Review: Dyn X Cockpit From Cooler Master

It’s hard to believe that generalist computer component or peripheral companies could focus on high-end items for sim racing; they’ve always been present in the entry-level or mid-range market, but the development of Direct Drive-type bases by Logitech and Thrustmaster make us think that sim racing is reaching very high levels in terms of peripheral sales. What we’re bringing you today is something we never would have imagined, to be honest. Cooler Master has ventured into the development and commercialization of a cockpit. Not just any cockpit, a very good one. Spoiler Alert.

Dreaming Big

The first thing that catches our attention about this Dyn X is the tremendous design work, not only aesthetic but also functional. Unlike the vast majority of chassis on the market, this Dyn X eschews aluminum profiles to showcase a well-crafted tubular chassis made of black anodized steel. Elegant and spectacular like few others. Another feature that stands out is the large size of the fully assembled structure; in its most extreme configuration, it can reach 170cm in length by 104cm in height, always maintaining a width of 76cm. As expected, these dimensions and the use of steel as a structural material make the weight of the entire assembly, including the seat, quite high, or rather very high. The Dyn X tips the scales at 77.1 kg, logical considering the use of 50.8mm diameter steel tubes with 2mm thickness, which reach 5mm in those structural areas that require it. The pedal support, on the other hand, is made of aluminum with a varied hole pattern to accommodate the vast majority of pedal sets on the market.

When it comes to configuration possibilities, the Dyn X offers the widest range of positions imaginable. Up to 14 possible driving positions, from a truck head to an F1 car. Aside from its design and the use of steel tubes, the main feature of the Dyn X is the use of a central rocker that allows the central structure of the chassis formed by seat-steering wheel-pedals to tilt upwards or downwards while keeping the cockpit base stable on the ground. In addition to the rocker, two pneumatic pistons help move the assembly to the desired position, and for fixing it in the different possible positions, a multi-perforated axle is used, to which the rear support of the rocking structure is bolted.

Packaging

Before moving on to talk about the assembly process, I think it should be briefly mentioned that this large size and weight are not minor matters. The Dyn X will arrive at our home in two large packages, and the help of another person will be necessary to move the packages indoors, and if they help you in the assembly process, even better.

Let’s dive into the assembly process, saying that if one positive thing about the cockpit arriving in two large packages is that the assembly work will not be very costly since we will only have to join those two large pieces. To guide us during the assembly, Cooler Master provides us with one of the most detailed and useful manuals. The continuous exploded diagrams and breakdowns of each assembly step greatly facilitate the process, as you can quickly get an idea of the screws to use and the assembly position. Speaking of screws, it is obligatory to praise the quality of these, as well as the quality of the supplied tools; both fixed wrenches and Allen keys are of extraordinary quality when in this area many manufacturers decide to cut costs.

The key step in the assembly comes when joining the cockpit base to the front part where the base is anchored. For this union, Cooler Master has devised a system of cylindrical braces with an expansion system that, when screwed, solidly fix both parts, and thanks to two reinforcement plates on each side, a seamless and robust connection is achieved.

Ready to mount the seat fixation. This step can be a bit confusing, not because of the complexity of the assembly, which is actually very simple, but because the crossbars that make up the base to fix the seat’s side anchors come perforated to fix seats of different widths, so we will have to be aware of which one we should use. Everything is explained perfectly in the assembly manual. Additionally, we can mount an anchor for ButtKicker.

The Seat

Since we are mentioning the bucket seat, we must indicate that the seat provided by Cooler Master is of exceptional quality, both its rubber foam covering, its imitation suede upholstery, and its fiberglass structure make us think that the manufacturing of this bucket seat has been entrusted to one of the major specialists in competition seats. As a curious fact, we indicate that those who want to install a five-point harness tensioning system will have no problem, as the bucket seat is prepared for the use of belts with a competition fixing system.

Well, we have practically assembled this authentic beast that is showing us its true dimension. The last step is to install the base for the pedals and the front tray for fixing the DD base. It is advisable to have the help of another person since the position we must adopt to fix the pedal base is somewhat uncomfortable, and the truth is that the multi-perforated plate weighs a bit. The configuration possibilities are very wide, so it is advisable before starting the assembly to have clear which configuration we want to have.

In Action

With the assembly completed, it’s time to see how the Dyn X looks in our room or game room. In our opinion, the use of black steel tubes gives the whole set an elegant touch and premium design that aluminum profile chassis cannot achieve. That “wow” effect is inevitable as soon as you see it.

And what about the sensations? Well, we’ve assembled it with a 17Nm Simucube 2 Sport base and BJ Steel GT pedals with Nitroflex, which adds extra stiffness to the brake pedal. Needless to say, not a single vibration produced by the DD base is transmitted to our body or the floor. At first, we were a bit skeptical about this type of chassis since the welds necessary for the union of the different cylindrical tubes could be a point of fracture; and while technically they are, we don’t believe that this fatigue fracture could occur even in the worst possible scenarios. As we mentioned at the beginning, tubes with a thickness of 2mm have been used, which reach 5mm where required.

Conclusions

After weeks of intensive use, we can affirm without any doubt that it is the most comfortable cockpit we have been able to try, and as we mentioned, much of the credit goes to the excellent bucket seat. Aside from this, the great possibility of small adjustments that can be made to adapt the distances between the wheel and pedals to each user’s taste, as well as their inclination, end up providing the user with a magnificent feeling of comfort and naturalness.

As with any product, there are also negative points that we would like to highlight in this Dyn X. The first of all is its large size; it is not the most suitable cockpit to install in a medium-sized room or living room; rather, it will be necessary to reserve a space in the house exclusively for the use of the simulator, and that is a luxury that not many will be able to afford. The other exclusive point for most simracers will be the selling price; as many of you may already imagine, the use of so much steel, combined with the great design and engineering work, was not going to be cheap. If it is in stock, the MSRP is €2300. Yes, a truly high amount of money considering that in the market we can find structures with similar characteristics for almost €1000 less; however, without the possibility of modifying the driving position.

In conclusion, the Dyn X is a true work of design and engineering like no other in sim racing today, all at the hands of a company that until today was completely unaware of this world. For those who can afford it, of course. At least we can say that we have tried it.

Specifications and Prices

The official specifications are as follows:

It is compatible with motion systems, Buttkickers, lateral mounting bases like Fanatec DD1, flat ones for Logitech G PRO Racing Wheel or T818 Ferrari , pedals SRP-GT 3P Gray , etc. It’s not 100% of everything on the market, but they have considered quite a few schemes, which is unusual for this type of large manufacturers.

It can be purchased for $3000 for the complete cockpit or in parts on the official website by clicking here. On Amazon, you have the cockpit and the seat:

• Cooler Master Dyn X Racing Seat
• Cooler Master Dyn X Multibox – Black