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Sim Racing Product Guides » Building The Perfect Mid-Range Sim Racing Setup | Full Build, Spec & Price
Check out our complete sim racing setup build featuring MOZA Racing, GT Omega, LG and 3DRap. Includes a complete parts list and cost break down along with a build guide.
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. We earn a commission from any sale after clicking an affiliate link. Find out more.
Choosing and then building your dream sim racing setup involves many decisions. What brand do you choose, and which brands are compatible with one another are just two questions that you may ask. While sim racing is an extremely enjoyable hobby, and sometimes career for many, making the jump into sim racing and understanding all of the hardware can be a minefield.
In this sim racing setup build guide, I’m going to simplify things and show you how to build the perfect sim racing setup from scratch, including sim rig, racing wheel, pedals and everything else you need to put together a full setup. I’ve included a complete parts list below, so its easy for you guys to see the entire cost and what I’ve used.
I’ve partnered with MOZA Racing for this build, and I’m going to be using their R5 bundle, which is a one-stop product to get you started in sim racing. I’m pairing this with a mid to high-end GT Omega sim rig, an LG widescreen monitor that isn’t too expensive, and a few accessories from 3DRap to enhance the performance of our setup just that little bit further.
Below is a complete video showcasing this mid-range sim racing setup build, featuring hardware from MOZA Racing, 3DRap, GT Omega and LG.
So, let’s start by looking at exactly what I’ll be using in this build and break down the anatomy of a sim racing setup. At the heart of any sim racing setup are your racing wheel and pedals. These are the two essentials you need to start racing in any capacity.
I have chosen the MOZA R5 bundle as my hardware of choice as it includes everything you need to start sim racing without having to buy multiple products, at a pretty decent price. Now, this bundle is pretty good, but I have made some adjustments to make things just a little bit better.
I’ve swapped out the steering wheel that is included with the MOZA KS wheel. If you’ve visited this channel before, you’ll know that F1 racing is my preference, and this KS wheel is a budget to mid-range formula or GT wheel, and it is far superior to the steering wheel that is included in the bundle.
I’ve also been in contact with the guys at 3DRap who have sent over a few handy mods that really elevate our sim rig build. First up is a small mod that vastly improves how the brake pedal feels. This is a performance mod which includes a few elastomers to adjust how the pedal feels.
MOZA do have their own SR-P Lite performance mod available, however, as I’ve had this 3DRap mod sent over, I thought I’d give it a go.
The second mod I have from 3DRap is slightly more significant, and it’s their Feeling Pro mod. This includes a few rumble motors that simply bolt onto the rear of the pedals and add vibration and haptics to your pedals.
The MOZA R5 does come with a table clamp included, and you could bolt the racing wheel to your desk and call it a day. But I’m going for immersion with this build, so I’ve got the GT Omega PRIME cockpit with a few F1-style upgrades, and this will be the base of this build.
You can get a 5% discount off the GT Omega PRIME cockpit using the code SIMRACINGSETUP.
Finally, I’m rounding things out with an ultrawide LG monitor which is a perfect monitor for sim racing, which will bolt directly onto our sim rig using the GT Omega monitor mount.
Below is a complete list of all sim racing products and hardware used in this ultimate sim rig build.
Role | Product | Price |
---|---|---|
Racing Wheel & Pedals | MOZA R5 Bundle | £539.00 |
Optional Steering Wheel | MOZA KS Wheel | £249.00 |
Sim Rig | GT Omega PRIME | £579.99 |
GT Omega Bucket Seat | £259.99 | |
Sim Rig Addons | GT Omega F1 Upgrade | £129.95 |
GT Omega Seat Upgrade | £84.95 | |
GT Omega Monitor Mount | £169.50 | |
Mods | 3DRap Brake Mod | £34.90 |
3DRap Feeling PRO | £169.00 | |
Monitor | LG UltraGear 34GN73A-B | £399.99 |
Total Build Price | £2,607.28 |
The first job is to unbox the GT Omega sim rig, and create the platform that the rest of our sim racing setup attaches to. Everything is packaged pretty darn nicely although it all comes as indiviudal lengths of aluminium profile, meaning you definitely will need to consult the instructions to build it.
There are plenty of simpler and easier to build cockpits available from GT Omega and other brands, but I’m jumping into the deep end with this 8020 sim rig.
Once built, thanks to the seat upgrade, we have a range of adjustments available for the seat position and angle and a big range of movement on the pedal angle. From a build perspective, this sim rig is extremely solid and will definitely be able to withstand the punishment from our MOZA wheel base.
Talking of the wheel base, its time to start mounting our gear to this sim rig, and this is where everything starts to come together as a cohesive package. First things first, unboxing all of our MOZA hardware.
The R5 bundle includes the wheel base which is capable of producing 5.5Nm of peak torque from its direct drive configuration. This essentially means that the internal motor is directly linked to our steering shaft, allowing for much more detailed force feedback than a more budget gear or belt driven wheel.
The bundle includes the ES steering wheel, however I’m going to be swapping this out for the KS wheel. Both of these wheels come with a quick release adapter pre-installed, so you can easily swap between them at any point.
Then we have the SR-P Lite pedals, MOZA’s entry-level pedal set. However, with our 3DRap mods, we will significantly improve their performance later on. There is also a table clamp, but that won’t be needed for this build.
So, let’s start installing. Thanks to our rig’s universal wheel deck, the MOZA R5 wheelbase simply mounts using four bolts from underneath. Once mounted, our steering wheel simply clicks on thanks to the MOZA quick release.
At the rear, the SR-P Lite pedals can be adjusted in various ways, including by spacing each pedal and adjustingthe height of the pedal plate. These mount to our sim rig by simply securing them to our sim rig with a few bolts.
