In this sim racing buyer's guide, I'll compare a wide variety of 8020 sim rigs that I have used over the past decade, and share my recommendations for the very best 8020 sim rigs you can buy.
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In 2024, there is a great selection of 8020 sim rigs that come in different forms. The GT Omega Prime Lite, Sim-Lab GT1 Pro and Trak Racer TR80 ae all fantastic budget-friendly 8020 rigs under £/$500. More premium cockpits such as the Sim-La P1X Pro and Next Level Racing F-GT Elite are among the sturdiest sim rigs you can buy.
I’ve spent the past decade sim racing using a wide variety of cockpits and sim rigs. Among my favourites are 8020 sim rigs, and both of my current sim rigs are aluminium profile rigs. This style of sim rig allows for maximum customisation and adjustability with class-leading rigidity and performance.
In this buyer’s guide, I’ll share my recommendations on the very best 8020 aluminium profile sim rigs you can buy in 2025. I’ll look at various cockpit options, from cheaper sim rigs to more premium 8020 rigs.
An aluminium profile rig is often known as an 8020 sim rig. This traditionally refers to the size of the aluminium profile used. Despite the name 8020, most sim rigs actually use a wide variety of aluminium profile sizes, including 40x40mm, 40x80mm, 40x120mm, and even 40x160mm.
40x80mm is one of the most common sizes of aluminium profile used in sim rigs. The sturdiest 8020 sim rigs, such as the mighty Sim-Lab P1X Pro uses both 40×120 and 40x160mm aluminium profile to ensure maximum rigidity. 8020 sim rigs almost always come packaged as simple lengths of aluminium, making the construction of your shiny new sim rig a bit of a DIY project.
8020 sim rigs are among the most sturdy types of sim racing cockpit available. One of their key strengths is that they are excellent at eliminating any flexing while racing with high performance racing wheels.
Sim racing with powerful direct drive wheel bases can often make sim rigs vibrate and flex because of the high torque produced from the wheel’s motor. When your sim rig flexes, it introduces movement that can interfere with the force feedback that the wheel base is producing. This can lead to the force feedback being slightly watered down. It’s also not good for your sim rig, as constant flexing can cause structural weakness over time.
8020 sim rigs are incredibly popular with a large number of sim racers, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t without their drawbacks. As with all products, there are a variety of pros and cons to weigh up before purchasing an 8020 sim rig.
Having used many 8020 sim rigs over the past decade of sim racing, here are my top recommendations. Each of these aluminium profile rigs is extremely well built, has great product support and performs extremely well during use.
I have written about each one of these aluminium profile rigs in more detail below. So if you fancy learning more about these sim rigs as well as seeing a few other recommendations keep reading below.
Best Budget 8020 Sim Lab GT1 Pro | Best All Round Sim Lab P1X Pro | Best Premium NLR F-GT Elite |
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While the three 8020 cockpits above are my top picks for each price range, budget, mid-range and premium, there are other aluminium profile sim rigs that I would recommend.
Below are the best 8020 sim rigs that I’ll also feature in this buyer’s guide
| Sim-Rig | Pros | |
|---|---|---|
 | Sim-Lab P1X Pro | One of the heaviest and sturdiest 8020 sim rigs you can buy with incredible performance. |
 | Sim-Lab GT1 Pro | A fantastic mid-range 8020 sim rig with performance that can challenge premium cockpits. |
 | GT Omega PRIME | Highly customisable and adjustable 8020 rig with a variety of configuration options. |
 | NLR F-GT Elite | Premium cockpit that comes with a lot of adjustability and extras that are often premium addons with other brands. |
 | Trak Racer TR80 | One of the better mid-range sim rigs, competing with the GT1 Pro for the title of best budget aluminium profile cockpit. |
 | Trak Racer TR160 | Trak Racer’s premium 8020 rig with a very industrial design. |
Sim Rig – Sim-Lab P1X Pro
Price – From €785/$849
Where to buy –
Buy from Sim-Lab
I’m going to start my recommendations with my favourite 8020 sim rig of all time. I have been using the incredible Sim-Lab P1X Pro since it was launched in 2023, and it is undoubtedly the best cockpit I have tested or reviewed.
