iRacing - Hardware

So, I just found out about iRacing and it has me thinking about coming
back to sim racing after quite a while. What sort of hardware can you
really get away with? Are the minimums listed at iRacing.com
realistic, or is that really scraping the bottom of the barrel?

-Dirt-

(Dirt) wrote:

> So, I just found out about iRacing and it has me thinking about
> coming back to sim racing after quite a while.

Even with my many frustrations with iRacing, it is the kind of code which gets you
back in the driving seat, one way or another! I've done more laps in more sims
since starting my trial month in iRacing than I've done in the last two years.

Hardware-wise, I think the biggest factor I've seen is whether you have a dual core
processor. iRacing really seems to benefit significantly from that. As for graphics,
it seems remarkably flexible if you have a relatively modern card. Exactly how
modern though, I'm not sure. I started with what is now a relatively dated (in
enthusiast terms anyway!) 8800GTS 320Mb and it coped very well with the shadows
turned down to basic settings. An E6600 processor running at 3GHz probably helps a
lot though for throwing the physics around.

I really do wish iRacing would open up parts of their forums to the general public.
It would help greatly with queries like yours. But the minimum specs look pretty
realistic to me, if you can live with a few compromises.

Andrew McP

Thanks. My current processor is a dual core 2.33GHz and my graphics
card has an NVidia 7300 series chip (name unknown) and 512M. Not sure
if this quite meets the bill, though, as its now two years old. I
certainly won't be buying a new computer for iRacing, which why I'm
hoping my current setup could be made to work.

-Dirt-

On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:29:35 -0700 (PDT), Dirt
> wrote:

>Thanks. My current processor is a dual core 2.33GHz and my graphics
>card has an NVidia 7300 series chip (name unknown) and 512M. Not sure
>if this quite meets the bill, though, as its now two years old. I
>certainly won't be buying a new computer for iRacing, which why I'm
>hoping my current setup could be made to work.

I've an AMD 3500+ and a nVidia 6800 ultra. Granted, I had to cut down
a lot, up to class 5, but then I had an fps of 50, and not the feeling
I was missing out too much regarding graphics.

Cheers!

Remco

(Dirt) wrote:

> NVidia 7300 series chip (name unknown) and 512M

I take it that;s the RAM on the video card, not the pain PC?

The 7300 chipset was initially a bit more of a concern, but I've just set iRacing
up on this PC, which has an AMD x2 3800 @ 2.4GHz,2GB RAM, and an old ATI X800
graphics card. iRacing configured the video setting automatically, and it runs well.
Nowhere near the setting on my main games box, but acceptable for racing rather
than staring at the scenery. :-)

The RAM footprint is harder to judge, but it looks to me (using the ctrl ALT DELETE
Task Manager) that iRacing is using about 445k. So as long as you have 1Gb+ of
system RAM you should be fine. It may even run ok with 512Mb, only with longer
pauses when entering & exiting.

Andrew McP

On Oct 13, 11:03*am, (Andrew MacPherson)
wrote:

> I take it that;s the RAM on the video card, not the pain PC?

Yes, that is the video RAM. System RAM is 1G.

On Oct 13, 10:49*am, no@email (Remco Moedt) wrote:
>
> I've an AMD 3500+ and a nVidia 6800 ultra. Granted, I had to cut down
> a lot, up to class 5, but then I had an fps of 50, and not the feeling
> I was missing out too much regarding graphics.

I haven't simmed since GPL, so I'm used to 30 fps!

-Dirt-

If you could run NR2003 full tilt, you can run iRacing. However a bump in
processor and graphics capability would NOT hurt.

-Larry

"Dirt" > wrote in message
...
> So, I just found out about iRacing and it has me thinking about coming
> back to sim racing after quite a while. What sort of hardware can you
> really get away with? Are the minimums listed at iRacing.com
> realistic, or is that really scraping the bottom of the barrel?
>
> -Dirt-

Processor is fine, GPU (vid) will make things nicer the 7300 is pretty much
like my 8600 I believe, I like it fine. I have an 8800gt and it runs better
on that card overall (but the card has a flaw and is on its way back with an
RMA>..

"Larry" > wrote in message
...
> If you could run NR2003 full tilt, you can run iRacing. However a bump in
> processor and graphics capability would NOT hurt.
>
> -Larry
>
> "Dirt" > wrote in message
> ...
>> So, I just found out about iRacing and it has me thinking about coming
>> back to sim racing after quite a while. What sort of hardware can you
>> really get away with? Are the minimums listed at iRacing.com
>> realistic, or is that really scraping the bottom of the barrel?
>>
>> -Dirt-
>

Thanks, all, for the answers. Sounds like my current setup will be
adequate.

Now on to a different question. I still have my Thomas Super Wheel
but it has a serial port interface. Is there any way to make XPPro
recognize a serial interface properly? I tried once a year or two ago
when I put away my Win98 GPL machine but was never successful in
getting it calibrated properly. I contacted TSW but they essentially
suggest a complete rewire to their USB connection. My other option if
the TSW can't be made to work is the wireless PC control adapter and
my XBox360 wireless FFB wheel. Anybody use this wheel for iRacing?
The TSW is a brick and I love it, but FFB might be nice. My only
experience with FFB is on Forza Motorsports on the 360. I'm not
convinced yet.

-Dirt-

PS: Any of you approaching 40 like me and wondering just what the
hell you're still doing thinking about sim racing all the time?