Don’t Build a New Sim Racing PC Until You Read This

If you’re planning to build a new PC for simracing in 2025, I urge you to stop for a moment. Take a breath. Now is not the time.

I say this as someone who’s been part of the simracing and hardware community for years—and as a passionate simracer who dreams of smooth frame rates, triple-screen setups, or buttery VR performance. But after looking at the state of GPUs this month, it’s clear: building a simracing rig right now is a bad idea.

How Bad Is the GPU Market in 2025?

Graphics cards across the board—NVIDIA and AMD alike—are being sold far above their original suggested prices. In many cases, availability is a joke. Even GPUs released over two years ago are still being marked up outrageously.

If you were eyeing an RTX 4070, 5070 Ti, or a Radeon RX 9700 XT for your sim setup, the harsh reality is: they’re either overpriced or practically unavailable.

Here’s what’s really going on. Both GPU giants—NVIDIA and AMD—are putting their energy into making AI chips. Why? Because AI chips sell for a lot more money, and the profits are just too good to ignore. Gaming GPUs? They’ve become a lower priority, and it shows in the pricing and availability.

Many of us had hope that AMD would offer a real alternative. But in 2025, that optimism is fading. Models like the RX 7900 GRE are almost nonexistent. Even promising GPUs like the RX 7800 XT are being sold far above what they were supposed to cost.

Simracers, Hold the Line

Maybe. Some hardware partners have hinted that GPU stock could stabilize starting in April. There are rumors of local chip manufacturing that could reduce costs in some regions. And if AMD manages to gain ground while NVIDIA cards remain out of stock, that competition might push prices down.

I get it. As simracers, we’re always chasing immersion and performance. But building a PC right now means paying far too much for hardware that simply isn’t worth the current cost.

My advice? Wait it out. Stick with your current GPU a little longer. Lower a few settings if you must. If enough of us hold off, prices will drop. And when they do, you’ll be in a much better position to build a rig that does justice to your simracing setup.

We’ll continue posting monthly PC Gaming Builds. Hopefully, next month’s news will be a little more uplifting. Until then, stay in the race—and maybe keep that trusty old graphics card going for just one more lap.

See you on the track!