Hardware & Technical Simpits, setups, rigs & mancaves

[Enride]

Just wanted to check what plans people have for their setup and Elite.

I guess its a bit early to say how far I would go with a simrig as its unsure how much support the game will have, but since im planning a simpit for use with various games and sims, i have a general idea.

I do not plan on getting An oculus rift or similar since im more into triple screen and a simpit with panels and switches.
So triple monitors is highest on the list.

Controllers will be my current logitech g940, im actually happy with it as long as one gets the settings right.
But that means ED must support force feedback.
If im forced to replace it, itll be either the Rhino or the x65.

I have a bunch of simpit panels under making using inputboards from Leo Bodnar. These are designed mainly with Falcon 4.0 in mind but might be changed and adapted to work better with the wave of spacesims im planning on playing aswell.


And then the big issue.
Ive been looking at the Obutto R3volution gaming rig and i would love something like that. There is also a much cheaper alternative from a company called Volair that is more justifyable in terms of price.

The fact of the matter is that the money that would go into such a rig is still not a whole lot more then a good office chair and a decent adjustable table would cost. And ive read many reviews of people claiming that they can find a much more ergonomical position in these rigs then with a chair/table setup.


But since i will also have to update my computer, the total cost is getting kind of high. The rig itself will be the last decision.


So whats your current rigs/plans?

 

[TheGoatee]

Im after a gaming chair that will support my X52 pro's.

That in itself is not the issue but we are hopefully moving to our new house shortly and I have no dedicated man-cave. So I need something that isnt considered an eyesore by my wife and can live in our multipurpose dining room / gaming room.

I might have to fabricate some arms for the 52's to sit on and attach them to some sort of occasional chair.

 

[Durell]

oH hell yeah

I have been building a sim pit for the last year and a bit. By turning a 5.5m x 4.5m loft into a cinema room of sorts.

I started with a Pioneer LX76 receiver which connects to mounted and chased 9.2 speaker set up.

Made a wall mounted ceiling mount for a JVC X35 1080p projector at one end of the room.

Hung a 130" curved screen a couple of feet off the other wall, so as having room for the front 3 speakers to be behind.

Got the xbone and tv tuner with many a full hd movie on a drive. Got Forza5 as you could imagine, steering wheel still to come.. sigh.

Bought a considerably powerful computer with a new graphics card coming next week.

And the rig its self is a Cyberkart made in Australia. it sits close to the ground and as my screen does to its a good thing. Also is of an excellent design that uses a clever way for getting in & out.

I had some aluminum brackets made and powder coated that work like a shifter mount of sorts, except they are on both sides and wrap around slightly so the X-55 HOTAS controllers are not to wide apart.

All of which has only just been completed, and purchased the premium beta not more than two nights ago.

So.. all has been done for playing sims, and especially Elite. Oh hell yeah, space sims are back!

 

[Aleksej]

Keep in mind that x65 has unmovable stick. It seems to me that it will be hard to find it and also it was removed from Saitek web-site. Probably it was replaced by X55, which is quite nice HOTAS.

I am using Obutto R3volution for 2.5 weeks and totally like it. It is very convenient and I am not getting tired at all. I am using a single Full HD monitor for now, waiting for Asus PG278Q to be released for 2560x1440.

Also using TrackIR which is very useful in the game as it allows focusing on UI interface panels removing necessity to use key bindings to switch view to them (there are threads in the forums with complains that UI panels require too many key bindings for interactions).

 

[Rog]

Would like something like THIS, but space might be an issue.

Not to mention cost!

 

[Mazhurg]

Volair flight sim kit, X52 Hotas, CH pedals, Track IR5, Eyefinity displays (3*24"), Rift - when available, Logiteck G35 for sound (using VA) - and 5.1 sounds when not.

(also Saitek flight yoke - for other sims / Logitech G13, logitech gaming mouse - other games).

Self built system - I3550 / 24 GB RAM / SSD / HDD / Crossfired HD 7950's (may be upgraded to 290x later on).

Is all.

 

[Enride]

Volair flight sim kit, X52 Hotas, CH pedals, Track IR5, Eyefinity displays (3*24"), Rift - when available, Logiteck G35 for sound (using VA) - and 5.1 sounds when not.

