Building a 3 Screen setup from scratch (nearly)

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slybynight

slybynight

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Hi Guys

Heres what I currently have...

PS3 w GT5
Logitech g25... broken....Pretty sure its just the wheel. Have replaced slit wheel, but now the wheel only mounts upside down, doesn't seem to have full rotation and original, non calibration problem is still there. - Pretty sure the power transistors are OK - had it in bits twice and have basically given up. Unless anyone here can point out anything obvious. Have no reason to believe pedals and shifter are not OK.

I'm building a 3 screen setup in my loft - space/collapsability not an issue.

Can't steal family flatscreen or PS3 so I'm pretty much free to go in whatever direction I want. I'm pretty handy with a drill, so I'm not interested in commercial racing seats/wheel frame.

Have £250 budget for wheel (not strict). I was thinking of starting with the wheel. I really need full 3 pedal clutch/manual setup (wife justification is teaching the kids to drive)! Initially I thought g27, but I have seen something that says I can buy an adapter for a fanatec which would let me use my g25 pedals and shifter? - this would free up money for screens. Or should I just bite the bullet with t500 - but that really is a lot of money!

As for what sim/platform, I really am open to suggestions as I am starting from scratch, but I have traditionally enjoyed GT series. I'm guessing 3 low spec PS3s should be pretty cheap now. I Do PC's for a job, so the thought of building/bu66erring about with high end PC bits is possible but not really interesting to me. Or are they really THAT much better? - I guess I just want to get something V. cool up and running as quick and cheap as poss.

Screens? I'm hoping I can get 3 second hand flatscreens for not too much - obviously 3 identical would be good. Small bezel even better. any suggestions? New is not really an option.

Any pointers welcome

I have not ruled out a 5 screen setup BTW!
 
PC has WAY better sims and WAY more versatility.

For the price of forking out for 3 PS3s and 3 copies of the ONLY game that has 3 screen capability, you could get a relativley cheap PC that will run the countless 3 screen capable PC sims better than the PS3s.
 
Let's say it was a choice between 1) A new G27 or Fanatec GT3 wheel and a descent pc, or 2) A T500 and 3 x PS3, I think the better choice would still be the former. If you can stretch to the pc and T500, you've got the best of both worlds.

Edit: On screens, keep an eye out for companies offloading sets of monitors. Might be the best way to get 3 of the same in one hit.
 
Thanks guys. I think I'm going to get the wheel/cockpit build and screens in place and THEN work out what platform. SO should I just buy that t500 on amazon or is the a catch - seems a little cheap?? Are all t500's the same, or do I need to choose a PS3/PC one at this point?
 
John_Marsten
PC has WAY better sims and WAY more versatility.
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You could argue consoles don't have any sims at all. As good as the GT games have been over the years they are still some way off the big PC titles in terms of the physics. Console racing games/simcades or whatever you want to call them will always suffer in this area due to their obsessive attention to graphical detail. Plus they have to make them work well with a pad because that's what the majority of people play on.

All T500s are the same (well except for regional variations where you would get a different mains plug to suit you region's socket UK/EU/US/AU etc.). Some companies just choose to advertise them specifically for PC or PS3 but they work with both. That's a very good price! I would jump on it. How can it be too cheap?!? It's sold and supplied by Amazon so can't see there is anything to worry about.

IMO triple screens and a T500 would be wasted on anything but a PC.
 
Yeah, they're all the same. I don't see any reason not to go for it. Going from a G25, I reckon it'll knock your socks off.

Keep your eyes on Assetto Corsa and Project CARS for potential pc sim fodder.
 
That was a close thing - was just hoverring over the buy button, then noticed.... no shifter!!! - that'll explain the price then!..... shifter another £127!!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005L0Z2BQ/?tag=gtplanetuk-20

I'm still really tempted and I'll hold on the 3 screens for a while - this had better be worth it! - The G25 is a mates - it never worked for me - I'm coming from whatever the FF wheel was on the PS2
 
Ah, didn't realise that you didn't realise. Sorry.

The Logitech shifter will work standalone on pc if you get a Leo Bodnar usb adapter - 20 pounds.

