What spec. for Assetto Corsa?

[Boothen]

Hello everyone,

I’m new here and this is my first post.
I’ve raced sims in the past (GT Legends mostly), but have recently decided to get back into things and I’m interested in starting with Assetto Corsa (I’m looking to use VR at some point, too). I know AC has been around for a while, but it fits with what I’m after.

Just looking for some advice, really. I’m not too knowledgable re. computer specs and wondered if these suggestions, below, were any good for running AC to a decent level (I don’t want to be stuck on ‘low’ settings and I want to add the various improvements such as ‘Sol’, too).

Wondering if prices, graphics, power, VR compatibility etc. are favourable.


Thanks,
Boothen

 

[Boothen]

... Here they are...

AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE 3.5GHz (4 core)

• 8GB RAM, 500GB SSD
• GTX 1050Ti
• Windows 10 Home (Free Windows 11 Upgrade)
• £724

• AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9GHz (6 vore)
• 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
• Integrated Graphics
• Windows 10 Home (Free Windows 11 Upgrade)
• £789

• Intel Core i5 10400F 2.9 GHz (6 cores)
• 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 500GB SSD
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti
• Windows 11 Home
• £1124

 

[Michael Krone]

I assume youre looking for advice on which system would be the better of the options? Heres a couple things I will point out..

I would not rely on a 4 core CPU.
I would not rely on integrated graphics.
I wouldnt jump into win11 just yet.
The 1660ti is a pretty good GPU.

If I had to choose, it would be the last option.

 

[Boothen]

Thanks for this. I thought 4 core would be good enough and had my doubts about integrated graphics. Looks like I might have to go for the more expensive option though, which isn’t a surprise. Was hoping I could get something cheaper, but I guess that’s the cost of wanting settings to be at a decent level... Unless anyone knows better!

 

[Botmeister]

One of the first lessons you get when buying pc hardware for simracing is: make as little compromises as possible. The specs you mentioned are too low for VR (where 90fps is the minimum) + considering you want to avoid low settings. Waste of money and it will leave you wanting better stuff, maybe even regret buying that system. My advice, when considering your demands, wait for a while and save more money. If you have the money but are not willing to spend more, then your list of demands should be lowered and VR remains a dream. A 1080ti could be a better option for you, but keep in mind that it's getting old, and so is all hardware you mentioned.

 

[Deleted member 1066209]

How intent are you on adding VR later? VR has much higher hardware requirements than single-screen, and the top-tier VR headsets demand top-tier hardware for satisfactory performance.

You'll need an excellent GPU that fits your budget, a 6-core CPU (as suggested by Michael Krone), and at least 16GB of RAM. It sounds like you're interested in purchasing a prebuilt PC, so the supporting hardware (motherboard power supply. etc.) will be adequately chosen by the manufacturer.

I highly recommend building your own PC only because you can have some control over the hardware choices. I've heard Assetto Corsa is highly dependent on single-core clock speed, so a CPU that can overclock well is ideal for for running this game. A good motherboard is required to handle strong overclocks, and a powerful power supply will be required for providing additional power while overclocking. The drawback of many prebuilt PCs is that their hardware only seems to support minor overclocking, if at all.

Some additional thoughts: It's been my, and other's, experience that RAM speed makes a large difference, so if you can obtain faster RAM, then you will be able to enjoy VR much more. (https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/vr-90fps-my-personal-solution.165199/)

Personally, I'm using an HP Reverb G2 at 90Hz, powered by a 1080ti and a 4-core Intel CPU (which is overclocked to 4.9GHz). My RAM speed is 4266Mhz and my power supply can adequately power everything (as well as a multitude of fans) without a hitch. With this hardware, I am able to run AC at a constant 90fps with very occasional micro-stutters. My graphics settings are set at LOW, which I understand that you may not enjoy, but it meets my requirement of (practically) fluid gameplay.

If I could go back in time to purchase my equipment again, I would purchase - knowing what I know now: a 6-core CPU and a faster GPU. To do so at this point in time would require a change in my motherboard and power supply, which effectively means that I'm now paying double to achieve my goal.

I encourage you to concretely identify your end-goal, so that - in the long run - money can be saved and enjoyment can be maximized.

[edit]: Also, Assetto Corsa is the only game I play, and my PC was built solely for playing that game.

 

[Bob Gnarley]

Hello there Boothen.

I needed a second system for downstairs so I put one together last weekend using a Ryzen 5600G + DDR4 3600 cl16, mainly for entertainment and maybe light gaming if it's capable.

