Help with Sim Racing specific PC build

[Pouls1]

Hi, I will build a sim racing specific PC in the coming days and would like some help with a configuration list of specific parts.

There are a lot of suggestions out there for pure gaming PC’s, but having a hard time finding specifics on what is important for a race specific PC.

The computer will not be used for anything else - just sim racing - so I don’t want a PC that also accommodates any other function.

Other parts will be OSW, 3x32”, Ultimate pedals or similar, etc.

Budget is app $2000 +/- I don’t have to spend the money but I want to make sure that I am as future secured as possible also.

I am only interested in getting together a serious parts list and not hearing about all the computers out there that does the job well enough for you. No offense.

 

[Jurld]

IMO there's not anything about a sim racing PC that greatly separates it from how you would spec and build any high-end gaming PC. For me that would be the new 8th gen i5 or i7 (k variant if you are into overclocking) and a motherboard that has all the features that you want/need. Couple that with a GTX 1080 or 1080ti and call it a day. 8GB of ddr4-2400 RAM is enough for most gaming situations. If you want to OC much you probably want to spring for the ddr4-3200. Get an SSD for storage. The kind (PCIE, SATA) doesn't matter so much in the real world. The Samsung EVO models are highly rated. Go ahead and get a 500GB or even 1TB because 250GB will fill up sooner than you think. A case and a 750 watt PSU (which is probably a little bit of overkill) should get you to "around" $2k. You'll be future proof until some time next spring.

 

[DND]

If nothing else this will address the 2k budget
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nBVqKZ

 

[Pouls1]

IMO there's not anything about a sim racing PC that greatly separates it from how you would spec and build any high-end gaming PC. For me that would be the new 8th gen i5 or i7 (k variant if you are into overclocking) and a motherboard that has all the features that you want/need. Couple that with a GTX 1080 or 1080ti and call it a day. 8GB of ddr4-2400 RAM is enough for most gaming situations. If you want to OC much you probably want to spring for the ddr4-3200. Get an SSD for storage. The kind (PCIE, SATA) doesn't matter so much in the real world. The Samsung EVO models are highly rated. Go ahead and get a 500GB or even 1TB because 250GB will fill up sooner than you think. A case and a 750 watt PSU (which is probably a little bit of overkill) should get you to "around" $2k. You'll be future proof until some time next spring.

Thanks, Jurld!
This was exactly what I needed! And got a good laugh at the same time - I see I'll be good until spring, haha!

 

[Pouls1]

If nothing else this will address the 2k budget
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nBVqKZ

Also perfect - thank you guys for taking the time!

 

[RasmusP]

I7 all the way! Intel still has the single thread advantage big times over AMD and all the sims are not really great at multicore usage!
I7 though because atm I'm starting to see the advantage of my I7 2600k over two I5 2500k of my friends! It's the "not dropping fps" in games that have some CPU peaks.
Since you don't know what the future brings: go with the i7. The one above the normal i7 have a too low max core clock!
And the i5 might struggle in a few years when gtr3, ac2 or reiza18 throw some 150 car mukticlass racing on the market with real multicore usage

Pair it with some highly clocked ddr4 as the price difference isn't that high. Also just get 16gb. You don't need them but I'm hearing another two of my friends crying every few months about how ddr3 is so freaking expensive now and they all wish they would've bought 16gb instead of 8gb in 2011!

Pick a motherboard with all you need and put 20€ on top for some better bios or oc usage. You don't need a fancy ultra mobo for 300€ but maybe don't pick the cheapest for 70€ too

Psu depends on the graphics card. I have a 1070, everything overclocked and my 530W Psu is driving circles around my system.
It's not enough for a 1080ti though!
Pick 750 of some midrange. For be quiet it would be the straight power series. You don't need the dark power one but also don't pick the cheapest!

