The Ultimate Rig Guide

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However, most sim racing rigs are heavy and cumbersome to move around. So you will want to look for somewhere rather permanent to position your sim rig that has a screen directly in front. Many sim rigs do have mounting points for screens which is the ideal solution, but again, this will take up even more space! Aluminium profile vs metal tube

I did touch on it above, but the main things to really consider when starting to look for a sim rig are; There are sim rigs available for a wide range of budgets, including lower-priced 8020 sim rigs. So always keep your intended budget in mind when shopping. There are a few questions you can ask yourself that make shopping for a sim racing rig in 2023 a much easier task. These should include, how much budget do you have, how much free space do you have in your room, and what are your requirements from a sim rig.Ensuring you have enough space for a permanent sim rig is important. And if you are limited on space, this will affect your buying decision. You could instead opt for a smaller all-in-one sim rig or a collapsable wheel stand. Monitor mounting comes in a few different varieties. Many sim rigs will have the option to directly mount it to your rig. This is a solid option as you can ensure your monitor is always correctly positioned even if you moved your rig. It also allows you to position your monitor closer to your racing wheel which is beneficial to achieving the correct FOV (field of view). As mentioned, a sim rig really sits at the heart of your sim racing setup. You can mount your monitor to it allowing it to be a completely stand-alone item in your room, or you can position it in front of a mounted TV or monitor. Below I’ll look at a few key areas of a sim rig that you should consider. Style of sim rig

A pre-drilled mounting plate will allow you to mount a wide range of racing wheels to your rig from the bottom of the wheel base. With these, you must ensure the pre-drilled positions match the mounting points of your racing wheel. The rigidity of this sim rig is incredible, but it also does what many metal tube sim rigs fail to do. And that is to allow for customisation and adaptability as you progress as a sim racer.The mighty Sim Lab P1-X is always at the tip of the tongue when it comes to recommending an 8020 aluminium profile sim rig. It is among the most sturdy sim rigs available, with a host of great customisation features just like many 8020 rigs. A strong wheel base for example can cause some sim rigs to flex and shake under load. The main decision you should make right at the start of your sim rig shopping experience is what style of sim rig are you looking for. Below are a few key points for each style of sim rig 8020 sim rig CARPology News 19-01-2022 11:59:13 The Ultimate Rig Guide 10th Anniversary! This new guide brings rig-tying and knowledge up to date for 2022 and tells you everything you need to know about every rig ever publicised. ‘What, why, when and how’ are all covered. An aluminium profile (8020) sim rig is designed for maximum versatility. You can configure your rig in an almost infinite number of ways, tailoring it to your exact needs. And if you want to mount any additional items to your rig such as keyboard trays or shifters, you can simply bolt on another piece of aluminium extrusion. The combination of striking looks combined with exceptional build quality and adjustability allows the NLR F-GT Elite to be one of the best 8020 sim rigs on the market.

As you grow as a sim racer, over time you may wish to add more elements to your sim rig. These could include a mount for a shifter, keyboard tray or monitor. It is hard to account for this when purchasing a sim rig, but try to keep an eye out for the potential to upgrade over time.When it comes to all-in-one sim rigs, these are rigs that include everything you need to go racing. That includes a racing seat. Many of the sim rigs that I spoke about above don’t include a racing seat, making them that extra bit more expensive. The pure flexibility of this wheel stand oriented sim rig is great. In its stand-alone wheel stand form, you can fold it away when not in use, and use it with your regular office or dining chair. And when you’re ready for a full sim rig, you can expand it with a rear frame and seat. Every piece of the aluminium profile used to build the P1X Pro is laser-cut to ensure a precise fit. Overall, this is without a doubt one of the best 8020 sim rigs you can buy and is the go-to professional sim rig. The best rig is one with a bait attached that they really want to eat." Is how rig and bait guru, Jason Hayward once put it. And how true that is. And the best part is that this whole setup is very budget-oriented. It is the cheapest sim rig on this list and performs well above its price range. For a first delve into sim racing, this is a perfect sim rig.

Looking at sim rig strength is important as it will dictate the style of the sim racing wheel and pedals that you can mount to it. To race with a high-powered direct drive racing wheel, you’ll need an extremely sturdy sim rig. You can also opt for a stand-alone monitor mount. This will sit independently to your sim rig, and allow you to move and reposition your screens over time. Metal tube sim rigs often sit in the middle ground between 8020 sim rigs and budget-focused all in one sim rigs. They are often constructed from strong metals such as aluminium, steel or iron with a heavily engineered design allowing for strong forces to be absorbed. All-in-one sim rigs Hopefully, the above options give you a good insight into the different styles of sim rigs in 2023. I’ve highlighted the best sim rigs within each category to help narrow down the selection. But it is great for sim racers to have such a wide range of different sim rigs available.Despite that, this sim rig is more than sturdy enough to handle a direct drive racing wheel such as the Fanatec CSL DD. One of the reasons that the Sim Lab P1X Pro is so strong is due to the large aluminium profile that is used. The P1X Pro uses 40x160mm aluminium extrusion to ensure there is no movement or rigidity. This is compared to 40x120mm and 40x80mm that a lot of other 8020 rigs use. Since we need a bit more power budget for this build versus the budget build, I've gone with the Be Quiet! Pure Power 12 M 650W here. It's a great platform, and a trusted manufacturer. You definitely don't want to pinch too many pennies when it comes to your power supply—that can have dire consequences. Best to play it safe and spend a little extra for peace of mind.