So far, i've only had an evening to mess with it so don't have much to report other than that I fired up GTR2, settings maxed except shadows (high) @2560x1080x75fps (ultrawide), ran a replay with 22 cars at Monza and was blown away by how smooth it ran. Slight hitching in heavily shadowed areas, otherwise silky. As a GTL user you can probably relate to that. I really wasn't expecting much in the gaming department.

I'm afraid that Ac is installed on the main system so won't be installing it on this machine. I would say that it is quite capable of running Ac @1080 with reasonable settings though how well it would do with Csp, Sol etc is anyone's guess.

The thinking is this. Gpu aside, it is a solid little processor. Though it only has 16mb L3 cache compared to 32mb for the 5600X, Single thread performance is just a little behind the 5600X and well ahead of my 3700X. The difference in price between that and the Intel system would, in normal times, get you near to a RTX 3060 which i guess would be a better starting point for VR. Would need to come with at least 550w psu though to be cost effective. (no need for upgrade when you get a card.)

Also, if you enjoy tinkering with your system, the Infinity Fabric on these things seems pretty robust. Memory overclocks of up to 4600 with IF 1:1 are achievable with luck and skill.

As I say, I wasn't thinking of gaming when I put this machine together but am so far pleasantly surprised. It may be worth fishing around YouTube for actual gaming benchmarks before you write it off and go with the expensive system.

Good luck! Bob.

 

[Boothen]

Thanks very much for all of these replies, guys. They’re really helpful and show me that I’ve got a fair bit of research, still to do.

Justwannadl, I did/do want to avoid using low settings, but I agree completely that fluid gameplay is the most important thing. Also, I’m guessing that low settings on AC is way way better than what I’m used to with GTL (which I think is still an amazing sim, by the way), so not having the settings at max. is something I can easily live without.

I think I’ll be looking at 6-core and 16 Gb of RAM, with a 1080ti by the looks of things, but, if it’s a modular PC, then I can always upgrade individual components at a later date - If I understand things correctly. Maybe the way forward for me is to get set up with a single screen and then add VR (Oculus Quest 2) at a later date.

Thanks again

 

[Boothen]

Hi Guys,

Just a little update in my quest! I’ve been recommended the various components, below... Wondering what your opinions would be on this list. I’m led to believe this should be good enough for VR, too. Any views would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Boothen

Corsair VENGEANCE LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 DRAM 3600MHz C18 AMD Ryzen Memory Kit - Black

Zalman i3 Midi-Tower Case - Black I3

Corsair CP-9020133-UK TX550M 550 W 80+ Gold Power Supply Unit, Black

ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus ATX Motherboard, AMD Socket AM4, Ryzen 3000, 12+2 Dr. MOS, PCIe 4.0, M.2, DDR4, LAN, HDMI, USB 3.2, Aura Sync RGB

Samsung 870 QVO 1 TB SATA 2.5 Inch Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) (MZ-77Q1T0)

AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Processor (8C/16T, 36 MB Cache, 4.4 GHz Max Boost)

AMD - Radeon Pro Graphics Card WX3100 - 4GB GDDR5, PCIe 3.0, 1x DisplayPort, 2xMini-DisplayPorts

 

[Bob Gnarley]

The Radeon Pro is a workstation card rather than a gaming card, i don't know much about it but it probably wouldn't be up to the job.

Also doesn't VR require hdmi? Anyone? non VR user here.

The GPU is a problem right now. Thanks to supply issues/currency mining the GPU market is upside down with not much stock available at three times the price. Hopefully things will normalize soon.

If i remember the main difference between X570 and B550 is that X570 has more pcie lanes. You could save a bunch of money by going with a B550. The 3700X is a 65W part therefore doesn't need monster VRM. Just go with something that has all the features you need, such as amount of usb slots etc.

Also, with the release of Intels Alder Lake, Ryzen should generally have seen a price drop. If you can bag a 5600X for around the same price it would be a better bet. Yes, less cores but significantly higher single thread performance. The extra cores are irrelevant for the current sims.

I haven't looked at the case but would suggest you choose a case that breathes well. Current CPU/GPU's boost according to voltage/thermal limits. A hot case with poor airflow can really hamper performance.

Hope this is useful.

 

[Michael Krone]

I googled that GPU and I think it may be a little under-powered. Im not sure however. Seems its a card more suited for workstations. Surely someone else has better knowledge on it.

Im not sure you need 32gb of ram. When I upgraded from 16 to 32 I noticed no performance gain. Ive heard it could even hurt performance to have too much ram but I never looked into it much. Im also using a 1440p monitor, not VR.