Then the only question left is the graphics card:
My 1070 is only at 30-60% load in full HD. With very high settings and/or high anti aliasing settings. It should be enough for triples if you don't have 1440p or even 4k monitors!
Since the 1080 got a bit cheaper and isn't that much more expensive than the 1070:
Take the 1080 and be happy.

Problem with the 1080ti would be, that you'd pay a lot but would have to swap it out in 3 years nonetheless... If you calculate the price per fps, the 1060 is the best but it isn't really satisfying to run it.
So I made my peace with swapping out the xx70s every 2-3 years.

You have to decide if you want to spend a lot for a ti now and lower settings over the next years but keep it. Or get a 1080 and just buy a new xx70/80 when you need the power without having to have second thoughts.

Long text and the posts above me already did a perfect job but I wanted to give you some other/additional perspective

 

[thepharcyde]

I7 all the way! Intel still has the single thread advantage big times over AMD and all the sims are not really great at multicore usage!
I7 though because atm I'm starting to see the advantage of my I7 2600k over two I5 2500k of my friends! It's the "not dropping fps" in games that have some CPU peaks.
Since you don't know what the future brings: go with the i7. The one above the normal i7 have a too low max core clock!
And the i5 might struggle in a few years when gtr3, ac2 or reiza18 throw some 150 car mukticlass racing on the market with real multicore usage

Pair it with some highly clocked ddr4 as the price difference isn't that high. Also just get 16gb. You don't need them but I'm hearing another two of my friends crying every few months about how ddr3 is so freaking expensive now and they all wish they would've bought 16gb instead of 8gb in 2011!

Pick a motherboard with all you need and put 20€ on top for some better bios or oc usage. You don't need a fancy ultra mobo for 300€ but maybe don't pick the cheapest for 70€ too

Psu depends on the graphics card. I have a 1070, everything overclocked and my 530W Psu is driving circles around my system.
It's not enough for a 1080ti though!
Pick 750 of some midrange. For be quiet it would be the straight power series. You don't need the dark power one but also don't pick the cheapest!

Then the only question left is the graphics card:
My 1070 is only at 30-60% load in full HD. With very high settings and/or high anti aliasing settings. It should be enough for triples if you don't have 1440p or even 4k monitors!
Since the 1080 got a bit cheaper and isn't that much more expensive than the 1070:
Take the 1080 and be happy.

Problem with the 1080ti would be, that you'd pay a lot but would have to swap it out in 3 years nonetheless... If you calculate the price per fps, the 1060 is the best but it isn't really satisfying to run it.
So I made my peace with swapping out the xx70s every 2-3 years.

You have to decide if you want to spend a lot for a ti now and lower settings over the next years but keep it. Or get a 1080 and just buy a new xx70/80 when you need the power without having to have second thoughts.

Long text and the posts above me already did a perfect job but I wanted to give you some other/additional perspective

Good advice; however I was in a similar position last year and settled for a i5 6600k and GTX1070 and my full set of games using RF2 as my general benchmark due to the woeful optimisation I can run with a 21 Ai grid full settings rarely dipping below requirements of my DK2 Vr setup.

I agree with the sentiment, spending the extra on a GTX1080/ti unless you run triple screens at 4k, but then a budget of 2k is not going to achieve that.

 

[RasmusP]

Good advice; however I was in a similar position last year and settled for a i5 6600k and GTX1070 and my full set of games using RF2 as my general benchmark due to the woeful optimisation I can run with a 21 Ai grid full settings rarely dipping below requirements of my DK2 Vr setup.

I agree with the sentiment, spending the extra on a GTX1080/ti unless you run triple screens at 4k, but then a budget of 2k is not going to achieve that.

Yeah that's true! I didn't calculate anything. It was just theoretical stuff of thoughts
To i5/i7: it did take 7 freaking years and games like the Witcher 3 or the newest assassins creed with their massive cities full of NPCs with full simulated daily routines to show the difference between the 2500k and 2600k!
That said the 6600k beats my 2600k easily.

