iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations

[Bram Hengeveld]

iRacing.com Motorsport Simulations check it out

 

[gharold]

Newbie Questions

Hello, I have yet to jump in but I have a few questions. Since I have a MAC at home I will have to buy a PC to run this app. I am thinking of buying a small Dell with a 2.5 ghz pentium dual core, 3gb sdram, and a radeon HD3450, 256md video card. I need some input on whether this will wor well or if I should look at something else. I already have a G25 wheel and pedals in a seat so I am set there. My next question would be can I just connect the PC to a TV? Or does it have to be a computer monitor. What about sound? Sorry for all of the questions, I just would like to set up correctly the first time. Thanks, Greg.

 

[Simon Trendell]

The PC should run it, you won't get all the eye candy, I get pretty good frame rates with an 8800GT on about medium settings.
How much is the PC?
Not sure about the TV, unless it's a High Definition you're not going to get a very clear image. I guess the advice is get a cheap monitor with a decent resolution.
Sound in iR is good you can even set it up with Surround Sound

 

[gharold]

Simon,

Thanks for the response. The PC was only $429. What would you recommend? I am used to looking at the TV size with GT4, it would be strange to go back to a small monitor.

 

[Simon Trendell]

I guess you're in the US since you priced in dollars.

Take a look at newegg, this for example is very nice for $165 & is 22"

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

iRacing.com announces Watkins Glen

As seen on iRacing.com:

BEDFORD, MA (November 20, 2008) - Located in the rolling hills overlooking Seneca Lake, Watkins Glen International is more than just one of two road-courses for NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, a favorite circuit for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and a stop on the IndyCar© Series schedule; it's also the ancestral home to American road-racing. On November 26th, a little more than 60 years after sports cars first raced through the streets of this Upstate New York hamlet, the modern-day version of this venue will become available to members of iRacing.com.

Using cutting-edge laser-scanning techniques, iRacing.com has captured every dip and bump of the famed circuit, meaning professionals will be able to log unlimited testing miles and amateurs and fans will have a chance to experience the challenges and nuances of The Glen from behind the wheel, in the most realistic setting possible, short of climbing into a real racecar. iRacing, the world's leader in motorsport simulations, has licensed more than 40 racing facilities for its membership-based online service, yet vice president of marketing Scott McKee said there was something extra special about adding The Glen.

"More motorsport history has been written at The Glen than most of us can remember," McKee said. "For almost 20 years it was the home to the United States Grand Prix. Every road-racing car in the current iRacing inventory competes there regularly, as do many of the cars we have coming in the near future, so this is an addition to our list of tracks that will be of great interest to all our members, pros, amateurs and fans."

"In this modern era, it is great to have a partner that can expose our track to new fans using this compelling simulation technology," said Craig Rust, president of Watkins Glen International. "We've hosted virtually every form of racing at The Glen during our history, and while our fans love being at the track, very few of them have ever had the chance to actually drive it. This is very different from watching in-car footage; now our fans can experience the twist-and-turns of our storied road course first-hand in a virtual world."

Racing first came to The Glen in 1948, with drivers negotiating a course laid out on the surrounding roads of the town. It was another eight years until a permanent racetrack was built. 1957 saw the first professional race held on the permanent course, a NASCAR Grand National event won by Buck Baker over Fireball Roberts. The following year, Formula Libre began holding races there, as well. But it wasn't until 1961, when Formula One came to town, that Watkins Glen really hit the big time.

That year the United States Grand Prix became a regular event at The Glen. For the next two decades, the top names in motorsports, not to mention hundreds of thousands of race fans, flocked to the little town in Upstate New York for one of the most anticipated races of the year. Three times, the track was named best organized and best staged grand prix of the season by the Grand Prix Drivers Association.

And although The Glen is no longer a regular fixture on the F1 calendar these days, it has remained a favorite stop on some of the top motorsport series schedules including the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series held in June, the IndyCar Series held on the 4th of July weekend and the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series' only stop in New York State in August. From Jeff Gordon to Mario Andretti, many of auto racing's all-time greats have negotiated this famed race track, where history continues to be made. Soon, everyone will be able to be a part of that.

 

[Gareth Hickling]

I cant wait to drive a COT around there! Roll on next season!

 

[Roy Stevens]

I'll second that gaz ....Cant wait

 

[Simon Trendell]

More Trucks!

http://blip.tv/file/1493775

 

[jarrod]

hey all..

hey, all also just signed up, and will be buyin a new compueter soon, so i can play the game..

cant wait, tried it at a friend house and now im hooked, and won the first race i entered in a legends car, with on 30 mins experience on the game..lol i think my best lap was a 14.2 at lanier..lol

5 mins in a modified, 20 mins in a legend, and a few mins in a solstice at leguna.. then the rookie legends race i won at laneir, then i spent about 25 mins at lowes in a late model makin a setup for the buddy of mine..lol

IM HOOKED ......

what do you guys think of this computer, will it have any problem playin the iracing game, at full detail..

windos vista home premium
asus p5ql-pro mother board
geforce 9800gt 512mb video card
600w power supply
4 gig memory
seagate 500gb sata2 drive

plus
22" lg lcd screeen
logiteck 2.1 speakers

thanks

 

[Simon Trendell]

Sounds similar to my PC except I've got an 8800GT & P5K, I can run at full detail but the frame rate suffers, for races lower shadows and opponent detail a bit and it should be fine

 

[jarrod]

what would u change to up the performance then??

i havent ordered it yet.. so i can still change the parts around..

 

[Simon Trendell]

Graphics card & CPU (you haven't mentioned the CPU )

 

[jarrod]

sorry, it has an intell 3. hertz dual core

dont have the build sheet in front of me right now

 

[Heppu]

Hey jarrod, and welcome.
If you have any extra money, go with GTX card. That GT card is more or less a budget card. Depend on desired resolution and you might not get full graphics even with GTX(I could be wrong here). I have 8800 ultra and iResolution is 1280x960, all eye candy is max with 85fps all the time. Im sure i can't run it @1600x1200....hmmm, maybe ill have to try it.


thanks

 

[jarrod]

hmm, how do i check my frame rate??

the cpu is a intel E8400 3ghz dual core..

 

[Damian Henderson]

What brand / make 600w PSU is that?

The cpu is great, perfect gaming CPU, no need to change that.

The 9800GT (8800GT) is a fast card, and should play iRacing maxed out fine but as Simon says you can suffer from low frame rate at times, for more power and to be more future proof go for a GTX260 216 core or 4870 1GB. The GTX260 216 core I would go for personally but it is a lil more expensive.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/top-10-games-with-radeon-4870-1-gb--geforce-gtx-260-core-216-test/8

The results speak for themselves, out of the 6 titles that we have shown you today, NVIDIA was able to pull ahead on the vast majority with it's GTX 260 core 216 (with regular clock frequencies). It's very typical for NVIDIA as usually, after half a year when you compare the numbers among driver releases, they roughly tweak out another 10% maybe 15% performance.

If you will allow me to be blunt for a second here: when we tally it up, that's 4 out of 6 wins for NVIDIA with the GeForce GTX 260 core 216. So this round the win goes to team green.

 

[jarrod]

um i cant remember what brand, but i ended up gettina 650W supply because, a they didnt have the other one(a coolermaster) and B the 650 has a 5 yr warrenty.. instead of 1

 

[Simon Trendell]

5yr Warranty sounds like a Corsair Very good make

 

[Damian Henderson]

Yeh if it's a Corsair then ya on to a winner, you can't get much better!

 

[jarrod]

how do i check my frame rate??

im curious as to what mines doin.