With everything installed, the sim rig is coming together nicely. It still looks a little naked up top where our monitor will go, so lets bolt that on.
For the monitor, I’ve chosen the LG UltraGear 34GN73A-B. This offers 144Hz across a 34 inch curved IPS display, with integrated Freesync and G-Sync, making it a pretty perfect gaming monitor for sim racing. If you want to go bigger, you could opt for a super ultrawide like my 49 inch X= monitor, but that can wait for another guide.
Now that the monitor has been installed and some adjustments made to the positioning of the wheel and pedals, our sim rig looks pretty complete. However we aren’t quite done yet.
These boxes contain my 3DRap mods of choice for this build. The brake mod is the first mod and is pretty affordable, making it an excellent addition to this rig build. As I mentioned earlier, MOZA does have its own performance kit which is very similar, so you could keep this build entirely MOZA if you fancied.
This mod essentially adjusts how the SR-P Lite pedal feels when we press on it. Installation is pretty simple as you can bolt this mod directly to the pedal without too much deconstruction. You do need to remove the bolt at the rear of the pedal along with the bump stop to replace them with the 3DRap mod.
Then it’s a case of reassembling the pedal. But we aren’t stopping with the brake mod. I also have the Feeling PRO kit, which adds rumble motors to the pedals. The installation for these is even easier, as we just have to remove the pedal plate, insert the rumble motor and reinstall the plate.
You do need to run a wire from the motor to a control box, which then connects to SimHub on your PC for everything to work. However, once installed, these mods will transform how our pedals feel.
With everything installed, it’s time to hit the track and see how this setup performs. From a performance perspective, this sim rig is pretty darn good. The frame is configured perfectly to accommodate all of our MOZA hardware, and thanks to the aluminium profile, there are endless attachment points throughout to mount shifters, handbrakes, and other accessories.
During gameplay, there is barely any flex or movement, and that means all of the force feedback from the wheel is going straight into your hands and not lost through vibrations in the sim rig.
Thanks to the MOZA R5, that force feedback is fantastic. Being direct drive, this wheel can send even the finest road details and information to your steering wheel, letting youfeel small changes in the track surface and how your car is interacting with it.
At 5.5Nm of peak torque, this isn’t the craziest wheel base you can buy. However, it offers an incredible punch at its price point. As a bundle, the R5 offers incredible value and the perfect platform to build from.
If you fancy more punch, MOZA has a range of more powerful wheel bases including the R9, R12, R16 and R21. Those all have more performance than the R5, however, this R5 wheel base is really where you start to feel great detail and resistance from the force feedback.
There is nothing wrong with the ES wheel that is included with the R5, however, thanks to the in-built quick release, we can use any MOZA wheel we fancy. I’ve opted for the KS wheel which is the perfect blend of performance and budget. You can go to town with some pretty incredible premium wheels such as the Vision GS or even the crazy Lamborghini wheel, but you really don’t need to spend upwards of £1000 to get enjoyment, as this KS wheel showcases.
Down below, the SR-P Lite pedals are performing incredibly well. When I first raced on these pedals without any mods, the brake pedal in particular felt way too soft, and that is because there is no real resistance. With either these 3DRap mods or the MOZA performance mod, everything comes together much better.
The brake suddenly feels stiff like a real-world brake pedal should, and that resistance gives you a great deal of control over how much brake input you can apply. Trail braking and applying consistent braking inputs lap after lap feel fluid with this configuration.
Now, I want to talk about value and money for a little bit. This entire sim racing setup costs around £2,600, which initially seems eye-wateringly expensive. However, there is a big but. The MOZA R5, which includes the wheel, rim, and pedals, only costs £539, which is around a fifth of this entire build budget.
Over £1,200 of the entire build was for the sim rig, and this is the part where you have huge flexibility in what you choose. GT Omega and other sim racing brands have sim rigs starting from as low as £130, or thanks to the included table clamp, you could initially start by attaching your R5 base directly to your desk.
If budget is important to you, which it should be, you definitely don’t need to drop over £2,500 on getting everything at once. A bit of a PSA here, when you start sim racing, it can be incredibly dangerous for your wallet, as over time you will want to add more and more to your setup, whether that is a new accessory, new wheel rim or an upgrade here and there.
It’s so easy to slip into a rabbit hole, but the important thing is this doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. Pick up an affordable racing wheel bundle and see if you enjoy it. If you do, maybe consider a wheel stand or sim rig to progress to, and go from there.
This build guide is designed to show what can be achieved as a complete build and will hopefully provide some inspiration for those thinking of jumping in. I have a complete parts list above showcasing everything used in this sim racing setup.
Some of those will be affiliate links, which may earn us a commission if you use them and won’t affect the price you pay. You don’t have to use them, but if you do I want to say a big thank you, and they will help us create more content like this rig build.
You can use the links below to shop for your favourite sim racing products, or for any products that we may have recommended. These links are affiliate links, and will earn us a small commission, with no additional cost for you.
Building a sim rig can be done by either buying a complete rig such as the GT Omega sim rig I’ve used in this guide. Or you can build your own DIY sim rig. Essentially, a sim rig is a place to mount your racing wheel, pedals and seat, and you can build a frame to achieve this out of wood or metal.
If you want to try sim racing for the first time, you can buy a racing wheel bundle like the R5 which can be mounted to a desk. This means you don’t need a sim rig to start sim racing. Over time, you may want to use a sim rig as it is much sturdier than a desk and allows for much more adjustability and customisation.
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 RichFind the latest sim racing car setups to always have the advantage on track, with the best ACC car setups, iRacing setups and F1 24 setups.
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