But op said he wants to be as future proof as possible so I'd say better get the 8700k and save at the graphics card. You can always easily upgrade the gpu but swapping out the CPU is one hell of an adventure!

Also you can lower visuals to make it work for the gpu. But if your CPU is bottlenecking it gets critical...

 

[Pouls1]

I really appreciate all hard earned insights you guys are helping me with. It has made this a more assuring process. Yesterday I took the plunge and no, the 2000 did not suffice...

End result:
8700k
Asus Rog Strix Z370 gaming H
Asus Rog Strix 1080 ti
Samsung 960 pro 1tb
EVGA 850 G3
EVGA CLC 280
G Skill Trident 16

Monitors will be 3x Acer Predator 321qu 144hz 1440, but they aren’t released in another three weeks.

However, I made one big mistake - I didn’t realize that the monitors all need feed from a display port in order to deliver the same and the Asus 1080ti only has two...

After a lot of searching I found that EVGA 1080 ti FTW3 Elite, I think it’s called, has three. So, ordered that and will return the Asus today.

Sure I’ve made other mistakes too, but this is where I’m sitting today.
Case also ordered: be quiet 900 Pro ( orange stripe).

Most of the parts still in its wrapper so a change can be done. The i7 and the card was a bundle and hence the H version. E and F or the Maximus X Hero weren’t offered in a similar package and I don’t know if they have advantages to the H motherboard.

Thanks again, guys!
Brgds, P

 

[RasmusP]

I really appreciate all hard earned insights you guys are helping me with. It has made this a more assuring process. Yesterday I took the plunge and no, the 2000 did not suffice...

End result:
8700k
Asus Rog Strix Z370 gaming H
Asus Rog Strix 1080 ti
Samsung 960 pro 1tb
EVGA 850 G3
EVGA CLC 280
G Skill Trident 16

Monitors will be 3x Acer Predator 321qu 144hz 1440, but they aren’t released in another three weeks.

However, I made one big mistake - I didn’t realize that the monitors all need feed from a display port in order to deliver the same and the Asus 1080ti only has two...

After a lot of searching I found that EVGA 1080 ti FTW3 Elite, I think it’s called, has three. So, ordered that and will return the Asus today.

Sure I’ve made other mistakes too, but this is where I’m sitting today.
Case also ordered: be quiet 900 Pro ( orange stripe).

Most of the parts still in its wrapper so a change can be done. The i7 and the card was a bundle and hence the H version. E and F or the Maximus X Hero weren’t offered in a similar package and I don’t know if they have advantages to the H motherboard.

Thanks again, guys!
Brgds, P

I'm interested in the chipset differences too!

To the specs: wow, that's on helluva machine! It will last for a very long time and you'll have no problems with any current and upcoming sim!
Please post some Fotos when everything is set up. I want some hardware porn haha

 

[Pouls1]

Thanks! No problem, I'll post pictures.
Another thing I realized was that the Asus Rig Strix Z370 Gaming H didn't support three simultaneous monitors, so today I returned that and ordered a Gaming E instead of, high supposedly does according to Asus specs.

Also, Heusinkveld Pro pedals and sequential shifter and SSRG wheel and a Sim-Lab P1 rig with various accessories ordered. Only thing missing now are the monitors.

 

[Jurld]

Sounds like you will have a real beast when you get it all assembled. Have fun!

 

[Pouls1]

Looking forward to testing it. Thank you again for help and input!

 

[Flyinjake]

Looking forward to testing it. Thank you again for help and input!

Hi Pouls1

Just read your post as I am also looking into getting a gaming pc, osw, Heusinkveld Pro's, simrig like P1 and maybe triple screens. For now I am using a big old 52" Sony TV Full HD and an old pc with my Thrustmaster T500RS.

What do you think about the performance of your new pc how well does it do triples on a single 1080?
How is the Direct drive wheel and how well is the P1 build? Which seat did you orden with the P1?
Can you list all the parts you bought for your pc?

Thanks and happy sim racing .