The performance that the P1X Pro offers is beyond most other cockpits. There is almost zero flex or vibrations present, even when using direct drive racing wheels turned up past 20Nm of peak torque.
This is one of the most popular sim racing cockpits and is used by many sim racers. The P1X Pro’s design features a large 40x160mm aluminium profile to ensure zero flex during use, which contributes to its rigidity.
This P1X Pro may be a fairly new cockpit, but it is a redesigned version of the much-loved P1-X. It introduces several design upgrades to reduce flex even more than the original sim rig.
To further back up the credibility of this 8020 sim rig, Sim-Lab has partnered with a range of professional racing drivers, including Sergio Perez and the Mercedes AMG F1 team. Those accreditations alone should be enough for most sim racers, and the P1X Pro is Sim-Lab’s most professional-focused sim rig.
Some 8020 sim rigs use standard off-the-shelf aluminium profile, but not Sim Labs. Every piece of aluminium profile used in the P1X Pro is laser-cut for precision. This precision ensures there is no movement between parts once constructed.
The P1X Pro offers a lot of adaptability. You can attach a wide range of accessories, including shifter mounts, keyboard trays, and monitors, including the option of a triple-screen mount. The P1X Pro is even motion-ready, allowing you to add a motion platform if you ever fancy it!
Overall, this is without a doubt one of the best 8020 sim rigs you can buy and is the go-to professional sim rig.
| Compatibility | Pre-drilled to support all popular racing wheels and pedals. |
| Weight | 60 kg |
| Dimensions | 1350 mm x 580 mm (widest point 680mm) x 770 mm (L x W x H) |
| Wheel mounts | Front mount, Wheeldeck or Fanatec DD mount |
Sim Rig – Sim-Lab GT1 Pro
Price – From €589/$699
Where to buy –
Buy from Sim-Lab
Before progressing up to a Sim-Lab P1X Pro, I was using the GT1 Pro, its smaller brother. This is one of my most recommended budget to mid-range 8020 sim rigs.
Much like the P1X Pro, this cockpit is a redesigned version of the older GT1 Evo. This version of the GT1 Pro brings the stability of more premium 8020 sim rigs on a budget making it one of the very best budget 8020 sim rigs.
The Sim Lab GT1 Pro opts to use 40x40mm and 40x80mm aluminium profile instead of larger 40x160mm that the P1X Pro uses. This does keep the price of this budget 8020 sim rig down, but it also introduces the potential for flexing. Read our detailed comparison of the Sim-Lab P1X Pro and GT1 Pro, to see if its worth upgrading.
Despite the smaller aluminium profile, the GT1 Pro doesn’t exhibit any of the flex that is often found in cheaper sim rigs. It is an incredibly impressive 8020 sim rig which is capable of handling very strong forces.
It comes with a wheel plate that can mount almost any wheel base to from the bottom. The wheel plate is pre-drilled to accommodate wheel bases from brands such as MOZA, Thrustmaster and Fanatec so mounting shouldn’t be an issue.
The wheel plate is also extremely strong, so you shouldn’t encounter much movement, if any. It can also be adjusted to change the angle of your racing wheel. You’ll see in the images above that I used a different wheel mount with my GT1 Pro to support my Asetek Forte wheel from the front.
The GT1 Pro features a very similar way of mounting racing seats to your rig, making it widely compatible with most sim racing seats.
As a whole, the GT1 Pro is one of the best budget 8020 sim racing rigs you can buy in 2025. It is a sim rig that I would recommend over and over to those who are looking to buy their first 8020 sim rig.
| Compatibility | Pre-drilled to support all popular racing wheels and pedals. |
| Weight | 25 kg |
| Dimensions | 1350 mm x 580 mm (widest point 680mm) x 770 mm (L x W x H) |
| Wheel mounts | Wheel deck mount (Front mounting brackets included in the pack) |
My current second sim rig is the GT Omega PRIME, which I primarily use it to test and review new sim racing wheels and other products. I have been using it for around six months, during which time, I’ve tested it with multiple direct drive racing wheels and load cell pedals.
The GT Omega PRIME cockpit is the Scottish brands newest sim rig, and it’s their first 8020 sim rig. It features a combination of 40×120 and 40x160mm aluminium profiles to create one of the sturdiest 8020 sim rigs on the market today.
