“How many of you maintain a PC just for your sim rig?”
I read that question one night while looking for motivation to get off the couch and fire up a few laps. It looked harmless at first. But it hit me like a slap in the face.
Because, honestly? I didn’t have one. And it was quietly killing my passion for sim racing.
I have a decent sim rig. Not full pro-level, but solid: force feedback wheel, load-cell pedals, a stable cockpit. A real little sanctuary in the corner of my home office.
The problem? My PC was also my work station, entertainment hub, console emulator, and even my movie theater. A technological Swiss Army knife.
Every time I wanted to race, I had to perform the same ritual:
- Rotate the wall-mounted monitor back toward the rig
- Switch audio outputs
- Unplug the keyboard and mouse, plug in the wheel and pedals
- Recalibrate everything
- Try to mentally switch into “race mode”
The truth? Most nights I just didn’t bother. Not because I didn’t want to race—but because the setup killed the mood. And that, when we’re talking about a passion, is heartbreaking.
Respect Your Passion
That’s when it clicked.
When something truly matters to you, you shouldn’t have to ask your setup for permission to enjoy it.
I read about 14-year-olds who saved up for months to build a PC just for their sim rig. Others who built a second machine just to avoid unplugging things. People who could finish work, sit down, hit one button, and they were racing. No excuses. No friction.
And there I was, rotating my monitor like I was performing surgery on a robot giraffe.
The Game-Changer
So I did it. I built a dedicated PC just for my sim rig.
And it was like releasing the handbrake on my passion.
No more excuses.
No more “ugh, do I really want to go through the setup process?”
Just: sit, start, enjoy.
Suddenly, I was racing more. Improving. Joining leagues. Feeling motivated. Because I had given my passion the space it deserved. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally.
It’s Not a Luxury. It’s Logic.
Some people will tell you a second PC is a luxury.
I say it’s not. If sim racing is what fuels you—your escape, your way to compete, to dream—then a dedicated PC isn’t a want. It’s a need.
It’s like a guitarist keeping their instrument tuned and ready at all times. Or a chef with their own dedicated kitchen. You don’t have to build the stage every time. You just walk in and perform.
Because here’s the truth: when your space is ready for you, you’re ready to give your best.
Final Lap
If sim racing is just an occasional game for you, maybe a shared setup is fine.
But if that feeling you get when you grip the wheel, take that first corner, or hit the perfect apex makes your skin tingle… if racing is your joy, your therapy, your obsession…
Then do yourself a favor:
Build the space. Get the second PC. Set yourself free.
So you need to give yourself the gift of freedom. A space just for racing. A PC just for that.
It’s not an expense.
It’s an investment in what makes you truly happy.
And trust me:
The day you walk into your room, sit in the cockpit, and you’re racing within 30 seconds…
you’ll know it was the best decision you ever made.
F1 drivers simulators:
- Lando Norris
- Charles Leclerc
- George Rusell
- Carlos Sainz
- Checo Perez
- Fernando Alonso
- Antonio Giovinazzi
- Max Verstappen
- Oscar Piastri
- Liam Lawson
Happy Racing!
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Seems like a giant waste of money if you are already using your pc for multiple duties.
If you are too lazy to move the monitor thats already on an arm, buying a 2nd dedicated monitor is way cheaper than a whole computer.
To change audio devices on your computer you can create a hot key shortcut to switch between devices, 1 keyboard stroke to switch but even then In windows 11 you can switch audio in 3 clicks.
If your pc doesn’t have enough usb ports to support your mouse, keyboard, wheel and pedals buy a powered usb hub for 20. Now no need to calibrate everytime, although I never had an issue needing to recalibrate when I didn’t have a dedicated set up and had to unplug and replug everything in including power.
I feel it only makes sense for a 2nd computer for sim racing if your sim racing is done in a different area than your computer that you use for other things.
My purpose built PC is in our office/collector’s room. There are his and hers desks, she has a laptop, I have my triple screen/VR setup with a wheel stand with wheel, pedals, shifter and handbrake, 5.1 surround, Turtle Beach headphones. We also have shelves on every wall with all our collectibles, a lot from when we were kids, and a bunch of newer stiff. But we have Bell Fibe here in Canada, so we have a TV with a Fibe android box connected to a TV in our living room, bedroom and the office. Plus we have a PS4 (mainly for DVD and Blu-Ray) and a Switch in our living room. Downfall is finding the time to actually use it when you work a 10-1/2 shift and and travel time means 11-1/2 hours. Then you have to come home in the morning and do chores and get to bed and then repeat the day. My 4 year old racing setup that cost over $8500 CND (ans that was with a used wheelbase and used pedals) gets about 5 hours in every 3 to 4 months.