A few years ago, I decided that the monitor would not be my main interface for sim racing. The possibility of using much more immersive VR headsets offered me the chance to save space and expand an experience that was already incredible on its own.
As has been discussed many times, VR is amazing, but it has its downsides, and at some point, those become important enough that using it can turn into a problem. In this case, we are talking specifically about performance, and about the processing and graphics power needed for everything to run smoothly and not look like PS2 graphics. That is when a triple FHD monitor setup or an ultrawide display starts to be missed.
In the end, monitors are more accessible from the point of view that you do not need the very latest technology in your PC. It is not the same, but it feels cooler and sessions can be extended for many more hours. For that use you need a good stand and, if possible, one that is not fixed to the cockpit, so you can move and position it freely.
In this case, Trak Racer provided us last year with a Free Standing Triple Monitor stand that meets all the requirements one could ask of an accessory of this kind.
- It supports monitors up to 49 inches on each arm.
- It has fully adjustable VESA mounts on three axes for fine-tuning.
- Black profile sections.
- Sturdy assembly.
Assembly
The biggest problem with something relatively simple like this is the assembly. And assembly becomes an issue when no instructions of any kind are included. Trak Racer has many modular parts and, to build a product (or this type of product), it uses several modules in the shipment. The problem is that there are no instructions for each one, because different accessories can be built from each module and, therefore, it is not clear which product the user has ordered.
The first impression when opening everything is that you feel completely lost, with no guide or help at all, neither in the packaging, nor on the website, nor anywhere else. So much so that there is no choice but to search online to see if someone has gone through the same and managed to solve it. In the end, Reddit points to an internal page with Trak Racer manuals where you can find something similar to what you are trying to assemble. Also, our model has changed in these months.
Materials
Related to the assembly, some of the included materials whose correct place is not specified until you finally find the manual can seriously damage other parts. This is the case with the supplied lock washers, which can tear apart the aluminum cover on the lower section in just two turns of the screwdriver. My face turned into a sight to behold at that moment and I stopped any attempt to continue assembling until I found the proper instructions telling me exactly where that piece was supposed to go.
I understand that for the people at Trak Racer there are elements that are part of their daily routine and are taken for granted, but for those of us who deal with several different manufacturers, things are far from obvious, and if this is your first time, it really can become frustrating.
Tuning
Putting together the main structure is not difficult once you get into the rhythm. It consists of two feet and a 1200mm crossbar that you have to level. The problem is that there is no adjustment once everything is tightened, and you have to level it by eye (in height) for the monitor position.
The variable VESA mounts are versatile and let you play with the monitor angles for final adjustments, but they are fixed using only a single M8 screw, which feels a bit minimal for monitors of a certain size.
You can end up with a very functional stand that rests on sturdy plastic feet, supposedly less damaging to the floor than the main aluminium profile.
Observations
In this setup, I am not going to use the side arms, since I will be mounting a 49-inch ultrawide monitor, but I could not help noticing the enormous chaos of screws, washers, brackets, and other supplied hardware. Their content and purpose are not properly labelled, which adds confusion and a lot more assembly time.
Final result
Considering how robust it is, no doubt adding two side arms will not cause any issues for the base structure, even if they have to support heavy loads such as large monitors. These profiles are used in industry and are more than proven for this type of load.
Naturally, since it is not fixed in place, the whole structure can be moved and brought closer to the cockpit to position the screen as near as you need it. It helps to set the feet wider than the cockpit you are going to use so that both can overlap. The recommended is 600mm, leaving 260mm at each side.
As we write this, a modern version is available, with lower shipping costs due to the shorter crossbars. It costs less than 300 dollars or euros, so it seems a very reasonable investment.
Now you can buy it with a discount by clicking here.
And the variable Vesa adapter by clicking here.
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