Wasn't quite sure where to post this... but this seems to be the sub-forum featuring the majority of others sim-pit / gaming setup builds... so here goes 
15 years ago I used to be a hard-core PC gamer and ended giving it up for consoles because I got tired of the constant update cycle and at the time just hadn't the money for it.
Fast forward to a year ago and I discovered this game called Elite Dangerous... and well... to make a long story short, my fate was sealed. As you will see by this build thread... what started out as, "Oh I'll just build a little gaming PC" has quickly spiraled out of control as I lapse in to my old ways
Thinking to myself... I suppose I could get back in to PC gaming
No problem... I'll just buy a few things. Seems reasonable
Eh... ok... a bit more stuff. I guess I can justify this... somehow.
Ooooo Shiny :O I'm starting to remember why I used to enjoy PC gaming...
And there... a small finishing touch
This was my first time ever gaming with a 3x1 monitor setup. Also HOTAS systems had come a long way since my old PC gaming days. X55 is very impressive and robust.
And after a few weeks of tuning and configurations I managed to get my rig to a good place. Tuaca: mandatory / Microsoft Surface running Coriolis: optional
I ran this setup over the last year... but already started to get that familiar itch... "If these screens could be just a tad larger... If this keyboard had just a tad more functionality... if this seat & desk just felt a bit more like a starfighter... Hmmmm.
I thought... it's been nearly a year since I built my current setup... I've saved some extra money... I could upgrade just a few things.
There! That's better... Wow... this looks fantastic with the lights off! With all these extra glowing bits and little screens... I almost feel like I'm transported to the bridge of my own starship!
And this is about the time when something in my brain snapped... I just went right over the cliff. Initially I started to evaluate VR... but there are a few things that I don't like about it. Firstly: that you're cut off from everyone else in the house. My oldest boy (4 years old) loves to sit on my lap and play Elite with me and VR makes that problematic. Also I think the image quality for the headsets is abysmal. The screen-dooring and chromatic aberration from the Fresnel lenses is awful. This tech needs another generation to cook properly. Maybe by the end of 2017 it will be more attractive to me. But I've used it... and I'm not impressed. Yet.
So I decided to head a more traditional route. Here goes the crazy...
At this point I just accept there's no turning back. I'm down the rabbit hole and just going to embrace this
I have to say... to anyone else considering the Volair Sim setup... the build quality is top notch. %100 steel construction and built like a tank. All of the milling and alignment was very very good. This is a quality product worth the price.
A few last straggler pieces of hardware arrive to complete the rig
And that's where I'm at right now.
Stay tuned for final assembly and power up!
-EJIRO
15 years ago I used to be a hard-core PC gamer and ended giving it up for consoles because I got tired of the constant update cycle and at the time just hadn't the money for it.
Fast forward to a year ago and I discovered this game called Elite Dangerous... and well... to make a long story short, my fate was sealed. As you will see by this build thread... what started out as, "Oh I'll just build a little gaming PC" has quickly spiraled out of control as I lapse in to my old ways
Thinking to myself... I suppose I could get back in to PC gaming
No problem... I'll just buy a few things. Seems reasonable

Eh... ok... a bit more stuff. I guess I can justify this... somehow.

Ooooo Shiny :O I'm starting to remember why I used to enjoy PC gaming...

And there... a small finishing touch

This was my first time ever gaming with a 3x1 monitor setup. Also HOTAS systems had come a long way since my old PC gaming days. X55 is very impressive and robust.

And after a few weeks of tuning and configurations I managed to get my rig to a good place. Tuaca: mandatory / Microsoft Surface running Coriolis: optional

I ran this setup over the last year... but already started to get that familiar itch... "If these screens could be just a tad larger... If this keyboard had just a tad more functionality... if this seat & desk just felt a bit more like a starfighter... Hmmmm.
I thought... it's been nearly a year since I built my current setup... I've saved some extra money... I could upgrade just a few things.

There! That's better... Wow... this looks fantastic with the lights off! With all these extra glowing bits and little screens... I almost feel like I'm transported to the bridge of my own starship!

And this is about the time when something in my brain snapped... I just went right over the cliff. Initially I started to evaluate VR... but there are a few things that I don't like about it. Firstly: that you're cut off from everyone else in the house. My oldest boy (4 years old) loves to sit on my lap and play Elite with me and VR makes that problematic. Also I think the image quality for the headsets is abysmal. The screen-dooring and chromatic aberration from the Fresnel lenses is awful. This tech needs another generation to cook properly. Maybe by the end of 2017 it will be more attractive to me. But I've used it... and I'm not impressed. Yet.
So I decided to head a more traditional route. Here goes the crazy...

At this point I just accept there's no turning back. I'm down the rabbit hole and just going to embrace this

I have to say... to anyone else considering the Volair Sim setup... the build quality is top notch. %100 steel construction and built like a tank. All of the milling and alignment was very very good. This is a quality product worth the price.

A few last straggler pieces of hardware arrive to complete the rig


And that's where I'm at right now.
Stay tuned for final assembly and power up!
-EJIRO
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