You will see from the images below that I currently have the slanted F1 upgrade on my GT Omega PRIME giving my cockpit a sleeker appearance. I also use other F1 upgrades including the adjustable seat platform and F1 pedal upgrade.
The PRIME is GT Omega’s attempt at competing with the heavy hitters within aluminium profile sim rigs. It sits towards the top of the 8020 sim rig tree by using aluminium profile that is among the largest on the market. The only two sim rigs in this guide that use 40x160mm aluminium profile are the PRIME and the Sim-Lab P1-X.
Modular design is at the heart of GT Omega’s PRIME cockpit. This sim rig has been designed to be adaptable and is ready for the future. You can add elements to this sim rig as your sim racing requirements grow over time. You’ll see that I have a range of upgrades installed to my PRIME cockpit.
The large aluminium profiles that have been used in the PRIME cockpit ensure that there is zero flex when sim racing. This is true even for the most powerful direct drive racing wheels.
You can purchase the PRIME cockpit with a racing seat directly from GT Omega however, they only offer reclining seats. With a sim rig this sturdy, you may want to be using some strong load cell or hydraulic pedals, meaning you should look at sturdier bucket racing seats. We have created a guide for the best budget sim racing seats which you can read for our recommendations.
| Compatibility | Pre-drilled to support all popular racing wheels and pedals. |
| Weight | 45 kg |
| Dimensions | 58cm x 79cm x 137cm |
| Wheel mounts | Vertical, Horizontal and angle adjustment. |
Next Level Racing is a very well-known name within sim racing, producing some of the finest mid-range sim racing equipment around. With the F-GT Elite, they have stepped up into the world of aluminium profile sim rigs for the first time, and it is an incredibly impressive sim rig.
The first thing you’ll notice is how racy it looks. Unlike many traditional 8020 sim rigs, the F-GT Elite features a swept-back look. This both looks good and serves the purpose of bringing your racing wheel closer to your body while keeping the vertical supports further away. This allows you to get in and out of this sim rig easier.
Customisation is a key selling point of the Next Level Raving F-GT Elite. You can adjust every part of this sim rig to find the perfect racing position. This starts at the pedal mount, which can be mounted directly to the vertical supports for a flat approach. Or it can be mounted lower down to angle the pedals.
The F-GT comes with a few options when it comes to wheel base mounting. You can opt for front mounting or side mounting. These options can accommodate the most popular direct drive wheel bases such as the Fanatec DD1 and DD2 as well as wheel bases from SimuCube.
If you purchase the F-GT with the ES1 sim racing seat you will have endless combinations when it comes to your seating position. The ES1 seat is a fixed bucket seat, but using the side mounts, you can recline the seat right back to achieve a Formula 1 style seating position.
If you are more of a GT sim racer, you can prop the seat back up using the side mounts to achieve a more traditional seating position. Read our best budget sim racing seat guide for more information on why the ES1 seat is one of the best sim racing seats you can buy in 2025.
| Compatibility | Compatible with all major brands of electronics for major brands of wheels, pedals and shifters |
| Weight | 53 kg |
| Dimensions | (L) 120 cm x (W) 70 cm or (H) 84cm |
| Wheel mounts | Wheel plate or front and side mounts. |
The Trak Racer TR80 Mk5 is an extremely capable aluminium profile sim rig that won’t break the bank to buy. Its construction features a strong 40x80mm aluminium profile and is compatible with all Trak Racer seats, some of which are excellent!
The Trak Racer TR80 looks fantastic with its red accents but isn’t all style over substance. The rigid 40x80mm aluminium profile connects to create an incredibly capable sim rig.
There is a wide range of wheel mount options—5 in total! These allow you to mount your sim racing wheel base in various ways. As standard, it comes with a pre-drilled wheel mounting plate that can accommodate all popular racing wheels.
But you can upgrade to a sturdier wheel deck for better rigidity with direct drive wheel bases, or one of the other mounting options. There is front mounting for wheel bases such as the SimuCube, and even an option to mount Fanatec wheels directly.
The pedal plate has some of the best mounting patterns, allowing it to accept almost any sim racing pedal on the market. It can also be adjusted to fit a Formula 1 or GT racing position.
