I've always been pretty content racing with my wheel clamped to my desk in the past.

Can you share specs/make/model of the PC you picked up recently? Sounded like a good deal!

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

this is the computer I bought
iBUYPOWER Black Gamer Power PC,WA550B,8GB Memory - Walmart.com

the link above is actually updated. they have upgraded the computer and lowered the price since I bought it. my version has 4130 processor (still quad 3.8 ) and mine has Nvidia GT630 (Still 2gb) and I paid 498. the one above has upgraded those items and looks like added more USB ports. and possibly others.

they delivered it to the walmart next to my work for free.

they also have some larger more powerful models I think for an extra 100-200. one thing I was very positive was that I wanted windows 7 not windows 8. that made my search harder.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Thanks, Cory! I'm pretty sure I'm going to get a gaming PC rather soon and that may fit the bill nicely.

So is there a thread either here or on TXRCRC where y'all are discussing sim racing nights/meetups?

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

nope this is it. thats the reason i started this thread. feel free to talk about any and all PC driving sim/ computer stuff here.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Cool! So here's a question for those of you running a desktop system and a cockpit... Do you still use the system for your regular-use PC, as well? Mine will have to serve dual purpose: racing and basic computing/surfing. In your setup it looks like it'd be a hassle to just surf or do non-racing stuff. Your thoughts?

Also, I've got a 46" LCD tv that I could potentially use for this new system. It's a 6 year old Sharp and was pretty high end at the time. How would I know if this is worth a flip to use as my monitor for racing? Would I be better off buying a different/new TV or monitor? Budget is a concern, of course.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

it works. but no ive had to switch to a laptop for home PC stuff. but i do browse RCC, Facebook etc in the cockpit. its just not that comfy, and my mouse/keyboard situation isnt ideal.

is your Sharp tv 1080p or 720p? does it have a HDMI input? what is your Htz rating? also some TVs have a Game or PC mode. which removes the picture smoothing processing to quicken the TV responce time.

a TV simply cannot produce as good as a picture or responce time as a monitor. parcially due to size. but i wouldnt have it any other way. looks great on the game, but doesnt look the best during emails, facebook, etc. i could never go back to monitor though. the added height (and size) of the TV is invaluble for me anyway.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Yeah with a TV that big, just sit further way and have a beer or five. I can get all up in my Asus 24" monitor (literally like two feet) and still be good. It'll never be real enough anyways, so go with what you got first I say.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

I don't recall the specs, but it's definitely got an HDMI input and is at least 720p. I'll see if I can get some specs on it online. But I'm thinking it may be too big for the area I have in mind. Maybe I'm crazy for thinking such things. ;)

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

i tried a 720p tv first and it was horid. it was on Rfactor 2 which was bad enough but it looked like atari.
i did not try it on iracing.

you can never be too big. :mrgreen: was at walmart at lunch and saw a 60" LCD 1080p with PC mode for $698. it sucked me in like a bug to a porch light. good thing im broke.

i have my cockpit literally touching the TV stand as you can see. i think eyeball to screen distance is like 51" if i recal.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

had a couple good clean races and finally got my D class Road Race licence! yea no more Rookie class"thumbsup"

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...ps41d6d13d.jpg

also picked up some of the add-on DLC tracks
never heard of 3 of them.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...psd1821de6.jpg

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Here's the TV I've got. It's a Sharp brand and does have 1080p:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharp-Aquos-LC.../dp/B000UN7JXS

Worth a flip for gaming? :)

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

yep that responce time seems insanely good for a tv. but most manufacture rated response times are bogus. kinda like the contrast ratios, there is not a standard of measurement. there are websites that do tests but thats going a bit far for us.

but yes that seems like it would do great. you might even try the 15 pin PC input, to quicken responce( would make audio a pain though).
But if you dont and use HDMI, check to see if you can change the mode to "game" or "pc"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Okay, I've never built a PC, but decided to do a search on it and it looks like the price can be pretty appealing. Of course, I'd have to add the cost of an OS, but it appears copies of Windows 7 are available for ~$70 or so.

Anyway, here's a build for a $400 (approx.) PC that looks like it would fit the bill. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't a first person shooter be more demanding on a PC than a racing sim? I'm not really sure... Here's the build:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJx...ature=youtu.be

Thoughts on those components?

I'm also in the process of watching this video on assembling the PC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bUghCx9iso

Damn you for spending my money, Cory!!! :flipoff: :flipoff:

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Tommy, I just finished building a gaming PC that was originally intended just for iRacing but went ahead and decided to spec it out for all around gaming. The one Cory posted is great for iracing and everything else you mentioned needing it for. If you decide to build your own, I would be more than happy to help you build it, just let me know. The site I used to build my PC is pcpartspicker. The great thing is that it filters out non-compatible parts as you build. Here is a link to the system I built...

