The mighty Sim Lab P1-X is always at the tip of the tongue when it comes to recommending an 8020 aluminium profile sim rig. It is among the most sturdy sim rigs available, with a host of great customisation features just like many 8020 rigs.

It starts by laying the foundations: the basics of how a carp feeds - knowledge which will help you develop and tweak your rigs. This leads onto analysing hook holds – the only sign that will tell you how well your rig is performing. We cover literally every knot known to man. We showcase 20+ of the latest rigs, each featuring clear, easy-to-follow illustrations or crisp-sharp photography. We look at 'the pro's' rigs: Gaz Fareham’s Rig For A 50; Nigel Sharp’s Stiff Bottom Bait Rig; Lewis Read’s Fatal Rig and many more. We look at lead choice (why) and set-up (when). And finally we have a manual of How To’s which will only aid in ensuring you get more bites after carrying them out. A pre-drilled mounting plate will allow you to mount a wide range of racing wheels to your rig from the bottom of the wheel base. With these, you must ensure the pre-drilled positions match the mounting points of your racing wheel. The TR8 Pro is the second evolution of the widely loved TR8. This is a 2″ Industrial Strength Iron Chassis sim rig that provides a huge amount of customisation. In fact, possibly more than some 8020 sim rigs! Despite that, this sim rig is more than sturdy enough to handle a direct drive racing wheel such as the Fanatec CSL DD. There are a few questions you can ask yourself that make shopping for a sim racing rig in 2023 a much easier task. These should include, how much budget do you have, how much free space do you have in your room, and what are your requirements from a sim rig.Aluminium profile sim rigs and sim rigs constructed from a metal tube go about achieving the same result with two completely different methods. They are both extremely strong and sturdy styles of construction and will allow you to mount the best direct drive sim racing wheels and best sim pedals to them. With all of the customisation available and the sturdiness of the 2″ chassis, this is without a doubt one of my favourite sim rigs. You can also opt for a stand-alone monitor mount. This will sit independently to your sim rig, and allow you to move and reposition your screens over time. At its heart lies the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D. What can't this chip do? It's a mega-multitasker, with 16 Zen 4 cores capable of running up to 32 threads—your task manager won't know what to make of all those cores.

Ensuring you have enough space for a permanent sim rig is important. And if you are limited on space, this will affect your buying decision. You could instead opt for a smaller all-in-one sim rig or a collapsable wheel stand.

CARPology May 2023 (Issue 235)

There are sim rigs available for a wide range of budgets, including lower-priced 8020 sim rigs. So always keep your intended budget in mind when shopping. High-end aluminium profile and metal tube sim rigs allow for the most high-end sim racing equipment to be mounted without any stability issues. While all-in-one rigs and more budget-friendly options will limit the type of sim racing equipment you can mount. The pure flexibility of this wheel stand oriented sim rig is great. In its stand-alone wheel stand form, you can fold it away when not in use, and use it with your regular office or dining chair. And when you’re ready for a full sim rig, you can expand it with a rear frame and seat.