The TR80 comes standard with an adjustable sliding racing seat mount. This allows you to quickly and easily find your ideal driving position.
The TR80 is one of the most adaptable sim rigs available in 2025, and is a solid buy for anyone looking to buy an 8020 sim rig.
| Compatibility | Compatible with all major brands of electronics for major brands of wheels, pedals and shifters |
| Weight | 56 kg |
| Dimensions | 128cm x 66cm x 80.4cm |
| Wheel mounts | Wheel deck, Fanatec mount or front mount |
If you are looking at the Trak Racer TR80 and thinking it isn’t quite sturdy enough, then moving up the Trak Racer lineup to the TR160 will fix these issues. The TR160 is the company’s sturdiest and largest 8020 sim rig and offers incredible performance at a good price point.
This cockpit is priced at around the same price as the Sim-Lab P1X Pro and just under the Next Level Racing F-GT Elite, putting it firmly into the premium cockpit category. The build quality doesn’t disappoint with mighty 160x40mm strips of aluminium profile used through the main portions of this sim rig.
The vertical uprights use 120x40mm strips of profile in a more traditional 90-degree upright position. This is in contrast to other cockpit manufacturers who are increasingly opting for slanted vertical uprights.
| Compatibility | Pre-drilled to be compatible with all major brands of electronics for major brands of wheels, pedals and shifters |
| Weight | 61.5 kg |
| Dimensions | 144cm x 66cm x 80.4cm |
| Wheel mounts | Wheel deck, TR One wheel deck, Fanatec mount or front mount |
Buying any of the 8020 sim rigs that I’ve recommended in this guide means you can’t really go wrong. Each aluminium profile cockpit above offers great performance and compatibility with other sim racing hardware.
I have recommended 8020 cockpits a different prices, to give you an option regardless of your budget, and to show that not all 8020 sim rigs need to be incredibly expensive.
Over the past few years, I have had each of the sim rigs above in our studio for testing or review at one point. While using each sim rig, I look for multiple areas where the sim rig can perform well.
An 8020 sim rig is all about rigidity, which is the first part I test. Then the rig needs to be compatible with a wide range of wheels and pedals and have mounting spots for other peripherals. Finally, the look and quality of the cockpit is another important factor, as is comfort.
While testing and reviewing cockpits, I use a variety of racing wheels, predominantly higher-powered direct drive wheels. I am currently using a Fanatec ClubSport DD+ as my main wheel base, and I also have an Asetek Forte wheel set up on my second sim rig. Both of these wheels are powerful enough to really put an 8020 sim rig through a good rigidity and flex test.
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8020 is the name that is commonly given to sim rigs that are constructed from aluminium profile. It is a reference to the profile that is used which was often 80x20mm.
Despite being called 8020, sim rigs often use different sized aluminium profile to increase stability. Sizes such as 40x80mm and 40x120mm are common among sim rigs. However, 8020 has been the go-to name for any sim rig that is constructed from aluminium profile.
Aluminium profile rigs generally come packaged as a box of individual aluminium parts, and it is up to you to construct your sim rig. Building an aluminium profile rig does normally take longer than a sim rig which comes with pre-installed parts.
However, building an aluminium profile rig doesn’t necessarily need to be hard. Most come with very clear instructions, and the construction methods used are relatively simple.
The great thing about aluminium rigs is that you can mount certain parts in a wide range of configurations. This makes 8020 sim rigs very adaptable to a variety of seating positions and mounting positions.
If you are not a big fan of DIY, you may want to stay away from 8020 sim rigs, or ask nicely for a friend to help you build it!
GT Omega, Sim-Lab and Trak Racer all sell 8020 sim rigs under £/$500. I would recommend the Trak Racer TR80 Mk5 as the best aluminium profile cockpit under £/$500 as the Sim-Lab GT1 Pro costs just over this budget.
Rich is the founder, F1 car setup creator and content writer for SimRacingSetups. With over a decade of experience as a graphic designer, marketing director, competitive sim racer and avid motorsport fan, Rich founded SimRacingSetup.com to share his passion and knowledge of sim racing and Formula 1 with other sim racers. Regularly writes for sim racing website SimRaceReviews.com
View all articles written by Rich
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