Does Basher also do one of those, anyone?
 
Yeah, a shifter is not included with T500RS. You have to buy it separately. I also assumed you already knew that. You can maybe find shops which do bundles inc. a shifter but you would pay much more. The fact remains £305 is a very good price for a T500RS in the UK. I paid ~£340 for mine in December and that was the cheapest at the time. Also the paddles don't rotate with the wheel on a T500; they are fixed. Maybe you don't know that either?
 
Quickly realising I dont know Jack!! But thanks anyway guys - I now know its a good price, a good wheel and compatible with the routes I want to take! Thanks for taking the time to help me out.
 
slybynight
Quickly realising I dont know Jack!! But thanks anyway guys - I now know its a good price, a good wheel and compatible with the routes I want to take! Thanks for taking the time to help me out.
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No worries, that's why it's good to ask.

Link to the Leo Bodnar adapter: http://www.leobodnar.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=188

Mr Basher from around these parts does also do an adapter, but it does more (that you won't need), and costs more. Though his brake mod for the T500 might be worth looking in to. Cheap too. https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/my-t500rs-even-stiffer-brake-mod.269191/
 
FWIW, T500 regarding the paddles, there are mods and even 2 extra rims that have rotating paddles. My own experience, took me a couple of days to get used to the change from G27. As I said in PM, PC is the way to go!

Also, shifter wise I very rarely used it on my G27 and have not got the shifter for the 500 but I dont miss it.
 
Thank you so much for those links lemansaid. - I wasnt going to buy today but after i've hit "post reply" I'm ordering the t500
 
It is done! This unexpectedly high expenditure will now caused my little project to take a slightly different path!
1st job - build cockpit
2nd job was 3 screens - but now budget is seriously reduced - so I'm looking at 1 screen to tide me over - and probably a small 2nd hand PS3 to keep me pottering round (with MAHOOSIVE force feedback) on GT5 while funds replenish!
 
Good plan, having a rig, wheel and triple screens sitting around with nothing to race it on would drive me nuts.
 
Would look perfect bolted to this!

IMG_9322-2.JPG
 
Thanks ordle, .... Now where would I get one of those?! :-0
I really am gratefully for all the help you have given me, but weight, size, portability... All the things your design excels at, are not issues for me. Besides, I'm pretty handy with a drill and have loads of wood and have built sim rigs before. I'm really planning to go to town on this one! I'm thinking built-in beer fridge, toilet capable racing seat, turned mahogany four-poster with a gas Aga pizza oven type affair!
 
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slybynight
I'm thinking built-in beer fridge, toilet capable racing seat, turned mahogany four-poster with an gas Aga pizza oven type affair!
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You had me at beer fridge :D

You won't regret getting a T500. Really great wheel. 👍
 
I run PC sims and still play GT and Forza, they are fun and my triple screen rig doesn't know the difference.
 
Ooohh... It's arrived... Well packaged... Feels like it has a dead spot at 11:30, but I havent even connected it to mains yet, let alone console, so I'm sure that wil disappear once the leccy starts flowing. First I have to clear some space, then design and build rig. Which leaves me with a bit of time for screen(s). I misread the posts and thought I could use the g25 shifter with the ps3. Alas no, so it looks like I'm already set down the pc path..... Ho hum...

Edit/update.... Just tested the wheel on gt5 to make sure it was ok. Dead spot was indeed nothing to worry about, though it does creak/grind a little bit around the centre when powered.. Normal?.
Anyway, first impressions, very good. Very solid, very pretty and with the force feedback turned up, very powerful!!! But oh.... I really, really now realise how much I wanted a gear stick. Not blaming anyone here. All my own fault. DYOR and all that. I am consoling (geddit) myself by thinking I read somewhere that it wasn't very good on ps3 anyway. Clutch never worked properly or something. But now I'm wondering where the gear stick would plug in? Where are the settings for it in the gt5 setup menus? What is the point of a clutch pedal without one? Do I need to go the pc route in order to get a realistic clutch biting point and all that?

Oh .... The non rotating shift paddles are a bit weird at first, but I think I'll get used to then.

