Upgrade Fanatec GT3 RS V2 to BMW CSW ?

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I've enjoyed my Fanatec GT3 RS V2 for quite some time now along with the CS pedals. Now that the CSW is available I'm wondering if I should upgrade to the CS base with BMW wheel. GT5 is the only racing game I currently play. Looking for thoughts/ideas/suggestions. If the difference with GT5 is significant, then I'll probably go for it. On the otherhand, if the difference is marginal, then I'll probably just keep using the GT3 RS.

Thanks 👍
 
HoneyBadger
I've enjoyed my Fanatec GT3 RS V2 for quite some time now along with the CS pedals. Now that the CSW is available I'm wondering if I should upgrade to the CS base with BMW wheel. GT5 is the only racing game I currently play. Looking for thoughts/ideas/suggestions. If the difference with GT5 is significant, then I'll probably go for it. On the otherhand, if the difference is marginal, then I'll probably just keep using the GT3 RS.

Thanks 👍
Click to expand...

Read my review in my signature.
 
I second that suggestion :-) His review is well thought out and insightful.

While I can't comment on the difference between what you have (GT3) and the CSW, I can say that I love my CSW with BMW rim. The difference from the G25 and it was worth it to me.
This is a big investment and they're never easy. Good luck!
 
I spent some time on a CSW with BMW rim because the owner to-be asked me to test it before I sent it off to him. My usual wheel is a GT3 RS V.2 or CSR, I have also used a CSR E for a few hours.

Yes the CSW/BMW combination much higher performance than my GT3 RS V.2. Whether or not it is "worth it" to upgrade to mainly use with GT5 only you can decide.

The price is $700 for just the CSW base and the Rim, that is the price of 4 GT3 RS V.2s - $20.00 (Shipping costs for CSW/BMW R will even that out).

Community Testers only had to pony up half of what you will, so in paskowitz's case the CSW BASE/BMW Rim combo cost him a little less than 2 new GT3 RS V.2s.

Personally I thought the CSW's FFB felt very similar to the CSR E, the CSW's rim is much better quality than the CSR E's. If you only intend to use it with GT5 then the CSW's electronics/data features will not really be of use.

So to sum it up: $700 + shipping gets you the whole enchilada, 2nd string CSR E delivers the same basic feel but without the CSW's rim for $540 + shipping. It would be great if CSR E was available with the same quality rim of CSW/BMW Rim, but its not.

Like FMW said its a lot of cash to fork over. Having personally sampled the goodies, and used a GT3 RS V.2 for over a year I am not sure if the CSW wheel would make me that much faster in GT5. I think my CSP's have contributed more to increasing my speed and skill like using no ABS, and I believe you stated you already have those.

...it just depends how much its worth to you...
...and yes the stuff is very nice, the rim feels like a real car...
...awesome immersion effect.
 
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It really all depends on your financial position. If you have the money, there is but one choice, the CSW.

You may also want to consider it an investment for GT6.
 
I agree. It all depends on your financial situation. Ferris said it best. "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up"

I think we all struggle with "Buyers Remorse". It's a feeling that really sucks and the more expensive an item is the worse the feeling. I had that feeling when I bought my real M3 and even with the CSW purchase. Even if you have the means it's still a struggle in your mind. You begin to think...well, I could have saved the money for this or that or put it toward this over here. It sucks.
Only you can make that final call :)

Sell off some of your stuff in the closet you no longer need or want. You'd be surprised how quickly you can raise "fun" money 💡
It makes these types of purchases easier to explain to the girlfriend :nervous: LOL
 
FMW
I agree. It all depends on your financial situation. Ferris said it best. "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up"

I think we all struggle with "Buyers Remorse". It's a feeling that really sucks and the more expensive an item is the worse the feeling. I had that feeling when I bought my real M3 and even with the CSW purchase. Even if you have the means it's still a struggle in your mind. You begin to think...well, I could have saved the money for this or that or put it toward this over here. It sucks.
Only you can make that final call :)

Sell off some of your stuff in the closet you no longer need or want. You'd be surprised how quickly you can raise "fun" money 💡
It makes these types of purchases easier to explain to the girlfriend :nervous: LOL
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That is exactly what I did. I sold my worthless paintball gear for $300. Then I used some of the money I made from some lucky stock trades to cover the rest.
 
It really all depends on your financial position. If you have the money, there is but one choice, the CSW.

You may also want to consider it an investment for GT6.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the input. I have the means and money is not an issue for this purchase. But its still $700 and I just need to decide if its I think the improvement would be enough to make it worthwhile.
 
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I can only speak for myself:

For me it would not be worth it to spend 700$ for a wheel just to use it with GT5. I would even think twice about spending 500$ for a T500 for GT5 only.

GT5 is a great game and I like to play it very much. But...

...after spending a lot of time with it I would say, there are some weaknesses on the "sim side" of this game, like stupid AI and strange phisycs (which results in unrealistic car setups to be the fastest).

I played GT5 with G27, GT3 RS and T500. Of course the T500 impressed me most with this game. But only for GT5 I would not spend the 500 bucks. I would also never consider to buy another 2 PS3's, 2 TV's and 2 GT5-games for a triple screen setup. For me it just would not be worth it even if I could afford.