Intel Core i5-4690K, Gigabyte Radeon R9 270, Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) - System Build - PCPartPicker

Its overkill for iRacing (130 - 150+ fps highest settings) but will be perfect for when I go triple monitor"thumbsup"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

don't blame me, blame steve. he started it :lol:

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

A few more quick questions (starting to order parts today):

- What network card features should I look for, if any?
- Do I need a sound card? I may use a headset frequently, but I assume racing on iRacing that that would be pointless so I might as well use external speakers....if that makes any difference.
- Which OS? Windows 7 or 8? 64 bit, I assume?

FYI, here's the system I'm looking into building: (hopefully the link works)
AMD Athlon X4 760K, Sapphire Radeon R9 280, Cooler Master N200 - System Build - PCPartPicker

I'm open to suggestions on this setup if anyone has any! :mrgreen:

EDIT: I should point out that I plan to add a platter HDD, as well, but may just take that from my old PC. SgtSteve was telling me that the solid state drive would be way faster for the OS and for games. Generic storage would be done on the HDD.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

I've got the same setup as you Corey, but mines just setup with a PS3. I've never tried iRacing, might have to put a PC together and give it a whirl.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Cause GT6 and you lasted about two weeks?

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

been playing this for about 2 weeks. the mud modeling/deformation is awesome.
Spin Tires

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qiOt7SuHGPM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2XgWmrRLof0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

watched it development for over a year then recently downloaded the free demo here (dev/mod version) SPINTIRES™ - Official Site

you control 4wd, diff lock etc. demo doesn't include the winch though.

sadly its not quite as awesome as I thought it would be but I like to switch to it after a couple hours on iracing, ill switch to this for 30 minutes. plus It uses a 360 controller if you want which I already had.

I added the k5 Rock crawler mod(with 2.2 flat irons? lol), and really enjoy that. very capable truck. definatly ups the fun factor. only down side is the carb goes dry on steep uphills, makes those tricky as engine comes and goes.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Yxlnk_KOHUU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

check it out"thumbsup"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

im thinking the same thing... gt6's last update imho ruined the feel of the wheel and i dunno... it just aint the same and im being spiteful about it.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

I'm very interested in iRacing, but one thing really makes me lose enthusiasm for it. And that is that we can't set up our own races. Case in point, it'd be great if a group of us from RCC to join a server and race in the same event. Chatting via Teamspeak or some other VOIP would just add to the fun. But I don't think iRacing allows for us to select or races.

That's one reason I'm a bit more interested in Race2Play. I believe it offers us that flexibility. But when I looked, it appears they're still running older racing sims that I had back in the mid 2000's: GTR2, rFactor, etc...

Are there no other recent racing sims out there??

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Network Card - Personally, I think it only matters if you are into competition gaming. Otherwise, just use the on-board NIC.

Audio - Easily something you can do without at first. On iRacing, as most games, a headset with mic is what you want, especially in FPS where you can hear people sneaking up behind you. Save your money and use on-board audio.

OS - 64-bit for sure. 7 is favored by most gamers but 8 runs much more efficiently. If you run into a game that doesnt work well on 8/8.1 you can always run it in Windows 7 mode.

System Build - Everything looks good in my opinion but no need for the network card as mentioned above.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

In iRacing you can host your own races, but it costs money. I think it comes out to about $1 for 2 hours. I started a League and plan to host a season once we get a few people in and will cover the costs for at least the first go around.

League name - Texas Motorsports
If anyone is interested feel free to apply"thumbsup"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Thanks, Steve!!! I'm getting stoked. Already have one of my onroad racers up for sale. Hoping to can get by with only selling one more for the time being, but I suspect both Xrays will be on the auction block soon!

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Excellent! You are welcome to come over this weekend and try it out.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Would love to, but I'll be at the ACL Fest. Possibly on Sunday, though. I'll let you know! "thumbsup"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

I've played it a LOT more than that. I just kinda like doing my own thing with it more than playing online.

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Assetto Corsa and Project CARS are coming out any day. and offer free play with your freinds style play. there are a few others, but those are the biggies.
Assetto Corsa | Your racing simulator. The most realistic PC racing simulation
Project CARS - Home
i definatly plan on picking up at least AC. not sure on CARS yet."thumbsup"

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Still waiting on the sale of some onroad cars, but the ordering of components to build a gaming PC has started. :mrgreen:

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

Y'all heard anything good/bad about Windows 10 for gaming? I just signed up for the preview team, which presumably will let me download/install Win10, but before I do I thought I'd ask about it here...

Re: PC Sim Racing
 

It's way to soon to start using it for gaming as it's still very early in Beta. I doubt there is much support yet for it since I don't think release is until 2015.