(also Saitek flight yoke - for other sims / Logitech G13, logitech gaming mouse - other games).

Self built system - I3550 / 24 GB RAM / SSD / HDD / Crossfired HD 7950's (may be upgraded to 290x later on).

Is all.

This mean you already have the volair rig?

If so, how is it? No doubt its good value for the money since its a complete rig, but i can't help but think the monitor stand might be somewhat flimsy?

Its the one rig I would most likely buy BUT I'm afraid the shipping will kill me dead. I would probably save some money by getting the cheaper Obutto rig with all accessories since they have a EU store.

 

[Aleksej]

As for my current rig it is:
Custom build of course.

Core i7 2600k@4.6GHz
Asus Maximus iv Extreme
G.Skill 4x4GB@2133MHz cl9
GTX Titan SLI @1097MHz and @1150MHz
Samsung 840 EVO 1TB SSD for system and soft.
2 HDDs: 1TB Seagate, 320GB Toshiba (replaced by SSD in my laptop)
Creative X-Fi Titanium Fatality Champion
Be Quiet Dark Power PRO 9 850W PSU 80Plus gold, waiting for Enermax Platimax 1350W 80Plus platinum (I know its overkill, however it should be quieter and cooler at 50-60% load then 1000W PSU at 70-80% load).
Mountain Mods U2-UFO case.
Dual custom watercooling loop.
Edifier s730d 2.1 sound system.
Saitek X55 Rhino with Saitek Combat Rudder pedals.
Logitech g15 keyboard and Logitech g500s mouse.
TrackIR 5 Pro.
Dell Alienware AW2310 display to be changed to ASUS PG278Q.
Obutto R3volution with Flight Stick and Throttle Mount and Acrylic tabletops (have speakers on them). Using one monitor configuration as I do not have enough space for three monitors.

 

[Mazhurg]

This mean you already have the volair rig?

If so, how is it? No doubt its good value for the money since its a complete rig, but i can't help but think the monitor stand might be somewhat flimsy?

Its the one rig I would most likely buy BUT I'm afraid the shipping will kill me dead. I would probably save some money by getting the cheaper Obutto rig with all accessories since they have a EU store.

Honestly, while the rig is adequate, it could be better.

The monitor mount is solid, but the angle of the side monitors is fixed (it can support up to 3*32" monitors, or 1 60".

The items attached to the front frame (Monitor frame, front table, pedal platform) are sturdy and well designed.

The keyboard tray attachment (which rotate out of the way) is kind of less sturdy and shakes quite a bit when using the keyboard. It also tend to get in the way of the right hand control platform (I have the X52 there).

The middle seat control platform is fine, however unless the platform is adjusted up above the legs, or whatever joystick you want to use has a very tall hand-grip, it will be uncomfortable as the width of the plate will be in the way.

Left hand holder is fine.

Seat is kind of toyish, made of synthetic material, but sturdy. On the other hand, I find that it is somewhat low compared to regular chairs (and the fact that I used to have my seats in the highest settings when flying actual helos). It also tends to generate a fair amount of static electricity - especially when the air is dry (like here in winter) - so one should make sure to wear conductive footwear and cotton clothing to ensure that any build-up is minimal.

I will be looking at doing something later on to increase the height of the seat (probably putting the rig on some type of blocks to create a foot rest cavity) for better comfort.

Is it worth the price asked? Personally, after using it for about 6 months, I'd hesitate to say yes. Would I buy another one? not unless the seat is improved (height adjustable and different material) and the keyboard table mount were redesigned.

 

[Enride]

Honestly, while the rig is adequate, it could be better.

The monitor mount is solid, but the angle of the side monitors is fixed (it can support up to 3*32" monitors, or 1 60".

The items attached to the front frame (Monitor frame, front table, pedal platform) are sturdy and well designed.

The keyboard tray attachment (which rotate out of the way) is kind of less sturdy and shakes quite a bit when using the keyboard. It also tend to get in the way of the right hand control platform (I have the X52 there).

The middle seat control platform is fine, however unless the platform is adjusted up above the legs, or whatever joystick you want to use has a very tall hand-grip, it will be uncomfortable as the width of the plate will be in the way.