If GT5 would be absolutely the greatest racing sim (PC and PS3) on the market, it might be a different story.

So I say again, my intention is not to talk bad about GT5. I enjoy it very much. But compared to Sim Bin titles, iRacing or other serious PC-sims it is not on the same level. So as a conclusion I would not spend an irrational high amount of money just for that single game. I think the improvement will not justify the money. And as JogoAsobi said, the biggest improvement are the CSP's, because GT5 reacts quite sensitive on potentiometer brakes (without ABS).
 
Thanks for the input Mahnegold. I'm leaning toward just continuing with what I have. The GT3 RS v2 has a lot of on-wheel adjustments which I have tweaked nicely for GT5. And yeah I love the CSPs with the tuning kit stiffer springs.
 
An additional question ...

I have my GT3 RS v2 setup with Lin 30, Spr -3, and Dpr -3, to make the wheel stable and non-twitchy for GT5. When the backend starts and come around and I countersteer the force feedback is not continuous and I suspect that is due primarily to Linearity at 30. I wonder if these settings would be necessary with the CSW? Could someone please share their CSW settings for GT5 with the BMW rim?

Thanks 👍
 
Guys,

Just wanna say that the CSW BMW wheel is absolutely awesome...
FFB is very very strong so don't believe some of the reviews..
I have the FOR at 100 with RBR and it goes up to 400, but cannot steer with one hand and shift gears if I put it higher and I aint no midget either..

http://youtu.be/ltLKv86xlnU
 
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GT5: (SEn: off, FF: 100, Sho: 100, AbS: 55-85, Lin: off, dEA: off, drI: off, For: 110-160, SPr: off, dPr: off) In game FFB set to 10.
 
paskowitz
GT5: (SEn: off, FF: 100, Sho: 100, AbS: 55-85, Lin: off, dEA: off, drI: off, For: 110-160, SPr: off, dPr: off) In game FFB set to 10.
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FF 100, in game at 10 too. That is the max is it not?

I've used an Elite at max settings in Iracing and Forza. Whilst very strong I felt that it was too extreme and smothered any nuances of the FF effect.

Either it's not strong enough for you and you need it cranked up to 11 like spinal tap. ( which I doubt ). Or you just love extreme settings.

Fanatec needs to make one at twice the strength of the CSW lol. An analogy would be running your sound system at max volume. You would generally buy one that is theoretically twice as loud as your prefered volume so as a not to stress your system.

Do I make sense? Probably not.

To the op, For GT5 it's probably no worth it in its own. You really should look at other games, much better FF.
 
Spagetti69
FF 100, in game at 10 too. That is the max is it not?

I've used an Elite at max settings in Iracing and Forza. Whilst very strong I felt that it was too extreme and smothered any nuances of the FF effect.

Either it's not strong enough for you and you need it cranked up to 11 like spinal tap. ( which I doubt ). Or you just love extreme settings.

Fanatec needs to make one at twice the strength of the CSW lol. An analogy would be running your sound system at max volume. You would generally buy one that is theoretically twice as loud as your prefered volume so as a not to stress your system.

Do I make sense? Probably not.

To the op, For GT5 it's probably no worth it in its own. You really should look at other games, much better FF.
Click to expand...

I like my FFB strong. I turn it down in certain circumstances in GT5 like rally. For road cars I sometimes do 90 but I am usually at 100. For race cars I go to 120.
 
paskowitz
GT5: (SEn: off, FF: 100, Sho: 100, AbS: 55-85, Lin: off, dEA: off, drI: off, For: 110-160, SPr: off, dPr: off) In game FFB set to 10.
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I think these are good setting for the csw on gt5 👍

And for the OP I got my CSW solely for GT5 and love it. Its up to you yourself how much you want to spend on your gear. If your not to sure about it and think it's too much, you probably shouldn't.....If like me when you first saw the CSW you thought I have to have that...Then get it, its awsome!
 
Spagetti69
FF 100, in game at 10 too. That is the max is it not?

I've used an Elite at max settings in Iracing and Forza. Whilst very strong I felt that it was too extreme and smothered any nuances of the FF effect.

Either it's not strong enough for you and you need it cranked up to 11 like spinal tap. ( which I doubt ). Or you just love extreme settings.

Fanatec needs to make one at twice the strength of the CSW lol. An analogy would be running your sound system at max volume. You would generally buy one that is theoretically twice as loud as your prefered volume so as a not to stress your system.

Do I make sense? Probably not.

To the op, For GT5 it's probably no worth it in its own. You really should look at other games, much better FF.
Click to expand...

No that is not the max force feedback settings for the csw. You can turn force up which is a different setting then FF. I think you can turn it up to 400 and that makes the force feedback inputs from the game 4 times stronger. I haven't played GT5 with it because I gave up on that game after about a month, but with all games I have played with it there is no way that with the in game settings and the wheel settings at max you Would be able to control the car very well. The power of the CSW is overkill when you turn up FF and FOR.
If you turn FF down and FOR up it will make the wheel feel lighter but make the force feedback effects super strong.
It might not be labeled FOR I can't remember for sure.
 

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