How much would you spend?

[jimortality]

On your sim racing hobby? I've just started back a couple of weeks ago and so far, I've spent a fair bit but I'm now looking to invest in a GT Omega ART cockpit (After I've just bought a wheelstand ffs lol) I've been buying things but I may as well have spent my money on the cockpit straight off but there we go, we live and learn. Basically though I'm trying to convince myself it's a worthwhile investment £259. Can I class this as a serious hobby or am I just another normal gamer? I know people on here have probably spent thousands on their set ups. Do you have to justify it to yourselves or your wives etc? From what we spend, people say "you could've bought a real car" blah de blah so I'm just looking for you all to justify me to purchase the cockpit hahahaha! it will skint me no doubt but I work hard and pay all my normal bills (rent, electric, loans etc) so do I stay with what I have or should I invest? is it a proper hobby or just gaming? I've attached a photo of what I have now but I'm 50/50 as to which way to go next plus I'm at work all day and bored lololol. Cheers for reading

 

[David O'Reilly]

Don't think I even need to google that one

yes it was a bit easy

 

[Calum McLure]

@David O'Reilly

Feet could be a bit longer on the chair

Just need a carpet now

 

[Chris]

Well with my current setup I've spent (AUD):

• Total Computer package = ~$1500
• Logitech G27 = ~$300
• Thrustmaster TH8RS = ~$200
• Fanatec CSR Elite Pedals = ~$200
• 2 spare load cell pressure sensors = ~$40

All in all, it hasn't been too bad really. Considering the amount of usage and enjoyment I've gotten out of it, it's been well worth the money.

 

[David O'Reilly]

@Calum McLure
I sit a cheap little yoga mat under mine, chair doesn't move now and I can roll it up if we need the room.
Whats the story with triple screen?
did you need a BIG graphics card?
What do I have to do to go triple?

Also I see you are now studying Roman history. Was that before or after my Latin quotes?

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

I started with an Xbox 360 and a £40.00 wheel 4 years ago which was great fun. I had an ironing board as my wheel base.
Once I tried Race Pro and got interested in setups I figured that a better wheel was going to be nice so bought a Fanatec CSR. £250.00
Small office desk £40.00
Then for RF2 a PC £600
Then a faster monitor £180.00
So far I am at the lower end of the spend scale.
I plan to buy a Fanatec V2/F1 rim shortly. It was that or triple screen.
I got a code nice and early through a thoughtful friend here but was still working on the diplomatic angle at home when it expired (the way they wrote the exp date US style threw me a bit).

Now to costs and mental arithmetic.
Realistically you need to allocate about 30% of your capital investment as depreciation as most items will (at least in my experience) get replaced over a 3 year period due to a nice shiny new option, wear or just desire for change/improvement).
So my £1,070 represents £321.00 per year.
or £6.17 per week.
As a hobby/past time that I am passionate about and spend 15 hours a week doing its about .40p per hour.
The benchmarks I like to use is the hourly rate to go and have a coffee. appr £5.00 or a beer say £6.00.

Conclusion.
There is not much I can think of that is cheaper. Plus so much fun and so rewarding. So race on with a clear conscience my son.

One word of advice once given by an old carpenter to a young apprentice when
the young apprentice asked "should I but the cheaper or more expensive set of tools"?
Old carpenter "well son, will you eventually own the good set of tools?"
young apprentice "Yes of course"
Old Carpenter "then the only variable between now and that point in time is how much money you blow on ****"

In sim racing world I translate that to mean; buy with a 3 year time horizon at least and ensure what you have is upgradeable or expandable to meet your long term needs or (as you showed ) at least has a used value.

This was my reasoning too when I had the T300 for about a week, I realized that after spending 300 on the wheel and then another 150-200 on a custom rim I would still want the CSW v2, so I returned it and ordered the v2 instead.

 

[Calum McLure]

@Calum McLure
I sit a cheap little yoga mat under mine, chair doesn't move now and I can roll it up if we need the room.
Whats the story with triple screen?
did you need a BIG graphics card?
What do I have to do to go triple?

Also I see you are now studying Roman history. Was that before or after my Latin quotes?

I use a HD7950 which was about £230 last year when I bought it. Can't run the highest settings in some of the newer sims/games but it still looks good and runs smooth. All you need is 3 DVI cables, a DisplayPort to DVI convertor. I think there is a thread in this sub forum started by @Jim Brailsford that has some helpful info on how to get going. I'll see if I can find it.