Everything else is pretty good.

What I would do, and this is just me... I would do 16gb of ram, much smaller SSD (If this PC is only to run AC), get an el-cheapo case from ebay (like 40-50 dollars), and use the money saved towards a better GPU.

Dont forget cooling. I heard those Ryzens like to heat up.

 

[Boothen]

Thanks again, guys. All good points / observations and much appreciated. I think that I’m getting there, thanks to your help and a couple of other conversations I’ve had. Great stuff

 

[David Rolleston]

Boothen, I have just gone through a similar process to yourself. I wanted to get back into sim racing and my previous PC was now struggling big time. i3 CPU, 750GTI card and 8GB ram. I could run Asseto Corsa on minimum settings and get a decent enough frame rate on a 24" monitor, but online against others it struggled, Same with RaceRoom.

That previous PC I built myself around 10-12 years ago, this time though I just don't have the time to build my own system again (as much as I'd like to). Spent an age looking at loads of custom build options (Overclockers, Chilliblast, Gladiator, Cyber Power systems, Fierce PC and PC specialist). Also spent an age looking at component reviews. I opted for Punch Technology chose a core gaming PC and upgraded a couple of parts to future proof for the next few years. Delivered in 7 days and it works like a dream - happy to recommend them. They for me, offered the best bang for buck of the builders I looked at.

Very much a case of working out your budget and seeing what you can get. Personally I have a preference for intel and NVidia gear as opposed to Radeon.

 

[Boothen]

Thanks David,

I’ll definitely give Punch Technology a look.

... Just wondering if someone can recommend a gaming graphics that is better / more appropriate than the one I list (AMD - Radeon Pro Graphics Card WX3100 - 4GB GDDR5, PCIe 3.0, 1x DisplayPort, 2xMini-DisplayPorts), seeing as that is more of a workstation card.

Thanks again,
Boothen

 

[Deleted member 1066209]

The selection of the GPU will be highly dependent on your choice of display. Will you be using a monitor, and implementing VR later in the future? Do you mind purchasing another GPU when you do finally upgrade to VR?

What monitor resolution are you using, or do you plan on using?

I understand that Nvidia seems to be the preferred graphics processor for ACC, because benchmarks have shown that it offers slightly better performance than AMD. I cannot find any similar benchmarks comparisons for the original AC, but I am guessing that it is a similar case here too, because I see plenty of Nvidia billboards and advertisements when I'm driving through the track "Highlands Long" in Assetto Corsa.

 

[Bob Gnarley]

Really, it's impossible to recommend any cards in the current market.

Amazon lists the Radeon Pro Graphics Card WX3100 at £160 UK. The only sub £200 card listed and in stock at Overclockers UK is an Nvidia GTX1050ti for £199. A card that launched over 5 years ago at around £150. Absolutely awful value.

For an idea of current pricing, see post #968 by RCHeliguy. (Original launch price in right hand column.)

https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/will-you-be-buying-an-rtx-3080.188130/page-49

The second hand market is just as bad. There is a change to the way Etherium is mined coming in December, I believe, which may calm the gpu market a little but... who knows?

All I can say is if you find anything in your price range but are unsure, please ask.

 

[Michael Krone]

I would say tho, you should look at getting a 1660ti at least.

Anyone confirm that? I know prices are horrible ATM but..?

 

[Botmeister]

Thanks David,

I’ll definitely give Punch Technology a look.

... Just wondering if someone can recommend a gaming graphics that is better / more appropriate than the one I list (AMD - Radeon Pro Graphics Card WX3100 - 4GB GDDR5, PCIe 3.0, 1x DisplayPort, 2xMini-DisplayPorts), seeing as that is more of a workstation card.

Thanks again,
Boothen

I also think you should consider buying a prebuild system. Their price/performance is actually quite nice at the moment!

Either dig into every little aspect of computers and learn what they do, or just buy a prebuild system and enjoy simracing. That would be my advice by now

 

[Boothen]

Thanks guys.

I think you’ve got a point, Botmeister, I just need to get to enjoying simracing.

Think I have enough info now, though, too, so thanks again, all.

... Really good that such helpful suggestions come so readily on here. Great stuff!

 

[commandant.brioche]

People are bringing up good points about Vr but even if you had an ultra wide 49 inch screen running at 1440p, and my 1080ti cant do it on ultra on games like acc or ams2... You may want to get those later on...
Even AC with custom shader patch can't be run to the max if many options are selected on high...