The PC Sim Racing Hardware Race Is On

Fresh leaks suggest the upcoming RTX 5070 Super and 5080 Super are almost here, featuring 18 and 24 GB of VRAM respectively. With Samsung already shipping 24 Gbps GDDR7 modules, modders are already gearing up. Could we see a 5090 with 48 GB? Maybe not right away, but dreams cost nothing… unlike those cards.

And speaking of budget, the rumored RTX 5050 targets 1080p gaming with GDDR6 at 20 Gbps. Perfect for a second rig or an affordable training setup in simracing. Not flashy, but efficient – like nailing consistent lap times instead of flashy overtakes.

Intel’s 18A Node: Caution Flag

Now to Intel. Their 18A node was supposed to be the comeback ticket. But recent leaks show it’s still below 50% yield rate. That’s like half of your race cars blowing their engines before reaching the grid. Not a winning strategy.

To make things worse, four veteran engineers have left to start AED Compute, aiming to build the world’s most powerful CPU using open RISC-V architecture. A bold move.

Imagine fighting AMD and Intel with no corporate brakes holding you back.

Nvidia and Google are backing the idea too. Intel, watch your mirrors.

AMD: Lisa Su Leads the Field

Lisa Su was on stage this week, and AMD is clearly leading the hardware GP right now. Announcements around Zen 6 and early Zen 7 plans include:

• New AM6 socket for Zen 7.
• Top-tier CPUs with 32 cores.
• 1.4 nm process for compute chiplets.
• 15–25% IPC increase over Zen 6.

But the real plot twist? AM4 is still alive and kicking – nine years old and still getting new CPUs. The Ryzen 5 5500X3D is now official, likely exclusive to Latin America. A great budget chip with 96 MB of L3 cache – solid value for a cockpit upgrade or side rig.

Xbox ROG Ally: Portable Sim Possibility?

Yep, it’s real: the ROG Ally Xbox Edition. It uses AMD’s Z2 chips, including the Ryzen Z2 Extreme with RDNA 3.5 graphics and AI NPU. While it won’t run ACC in ultra, the potential for portable sim tools or telemetry dashboards is definitely there.

Nvidia’s ARM CPU: Surprise Entry

Here comes the big twist: Nvidia just showed off its ARM-based CPU, and in early benchmarks it’s performing on par with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. We’re talking 20 ARMv8 cores, including 10 high-performance Cortex X925 cores.

That’s serious horsepower, and while you won’t be buying this chip standalone (at least for now), we could soon see simracing rigs with Nvidia-powered systems from OEMs like MSI or ASUS. The future of gaming isn’t just about GPUs anymore.

Price Hikes & Buying Tips

Heads up if you’re upgrading: the recent US-China tariff deal means higher prices. GPUs, DDR4 RAM (which is expected to rise by 60%!), and other components are about to get more expensive.

Just last week, we saw the RTX 5070 Ti drop to €820, below MSRP. But manufacturers are now speeding up production to push prices before tariffs hit harder. If you’re planning an upgrade, don’t wait too long.

Everything. From smooth triple-screen performance to running detailed physics engines in long endurance races, CPU and GPU advancements directly affect our experience.

Whether you’re setting up a new cockpit, streaming your races, or just trying to squeeze more FPS out of iRacing, understanding this hardware race helps you make smarter choices and stay competitive both on the track and under the hood.

Until then, flat out and fear no wall.

Here is our selection of GPU’s for this month.

• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti
• Gigabyte RTX 5080
• PNY RTX 5090
• MSI RTX 5060 Ti
• Gigabyte AMD 9070 XT
• Gigabyte RTX 5070

Happy Racing!