Used to love learning about the Romans, Greeks, Carthaginians etc when I was younger, in the past year or so I've gotten back into it. When I'm not doing anything I tend to just sit and read encyclopedias, history books, and online sources

 

[Calum McLure]

@David O'Reilly

This is the one, got most of what I needed to know from here

http://www.racedepartment.com/threads/triple-screen-help.74073/

 

[Stereo]

word of advice once given by an old carpenter to a young apprentice when
the young apprentice asked "should I but the cheaper or more expensive set of tools"?
Old carpenter "well son, will you eventually own the good set of tools?"
young apprentice "Yes of course"
Old Carpenter "then the only variable between now and that point in time is how much money you blow on ****"

In sim racing world I translate that to mean; buy with a 3 year time horizon at least and ensure what you have is upgradeable or expandable to meet your long term needs or (as you showed ) at least has a used value.

Yeah, the main way that doesn't apply directly is, the 'best' tools are fairly changing in sims, right now triple screens or short-throw projectors are the best display option, but soon VR headsets might be. Personally if I wasn't using my triple-screens for work outside of sim racing, I'd say they're not a good investment - I can drive ok single screen, and I'd rather have that $400 set aside until I know how the consumer Oculus Rift performs. And then if I have one of those, it changes the requirements for a rig, etc...

Likewise I'm personally sticking to my DFGT for now because Simxperience seems set to shake up the pricing on direct-drive motors, the $400-600 wheels seem like they may not look so appealing in six months.

 

[David O'Reilly]

Yeah, the main way that doesn't apply directly is, the 'best' tools are fairly changing in sims, right now triple screens or short-throw projectors are the best display option, but soon VR headsets might be. Personally if I wasn't using my triple-screens for work outside of sim racing, I'd say they're not a good investment - I can drive ok single screen, and I'd rather have that $400 set aside until I know how the consumer Oculus Rift performs. And then if I have one of those, it changes the requirements for a rig, etc...

Likewise I'm personally sticking to my DFGT for now because Simxperience seems set to shake up the pricing on direct-drive motors, the $400-600 wheels seem like they may not look so appealing in six months.

Yes fair point , carpenters tools dont become obsolescent quite so quick as sim racing peripherals and GPUs.
Still Ive had about 2000 hours out of my Fanatec CSR.

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

I think that even among carpenter tools you'll find the occasional new and shiny stuff being released that "makes the old obsolete". And it's not happening that fast in the sim world either.
To me the CSW has been my top goal since a year back and now it's the v2. The accuforce wheel won't change that for me so I expect the v2 to stay current for me for at least 2-3 years.

 

[RaceNut]

I was considering getting the CSW V2 but, I missed renewing the invite coupon by a few hours so now I'm waiting for the AccuForce to be released. I would have probably gone that route anyway but, would have had the benefit of having used both wheels.

 

[Decenten]

I have not spent much on my exterior parts but here is my list:
G27 $289
PC $150
Monitor $129
Office Chair $100
RF1 $35
RF2 $80
iRacing $800
AC $40
Race 07 $129
WRC 4 $30

And I lost my job...

 

[Kjell Eilertsen]

I have not spent much on my exterior parts but here is my list:
G27 $289
PC $150
Monitor $129
Office Chair $100
RF1 $35
RF2 $80
iRacing $800
AC $40
Race 07 $129
WRC 4 $30

And I lost my job...

/hug

 

[UOPshadow]

My first wheel was a Thrustmaster without FFB, back then in the early 90ies and before GPL came out. I remember playing Geoff Crammonds GP with it, was it 2 or 3? Beforehand I played GCGP on an Amiga with a Joystick Competition, haha. I was always fascinated by Sim Racing. Nevertheless I dropped in and out of it, but I always had a Wheel lying around.
This year is the first I took a step further. Had the same problem, how do I justify all that money, but then I remember vividly all that great moments I had with my trusty DFGT and rfactor1 and I know: This is money well spent, because I will have gobs of fun with it and that my friends is all I want from my life: Having Fun.

This year I spent about 700 Euro on something which isn't my main Hobbie and today I was this close on ordering an Oculus Rift, haha.

 

[Pucky Loucks]

This thread is like my therapy.

Hi my name is Pucky and I'm a Racing addict. I just added the RealGear GTpro2 Suspended 3-Pedal Set from Ricmotech to my Rig.

I think I'll be able to stop when the Accuforce is out. Last race of the year is in two weeks then it's Offseason in the sim rig.