Left hand holder is fine.

Seat is kind of toyish, made of synthetic material, but sturdy. On the other hand, I find that it is somewhat low compared to regular chairs (and the fact that I used to have my seats in the highest settings when flying actual helos). It also tends to generate a fair amount of static electricity - especially when the air is dry (like here in winter) - so one should make sure to wear conductive footwear and cotton clothing to ensure that any build-up is minimal.

I will be looking at doing something later on to increase the height of the seat (probably putting the rig on some type of blocks to create a foot rest cavity) for better comfort.

Is it worth the price asked? Personally, after using it for about 6 months, I'd hesitate to say yes. Would I buy another one? not unless the seat is improved (height adjustable and different material) and the keyboard table mount were redesigned.

Thanks for the honest info.
Price is and Always will be an issue of course, and the fact that I can probably get the Obutto oZone with the accessories I require for half the price of the Revolution (or the volair considering the shipping) its been tempting me.
But its still a fair bit away and I guess ill just wait and see what is available when the time comes.

 

[Enride]

No need to resist the urge, just ordered the Obutto oZone with some accessories!

Wont ship until end of may! How about that timing!

 

[Cody]

... just ordered the Obutto oZone

Any excuse for a song.

 

[Enride]

Any excuse for a song.

^^

Space cowboy!

 

[Halada]

Mine consists of a naked Obutto R3volution which I slide under an IKEA Galant desk when I want to play some sims. I opted for this option because it allows to hard mount my Warthog (with 7.5cm extension) at the ideal position, and the use of pedals is also easier that way. MFG Crosswind pedals.

For displays, I use three 30" monitors, for a total resolution of 7680x1600. TrackIR 5 for head tracking, and a Buttkicker Gamer 2 attached to the R3volution for added immersion.

 

[Enride]

oO

That is just a super awesome setup, Halada! Puts my plans to shame =)
Im "only" going for triple 24inch!

About the buttkicker, is it Worth the Money?
Ive read alot of good things about them but never tried them myself.

 

[Halada]

I think it adds enough immersion to be worth the money, yes.

 

[ubermick]

Damn the lot of you. And here was me thinking that my new rig with a 24" 1920x1200 IPS monitor would do the job.

Now the DIY bug is starting to nibble at my ear. Few lengths of stud and some plywood, coupled with an old car seat could make a fairly nifty cockpit setup… If only I had somewhere to put it.

 

[Enride]

Damn the lot of you. And here was me thinking that my new rig with a 24" 1920x1200 IPS monitor would do the job.

Now the DIY bug is starting to nibble at my ear. Few lengths of stud and some plywood, coupled with an old car seat could make a fairly nifty cockpit setup… If only I had somewhere to put it.

During the past 5-8 years ive begun but never finished an ACESII seat, a "Simlight" cockpit, a playseat based racing rig, and at the moment i have some half completed switch/button panels.

My biggest flaw is that im eager to get started, but with the lack of proper Tools and no access to a real workshop, the result Always tend to be far below my expectations. And thus, most Projects end uncompleted.
Thats why I more and more tend to turn to these complete rigs and only making small DIY mods to them.


I also love how the obutto rigs function as a general workstation aswell, so I can Always justify using all that space for my toys by knowing I can do "work" there aswell =)

 

[ubermick]

Oh… hmm… have to say, thought these would be a lot more spendy. $365 isn't actually bad for one of these, considering it's got a nice car seat included (looking around, those things are bloody expensive, even used!) although do note you have to add almost everything else as an extra, so ends up being closer to $600. Still, doing it myself would likely be about $200, and $400 is worth paying to save my time (and provide me with a professional piece of kit, rather than a wooden box)

Quite tempted to slap this on the Amazon wish list and see if the wife bites come Christmas!

 

[Aleksej]

No need to resist the urge, just ordered the Obutto oZone with some accessories!

Wont ship until end of may! How about that timing!

It stated the same (Pre-order 30.05) when I have ordered Obutto R3volution the 26.03. The next day I have received an e-mail from UPS that they will deliver it in a week. Received it 04.04.