So more questions.. I really would like to get up and running with some platform. I reckon I can get a ps3 plus gt5 for under £100 and maybe 1 decent tv for about £100 so £200 to get me up and running. I'm guessing that this isn't going to get me very far down the pc path right? I have about 6 old 17" dell LCD monitors.. VGA. Any use to me at all?​
 
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slybynight
Ooohh... It's arrived... Well packaged... Feels like it has a dead spot at 11:30, but I havent even connected it to mains yet, let alone console, so I'm sure that wil disappear once the leccy starts flowing. First I have to clear some space, then design and build rig. Which leaves me with a bit of time for screen(s). I misread the posts and thought I could use the g25 shifter with the ps3. Alas no, so it looks like I'm already set down the pc path..... Ho hum...

Edit/update.... Just tested the wheel on gt5 to make sure it was ok. Dead spot was indeed nothing to worry about, though it does creak/grind a little bit around the centre when powered.. Normal?.
Anyway, first impressions, very good. Very solid, very pretty and with the force feedback turned up, very powerful!!! But oh.... I really, really now realise how much I wanted a gear stick. Not blaming anyone here. All my own fault. DYOR and all that. I am consoling (geddit) myself by thinking I read somewhere that it wasn't very good on ps3 anyway. Clutch never worked properly or something. But now I'm wondering where the gear stick would plug in? Where are the settings for it in the gt5 setup menus? What is the point of a clutch pedal without one? Do I need to go the pc route in order to get a realistic clutch biting point and all that?

Oh .... The non rotating shift paddles are a bit weird at first, but I think I'll get used to then.

So more questions.. Putting aside the screen issue for the time being, I really would like to get up and running with some platform. I reckon I can get a ps3 plus gt5 for under £100. I'm guessing that this isn't going to get me very far down the pc path right?​
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Hey bud,

Mine creaks a little around centre when powered too, I think this is normal mate so try not to worry.

I dont have the shifter but I think it may be USB, others will correct me if I am wrong. I cant help with PS settings as mine is long gone, I was using the G27 on the PS and moved to the 500 with PC. Apart from screens, the itch to get racing really is tempting but if you are going for PC why not save the £100 towards parts for a rig?

Using PC part picker for a basic system I came up with this for you:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£158.39 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LE ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£120.24 @ Dabs)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB DirectCU II Video Card (£239.99 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£49.93 @ CCL Computers)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) (£85.23 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £703.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-10 00:15 BST+0100)
 
OOOOOOooooooooffffffff

Bit pricey this hobby innit?
That is actually very helpful thank you. It's still going to have to go on the back burner though - but I'm glad I bought the t500. Was looking at the Oculus rift threads here... hmm what are your thoughts?
 
Oh yes this is by no means a cheap hobby. I dont even tell my mrs what I spend anymore, its just not worth it. Bit of advice, arrange deliveries when you know for sure the mrs will be out, saved me loads of headaches!

The rift, well I have never used one but I hear good things, its just a shame Facebook took over but this may turn out to be ok if they keep their noses out and let them get on with things.
 
OK, so now I've got a boxed t500 sat doing nothing and its (NOT) driving me mad !! I need to get something sorted ASAP. The family TV and PS3 are pretty much off limits. But I could prob "borrow" the PS3. - but the telly would defo be missed. So my biggest need is a screen. Bearing in mind the aim is to get another 2 screens eventually and I might eventually end up going the PC route, I am beginning to consider monitors instead of TV's. The rate at which PS3's are dropping, I should be able to get the computer/console bit sorted for less than £150 with PS3's - I hear what you are saying about the PC route ORDL, but I NEED to get up and running ASAP and I just dont have the funds for the PC route for some time. So, can I run the PS3's through monitors? can I run the PC (if funds arrive) through TV's?

