Thermaltake Sim Racing: From Wheel to Full Racing Rig | AWD-IT
Lennon Byatt
Sim racing has moved well beyond attaching a steering wheel to the edge of a desk.
Today, you can build anything from a simple wheel-and-pedal setup through to a complete cockpit with direct-drive steering, multiple monitors and even a motion platform underneath you.
And Thermaltake - a name most PC gamers will already recognise - is taking that same approach to the sim racing world.
So, what does a proper Thermaltake racing setup actually look like?
Recommended 1440p Gaming PC Specifications
For the best balance of performance and value, we recommend:
| Component | Recommendation |
|
CPU
|
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
|
|
GPU
|
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 or AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
|
|
RAM
|
32GB DDR5 6000MHz
|
|
Storage
|
2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
|
|
Motherboard
|
B650
|
|
PSU
|
750W 80 PLUS Gold
|
This specification is capable of running modern AAA games at high frame rates while providing plenty of headroom for future releases.
Browse AWD-IT's latest AMD Ryzen Processors:
https://www.awd-it.co.uk/components/cpu-processors/amd-cpu.html
Start With the Most Important Part: The Wheel
If you're moving into sim racing, the wheel and pedals are where you'll notice one of the biggest differences.
Thermaltake's G6 Direct Drive Racing Wheel uses a 6Nm direct-drive servo motor, paired with a 13-inch wheel and three-pedal set.
But what does direct drive actually mean?
Instead of using belts or gears between the motor and steering wheel, the wheel connects more directly to the motor.
That allows the system to communicate more of what the virtual car is doing through the steering.
You can feel things such as:
- Kerbs
- Changes in grip
- Steering resistance
- Road surfaces
- The car beginning to lose control
It's not just about making the wheel harder to turn.
Good force feedback gives you information.
And as you become more experienced, that information can help you understand what the car is doing before you can even see it happening.
Browse AWD-IT's range of sim racing wheels and pedals.
Then Give Everything a Proper Foundation
A powerful wheel is only useful if the rest of your setup stays where you put it.
That's where a dedicated cockpit starts to make sense.
The Thermaltake GR500 Racing Simulator Cockpit combines an aluminium and reinforced-steel structure with an adjustable racing seat, steering-wheel mount and pedal position. Thermaltake's GR500 setup is also compatible with hardware from brands including Logitech, Fanatec and Thrustmaster, so the cockpit doesn't necessarily lock you into one ecosystem.
For beginners, the biggest advantage of a cockpit isn't simply that it looks more like a racing car.
It's consistency.
Your seat stays in the same position.
Your pedals don't move across the floor.
Your wheel stays at the same height.
Every time you sit down, your driving position feels familiar.
That becomes increasingly important when you're trying to improve lap times.
Explore AWD-IT's range of sim racing cockpits.
That's where a dedicated cockpit starts to make sense
One Monitor or Three?
You don't need three monitors to enjoy sim racing.
A single good display can give you a brilliant experience.
But once you're building a dedicated rig, adding more screen space can improve your field of view and make it easier to see what's happening around the car.
Thermaltake's GR500 bundle can be paired with a triple-monitor stand designed to support up to three displays, creating a much wider view around the driver's position.
That extra peripheral vision can make wheel-to-wheel racing feel much more natural.
Instead of relying as heavily on virtual mirrors or camera controls, more of the track can simply be visible around you.
Then Things Get Serious: Motion
This is where sim racing starts becoming something very different from traditional gaming.
Thermaltake's GM5 3DOF Motion System is designed to physically move the simulator in response to what's happening in-game.
The system can reproduce effects associated with acceleration, braking, cornering, road texture and changes in elevation. AWD-IT's GR500 motion bundle pairs the GM5 system with the cockpit, wheel, pedals and display mounting hardware as a complete setup.
Instead of only seeing and feeling the car through the wheel, your entire seating position becomes part of the experience.
Hit a kerb.
Brake hard.
Turn into a fast corner.
The simulator can respond with physical movement.
You can browse AWD-IT's sim racing motion platforms to see how this part of the setup works.
A simple wheel and pedal setup can be a great place to start
Do You Need All of This to Start Sim Racing?
Absolutely not.
And that's probably the most important point.
You don't need a motion platform, triple monitors and a full cockpit before you can enjoy your first race.
A simple wheel and pedal setup can be a great place to start.
Then, if sim racing becomes something you spend more time doing, you can start looking at upgrades such as:
Wheel and pedals → cockpit → better display setup → accessories → motion
There's no requirement to build the finished simulator on day one.
Average FPS vs 1% Low
Here’s a simple example:
| Gaming PC | Average FPS | 1% Low |
|
PC A
|
160 FPS
|
65 fps
|
|
PC B
|
145 FPS
|
110 FPS
|
At first glance, PC A looks faster because it has the higher average FPS.
But PC B maintains much stronger performance during demanding moments.
For someone actually playing the game, PC B may therefore provide the smoother and more consistent experience.
This is one reason AWD-IT's existing performance guides sometimes refer to maintaining strong 1% lows alongside average FPS.
Bigger Numbers Don’t Always Mean Better for You
This is an important one.
A higher model number can often mean a newer or more powerful product, but that doesn’t automatically mean it is the right choice for your setup.
If you only want to play games at 1080p, you may not need the same hardware as someone gaming at 4K.
Likewise, someone playing competitive games has different priorities from someone mainly playing slower single-player titles.
The best gaming PC is not always the one with the biggest numbers.
It’s the one that matches what you actually want to do.
Where Thermaltake Gets Interesting
What makes Thermaltake's approach interesting is that it isn't treating the simulator as one isolated product.
