Today, I want to talk about monitors, an element just as crucial as the equipment in a sim racing setup.
Even with a great racing wheel and a solid cockpit, if the screen is too small, the immersion drops by half. Ultimately, it’s the monitor that fills your field of view, so configuring your monitor setup requires as much thought as choosing your racing wheel.
If you enjoy sim racing casually, a single monitor can be plenty of fun, but if you truly desire the same level of immersion as real racing, a triple monitor setup always awaits at the end of your upgrade path.
Sim Racing Monitors: How to Choose Size and Configuration?
When choosing a monitor for sim racing, there are three core criteria: screen size, configuration method, and aspect ratio. First, regarding size, it’s true that the larger the screen, the greater the immersion. If you’re using a single monitor, I recommend a large screen of 40 inches or more, rather than the typical 27-32 inches.
Products like the LG 45GX950A, Samsung Ark LS55CG970, Samsung G7 G75, or S43CG700 offer excellent immersion even in a single-monitor setup. Of course, the price makes them difficult to open your wallet for.
Ultrawide monitors, with their elongated horizontal aspect, are also well-suited for racing games. In particular, a 49-inch monitor with a 32:9 aspect ratio offers a wide, expansive field of view, essentially having the width of two 27-inch monitors placed side-by-side. However, ultrawide monitors have a physical limitation: since their vertical height is the same as a standard 27-inch monitor, the viewing angle significantly distorts towards the edges of the screen. This makes them less effective for simulating the left and right side mirrors of an actual car.
This is precisely why triple monitor setups are highly recommended, provided you have the space for them. Three screens naturally wrap around your peripheral vision, giving users a sufficiently wide FOV (Field of View). For a triple setup, 32-inch monitors are recommended; there are frequent anecdotes in the sim racing community about users starting with 27-inch monitors only to upgrade to 32-inch within a week.
Furthermore, a triple monitor setup can be surprisingly affordable. During Gmarket’s sale events, MSI 32-inch QHD gaming monitors can be purchased for around 100,000 KRW each. This sometimes makes it cheaper to acquire three monitors than a single high-end ultrawide monitor.
Which of my home monitors should I use?
I initially planned for a triple monitor setup as well, but I decided to get comfortable with sim racing first and then gradually upgrade. To avoid redundant investment in a stand later, I decided to purchase a triple monitor stand from the start.
I currently have a total of three monitors at my disposal: the Samsung Odyssey G9 49-inch (5120×1440, 1000R curved) which I used as my main display, a 34-inch ultrawide with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 3440×1440 resolution, and a 43-inch Samsung Smart Monitor M7.
The 34-inch ultrawide felt a bit small for sim racing, and the 43-inch Smart Monitor M7’s 60Hz refresh rate was disappointing for gaming, so I ultimately decided to mount my main 49-inch G9 monitor on the cockpit.
Thermaltake Triple Monitor Stand
The product I purchased along with the GR500 racing simulator cockpit was the Thermaltake Triple Monitor Stand. It’s an entry-level model that can hold up to three 32-inch monitors, but currently, domestic distribution of this entry-level version has been discontinued.
Currently, only the Thermaltake Triple Racing Monitor Stand Pro, a higher-end version that supports up to three 55-inch monitors, is officially distributed. Please keep this in mind if you plan to purchase one.
Opening the package reveals various parts and an assembly manual. The setup is intuitive enough that anyone can easily assemble it by following the instructions.
Here’s the assembly order. First, assemble the lower part of the base and attach the four anti-slip feet.
Next, connect both pillars and attach the monitor mount to complete the basic framework.
The mount can be spread out like a fan to arrange three monitors at an angle, and if you’re only using a single monitor, as shown now, you can fold the left and right arms inwards.
The supported VESA mount standards vary from 75×75 to 400×200. For the Samsung Odyssey G9 49-inch, a dedicated mount adapter must be installed first to attach the monitor arm.
After attaching the adapter to the back of the monitor, connect the stand bracket. Then, attach the monitor to the monitor stand and firmly secure it with screws, completing the combination of the GR500 cockpit and the triple monitor stand.
One thing to note is that the width of the Thermaltake GR500 and the stand base aligned perfectly, requiring me to slightly adjust the position of the anti-vibration pads I had previously installed.
Cable management tip
The Thermaltake triple monitor stand comes standard with cable holders and cable ties. However, frankly, they’re not quite enough to conceal all the various adapters, power cables, and USB cables.
When combined with the Mount-View no-drill power strip holder, which I introduced in a previous review, this problem is neatly resolved.
By organizing the power strip, adapters, and various cables behind the holder, you can achieve a clean setup where cables are almost invisible from the front. It’s like having a perforated panel, which makes cable management much easier.
Honest limitations of a single ultrawide monitor
I’ll frankly discuss the disappointments I felt while using the 49-inch G9 as my main monitor for sim racing.
In sim racing, FOV (Field of View) is a concept just as important as the equipment itself. FOV is an angular value representing the range of vision a virtual in-game camera can capture at once, and its optimal value is mathematically calculated based on screen size and viewing distance.
Setting an unrealistically wide FOV can exaggerate the sense of speed or cause distortion, making objects appear smaller and farther away. Conversely, if the FOV is set too narrow, immersion significantly drops even with a slight gaze away from the screen. This FOV setting is particularly crucial when using large ultrawide or triple monitors.
For the G9 49-inch, while the horizontal width is certainly impressive, the issue lies in its vertical height. A 32:9 ultrawide, despite its wide horizontal aspect, is short vertically, meaning its actual vertical height is almost identical to a standard 27-inch 16:9 monitor. With a great horizontal view but a narrow vertical one, I could feel the immersion decrease even with a slight glance away from the screen.
Triple monitors structurally solve this problem. If you set up the side monitors at approximately a 45-degree angle, the left and right fields of view connect naturally, bringing to life the peripheral vision sensation of actually sitting inside a car. With bezel correction, you can even eliminate the borders between screens. Especially in situations where you need to gauge the distance to vehicles on your left and right and use side mirror views, the difference between triple and single monitors is greater than one might expect.
As I’m still a sim racing novice, there aren’t many situations where I frequently need to check the side mirrors during a race. However, if I get more serious about sim racing later, upgrading to triple monitors will likely be a necessity, not an option.
No barefoot driving~ So I bought these Daiso indoor slippers. 🙂
ThermalTake GR500 and Triple Monitor Mount
This completes the basic setup using the Thermaltake GR500 and a triple monitor stand. The GR500 is a sturdy racing simulator cockpit that combines aluminum profiles with a steel structure.
Even with an actual MOZA R9 racing wheel connected, there’s virtually no wobbling. Thanks to the bucket seat with adjustable front-to-back sliding and reclining, a comfortable posture is maintained even during long drives.
Personally, there’s one feature I really like: the RGB strip. When playing racing games in a dark room, the ambiance created by the GR500’s RGB lighting is much better than I expected. Additionally, there’s a mode that lights up the strip by detecting vibrations from the racing cockpit, which adds a fun interactive element during gameplay.
Currently, I’ve completed the basic equipment setup using a Moza racing wheel and Simruito pedals. As more equipment is added, it feels like a setup that truly puts you inside a real race car is coming together.
Concluding the Review
And with that, I’ve finished assembling the GR500 racing cockpit and the triple monitor stand. This post focused on the monitor setup, but next time, I’ll go into more detail about the specs, pros and cons of the racing equipment I personally chose, and why I picked them. 🙂
I’m still a sim racing newbie and lack expertise, but precisely because of that, I believe this review can be more relatable to those just starting out in sim racing. I’d appreciate it if you could view it from a beginner’s perspective.
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