3 X 24" monitors seem to be the favorite on here with regards to "Bang for buck". Any pitfalls to avoid? If I buy just one for now, will GT be playable on it or will it be too small??
 
slybynight
OK, so now I've got a boxed t500 sat doing nothing and its (NOT) driving me mad !! I need to get something sorted ASAP. The family TV and PS3 are pretty much off limits. But I could prob "borrow" the PS3. - but the telly would defo be missed. So my biggest need is a screen. Bearing in mind the aim is to get another 2 screens eventually and I might eventually end up going the PC route, I am beginning to consider monitors instead of TV's. The rate at which PS3's are dropping, I should be able to get the computer/console bit sorted for less than £150 with PS3's - I hear what you are saying about the PC route ORDL, but I NEED to get up and running ASAP and I just dont have the funds for the PC route for some time. So, can I run the PS3's through monitors? can I run the PC (if funds arrive) through TV's?

3 X 24" monitors seem to be the favorite on here with regards to "Bang for buck". Any pitfalls to avoid? If I buy just one for now, will GT be playable on it or will it be too small??
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If it will be awhile (year) before moving to pc I wouldn't worry about 3 screen. There are many more important and expensive pieces ($300+ GPU) to consider for the pc before even getting around to purchasing the screens. Get a good screen to play what your going to be using. I would try and get atleast a 32" TV that will play games well.
 
TheORDL
Oh yes this is by no means a cheap hobby. I dont even tell my mrs what I spend anymore, its just not worth it. Bit of advice, arrange deliveries when you know for sure the mrs will be out, saved me loads of headaches.
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Haha yeah my mrs thinks my GTX780 cost like $200 lol
 
slybynight
OK, so now I've got a boxed t500 sat doing nothing and its (NOT) driving me mad !! I need to get something sorted ASAP. The family TV and PS3 are pretty much off limits. But I could prob "borrow" the PS3. - but the telly would defo be missed. So my biggest need is a screen. Bearing in mind the aim is to get another 2 screens eventually and I might eventually end up going the PC route, I am beginning to consider monitors instead of TV's. The rate at which PS3's are dropping, I should be able to get the computer/console bit sorted for less than £150 with PS3's - I hear what you are saying about the PC route ORDL, but I NEED to get up and running ASAP and I just dont have the funds for the PC route for some time. So, can I run the PS3's through monitors? can I run the PC (if funds arrive) through TV's?

3 X 24" monitors seem to be the favorite on here with regards to "Bang for buck". Any pitfalls to avoid? If I buy just one for now, will GT be playable on it or will it be too small??
Click to expand...

PS3 to monitor, no problem. PC to tv, no problem also.

I'm set up with 3 x 42" plasma tvs, and very happy with that. To be honest it'd even be worth looking at later generation 720p 42/43 inch Pioneer plasmas second hand. Made very well, and in japan so they tend not to die in a hurry. Gen 7 was probably the sweet spot, and gets in to the Kuro era. You could buy one, then grow the collection 'til you get to three. Just so you know, Pioneer's 720p was far far superior to everyone else's, and your pc would love to only have to go to three x 720p. Only one tv in history does native 120Hz though, so if that's a thing, you'll need monitors. Response time still won't be as good though. Also, 120Hz is no use to a console.

Last gen that Panasonic did 42 inch was the 30 series, for what it's worth.

Or while you still can, just go nuts and buy three of the best bang for buck display ever, Panasonic 50 inch ST60. Soon they'll be gone forever.

Punknoodle
Haha yeah my mrs thinks my GTX780 cost like $200 lol
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Hmm.... I might have to offer her a whole two fifty for it then. She'll be so proud to tell you that she scammed some guy and made a profit.
 
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I've just built my own £1000 PC, coming from years of PlayStation gaming with various wheels it's a massive step up. I currently have a G27 with a Playseat but the thing I've leant about PC gaming is, yes it's a big outlay initially but the games and accessories tend to be cheaper.

I too will be getting triples but only going for 3 x £130 LG 23" IPS for now as I want to get a few other bits like a DSD shifter and SLI Pro wheel plate. I was going to get a couple of ps3's to hook up aswell but after just a few days of playing Assetto Corsa / Race Room / iRacing playing games like GT feel very... Hmm. Dare I say it, bland and empty.

I was a die hard Console (and Apple Mac) fan but investing in this PC has been a great experience and thoroughly enjoyable.
 

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