The GR500 range can bring together the cockpit, direct-drive wheel, pedals, monitor mounting, floor, keyboard tray and optional motion system into one wider setup.
For someone who wants to keep developing their simulator, that modular approach makes sense.
You can start with the parts that matter most to you and build towards a more immersive setup over time.
Don't Forget the Gaming PC
Of course, all of that simulator hardware still needs a game to run.
Titles such as iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione and other racing simulators can benefit from strong PC performance, particularly if you're increasing resolution or running multiple displays.
A balanced gaming PC with a capable graphics card and processor gives the rest of your simulator the performance it needs.
The important thing is to look at the whole setup.
There isn't much point investing heavily in displays and simulator hardware if the PC behind them struggles to deliver the experience you want.
The important thing is to look at the whole setup
Background Downloads Are Easy to Miss
Modern games receive large updates, and your launcher may continue downloading additional content while you’re playing.
Windows, Steam, Discord, cloud storage and other applications can also be active in the background.
If your performance suddenly feels worse after installing an update, open Task Manager and check whether anything else is heavily using your:
CPU, RAM, storage or network connection.
Sometimes the simplest explanation is the right one.
Best Sim Racing Setup for Beginners: Start With the Essentials
You don’t need a full cockpit immediately. A well‑chosen beginner setup helps you develop skills faster and keeps costs under control.
1. Steering Wheel and Pedals (Top Priority)
Your wheel and pedals are the most important part of any sim racing rig. Force feedback allows you to feel grip changes, kerbs, and steering resistance—crucial for learning car control.
Beginner tip: Focus on force feedback quality rather than raw power.
Your wheel and pedals are the most important part of any sim racing rig. Force feedback allows you to feel grip changes, kerbs, and steering resistance—crucial for learning car control.
Creators in attendance
Stacked lineup
Experience zones
Arcades · Sim rigs · PCs
Tech on display
Latest gen builds
Verdict
Showroom certified
Pick Your Tier
We've named each tier after a tournament stage, because let's be honest, that's exactly the kind of thing we'd do. Find your budget and dive in.
Group Stage
Round of 32
Quarter Final
World Cup Final
Don't Forget Your Monitor
Your PC can produce hundreds of frames every second, but your monitor also needs to be capable of displaying high refresh rates for you to fully benefit from them.
A smoother combination of strong FPS, consistent frame delivery and an appropriate refresh rate can make games feel significantly better.
If you're unsure what Hz means, read AWD-IT's guide to why monitor refresh rate matters, or browse the latest gaming monitors.
A smoother combination of strong FPS, consistent frame delivery and an appropriate refresh rate can make games feel significantly better.
Expected Gaming Performance
|
Game
|
1440p High
|
1440p Ultra
|
|
GTA 6 (Predicted)
|
120 FPS
|
90 FPS
|
|
Cyberpunk 2077
|
120 FPS
|
95 FPS
|
|
Black Ops 7
|
180+ FPS
|
150+ FPS
|
|
Fortnite
|
240+ FPS
|
200+ FPS
|
Performance will vary depending on drivers, game updates and graphics settings.
1440p Gaming
1440p provides a sharper image than 1080p but requires additional graphics power.
The AWD-IT Ares Ryzen 5 RX 9060 XT Gaming PC is a suitable option for players who want higher graphical settings, stronger frame rates and the ability to move into 1440p gaming.
Players targeting high-refresh-rate 1440p or 4K should look towards graphics cards such as the Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT
High-End Gaming
Players targeting high-refresh-rate 1440p or 4K should look towards graphics cards such as the Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT.
These cards provide the additional performance needed for demanding modern games, detailed graphical settings and higher-resolution monitors.
Browse AWD-IT’s range of RX 9070 XT gaming PCs.
Should You Pair Radeon with Ryzen?
A Radeon graphics card does not need an AMD Ryzen processor, but pairing the two can create a well-balanced all-AMD gaming system.
The most important consideration is balance. Your processor should be powerful enough to support the graphics card, while sufficient RAM, SSD storage and cooling will help the entire system perform reliably.
You can explore AWD-IT’s AMD Ryzen and Radeon gaming PCs for complete systems using both technologies.
You Can Swap Whenever You Want
This is one of the best parts.
You could play Call of Duty using a keyboard and mouse, then launch a racing game and pick up your controller.
For many supported games, switching between the two is as simple as moving the mouse or pressing a button on the controller.
PC gaming gives you the freedom to use whichever control method works best for the game you're playing.
What Else Do You Need With Your First Gaming PC?
Technically, the PC itself is only part of your setup.
You'll also need a display and some way of controlling it.
A typical setup might include:
Gaming PC + monitor + keyboard + mouse + headset
And then a controller if you want one.
You don't need to buy everything at the most expensive level either.
If you're starting completely from scratch, AWD-IT's gaming peripherals include keyboards, mice, headsets and other accessories to complete your setup.
Moving From Console Doesn't Have to Feel Completely Different
Switching to PC gaming comes with plenty of new things to learn.
There are graphics settings, different game stores, PC components and a lot more customisation.
Your controls don't have to be another thing to worry about.
If you're comfortable with a controller, start with a controller.
You can learn keyboard and mouse later if you want to.
Or never switch at all.
That's your choice.
The Bottom Line
Sim racing can be as simple or as serious as you want it to be.
You can start with a steering wheel attached to a desk.
Or you can build a dedicated Thermaltake GR500 cockpit with direct-drive steering, triple displays and motion underneath you.
Neither approach is the “wrong” way to start.
The key is building a setup that matches your space, your budget and how seriously you want to take the racing.
And if you do decide to go further, Thermaltake now offers the components to take a sim setup well beyond the traditional wheel-and-pedal experience.
Explore AWD-IT's full range of sim racing and simulator equipment to start building your
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