Entry-level Sim Racing PC: get started without breaking the bank
Getting into sim racing doesn't necessarily mean spending thousands. On a controlled budget, it's perfectly possible to put together a build that runs the genre's main titles — iRacing, Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione or Le Mans Ultimate — in good conditions. The key is making the right component choices to get the best performance-to-price ratio.
That's exactly what our entry-level build is for — its selection and prices are updated automatically on our builds page. Here are the choices we make, and why.
What is it for?
This build targets 1080p on a single screen. Enough to comfortably enjoy the most common simulators while keeping your budget in check. If you're aiming higher — triple screen or VR — our mid-range and high-end builds are the ones to look at.
Our component choices
For the processor, a Ryzen 5 5500 (6 cores / 12 threads) is plenty to feed the simulators at this level, without creating a bottleneck. On the graphics side, a Radeon RX 7600 8 GB handles 1080p at high settings with ease.
We round it out with 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, an NVMe SSD for fast load times, a compatible motherboard, a reliable power supply and a properly ventilated case. Nothing superfluous: each part is chosen for its performance-to-price ratio.
What matters is the coherence of the whole — especially the processor, motherboard and memory trio, which must always stay compatible. On the builds page, that trio is validated for you, and both the exact selection and the prices are kept up to date there.
AMD or Intel?
Some prefer AMD, others Intel. The builds page lets you switch from one platform to the other in one click, and shows by default the one offering the best price at the moment. The choice stays entirely in your hands.
On a tight budget, every euro counts — and the GPU is often the most expensive part of the build. What many people don't realise is that the second-hand market regularly offers previous-generation graphics cards with very similar performance, for a noticeably lower price. We maintain the GPU Price Index, based on Leboncoin listings, France's largest second-hand marketplace — a tool that takes real work to maintain, but which can save you several dozen euros on your build.
Open the GPU Price Index →The up-to-date build, one click away
Ready to get started? The full entry-level build — components, tracked alternatives and today's prices — is waiting on our dedicated page. You pick AMD or Intel, you check the alternatives, then you go straight to the parts.
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