Fanatec CSL DD | Which Power Supply Should You Get ? 

Hm, not entirely sure if this was really intentional in the vid, but with James it could be... Anyhow, nice play of words!

you are absolutely correct my guy

@@bigboyjohn-k2f Are they though? If you are wrong you are out 50€ because the price difference is only 100€ if you get the upgraded one.

Maybe it was like that back then, but now you do save 50€ if you buy it in a bundle. Im not sure but i think i will buy it with the boost kit

@@ace.m4 but you don't get the 5nm they just send you the 8nm only

@@OnceHopefuL why would you need the 5nm if you have the 8nm ?

I'd like that as well but at the same time having a 350 version gets to a much more mass market price point and makes people buy a CSL DD that would otherwise maybe go for a TSPC but with the advantage they can upgrade it later.

I think Fanatec's strategy is sound. 1. It's designed down to a price, and 350 looks better on a sticker than 450. It allows people to say "hey, my T300 cost me 350!", and while it's of course not a fair comparison, it'll still hit home with a bunch of people. It's sim racing's version of Sony's "$299" speech. 2. A lot of people won't care about the extra torque, they're happy with 2-3nm, and it allows them to save a pretty penny. 3. It allows people on a budget to buy the unit now, and upgrade later. It's good for people on a tight budget, for people who aren't sure about their purchase, and people who are convinced they don't need more to upgrade later. We all know how that works - when I started in the hobby, I thought FFB rather than vibration looked like a gimmick... and here I am now, with three wheel bases, and contemplating a third pedal set. 4. It fits with the Fanatec ethos of customization and modularity.

@@GamerMuscleVideos It is just a way to artificially make the starting price seem lower. Most people will look at the 350 price but in reality most people will buy the 450 version and the 450 version is what fanatec wants to sell you. It is called decoy pricing and it is just a pricing strategy. In the end you are paying 100 for a 20 dollar power supply.

@@erwinlommer197 For sure, start with that and a wheel and soon you send up spending much more than you initially anticipated. A TS-PC around €500 seems almost the same price range as this system but you ended up with one of the best wheels around (Ferrari 488 Challenge) and that's it. Also, I believe Thrustmaster and Logitech won't stay still...

@@erwinlommer197 You're looking at it the wrong way. The unit cost $470 and their only selling you part of it for $350. I'll bet they probably aren't making much on the $350 sale and are loading all their profits into the idea that most people will know you can "upgrade" for the $150 later, but at the lower price they can lock as many people as possible into their ecosystem and deal with getting the rest of their money later. It's really smart and when you realize the unit is really meant to replace the CSW and not the CSL (all while being $70 cheaper) it's a really good deal and a REALLY smart idea. I just don't think they realized how many people would latch onto the actual cost of the PSU and they thought people would think more about the NM they were buying...

Yes. Simply, yes. Disregarding the ffb, the smooth feeling you get with the csl dd is worth it alone over gear driven bases. I went from driving with a g920 for 3 years to the 5nm csl dd and have never been happier. Tracks feel much more detailed with the bumps and change in camber of the road, the progression of force with speed is really good for feeling the weight of the car and the grip potential. I play acc and dirt rally 2.0 mainly, I sweated a stage on dirt for hours with my g920 to achieve a semi competitive time. I jumped on with my new wheel and went 10 seconds quicker around that same stage after just a few attempts. It’s night and day for performance, it’s night and day for enjoyability. IMO, just get it. If u want more down the line (like me) then u can spend a bit of money to get the higher power supply, as u say. It’ll feel like a massive upgrade and you definitely won’t be disappointed :). Also I’ve never used a dd base before, only my gear driven g920 and now this.

@@brandonwallinger1518 I too am having the same experience from a g29 to csl dd. So much more detail even with the small power pack. Just fantastic fun

@@lawrencenenninger1607 Glad to hear man! I've since got a full on rig with the csl dd + boost kit and I love it to bits! Even more detail and Asseto Corsa now feels proper legit :)

Thank you. You just saved me 100€

Exactly!

im about to buy my first set up where would i find this third party power supply

DONT GET IT IT COMPLETLEY BROKE MY WHOLE SETUP BASE RIM AND PEDALS AND IT VOIDED MY WARRENTY TOO

Highlands Long is such a good map

I hope that will be this year 🙄

So long as a PSU of true 180W or greater is used there will be NO difference, all it has to do is supply 7.5A @24V. (A *very cheap* PSU may not be a true 180W or able to deliver that power for long periods but there is nothing special about them)

You will void the warranty.

@@RedLP5000S I guess my question is how would they know. I've ordered on the normal psu and will upgrade at a later date

@@BazippysVideos maybe they record the power levels and will know if its been at a higher wattage without record of sale or connection to the fanatec brand psu. im sure they have some way, but i hope we can figure it out bc I'm not paying that much for a damn power supply that doesnt even make a quarter of the power my platinum rated computer psu makes for half the cost... i hate those little tricks and scams, why not just sell the damn psu at a fair price or let people use their own. screw them

@@avgvstvs96 I thought that, but its possible and not illegal to borrow your friends upgraded power supply whilst he isnt using his wheel. Its entirely possible to buy a second hand one at some point etc. They wouldnt be able to prove it wasnt a fanatec power supply by recoding power levels.

Every sim has its own strength. Project Cars 2 has the best representation of actual races, AC has the best mods and Forza 7 has the best car selection. I play mostly Forza because I like production cars and old race cars, and PC2 and AC (especially ACC) are all about boring modern race cars.

@@dimakor5914 Production cars and old race cars are available in vaster quantities in ac because of the mods. All the new engine tweaks, enhancements, graphical mods rivaling that of skyrim, the extended physics and now scripted mods really make it the top tarmac racing sim if you're on PC and have a full rig; it just ticks the most boxes. Seriously, the mods are insane; my AC folder alone is 313gb. ACC is the one that's all about those "boring modern race cars",and it does it the best since its a dedicated GT3/GT4 sim.

@@env3ee I don't like modern pure race cars because they drive like some arcade racing game. Super stable, almost no suspension play, traction control, ABS, safe behavior similar to Golf GTI... Boring. But switch to formula 1960s in Forza 7, you will work your ass off just to stay on the road, barely. This cars are beasts. And there are many cars like this in Forza 7, almost none in PC sims.

​@@dimakor5914 AC, ACC, RF2, Iracing etc are the real driving simulators made to mimic irl racing, complete with good physics, suspension etc; pro drivers use these sims to maintain skill... And you can turn off the traction control and ABS but why would you, those exist in the actual race cars.(just go with older cars without the TC and ABS) Forza, gran turismo, f1 etc are great games but are closer to the sim side; still very much has arcade elements. AC with extended physics and tweaked FFB is probably the best tarmac racing sim out there; Nico Rosberg uses the game for his track guides

I couldn't stand the table clamp that fanatec designed. I don't think it could even handle the 8nm without pulling its self off the table. And there's just so much flex too. I 3d printed my own stand that's little more than a wedge with t-nut slots and holes for clamps. So much better. And in the DIY spirit, I've got a power supply coming in for $50 that I'm going to put the proper connector on and run 8nm. Should run cooler than the $150 pack from fanatec too since it has an aluminum body for heat dissipation.

Great video, as always. I was going to buy the 5NM before watching this, but now I think the 8NM is definitely worth the extra $$. Do you have an affiliate link for those of us across the pond in the US? Or will you still get credit if we use the link above that takes us to the EU site?

Same link should work thanks 👍

@@GamerMuscleVideos Can you give some hints about the new RRforcefeedback? Oh, and by the way I'AM the real Egghead.

What FFB settings do you use for AC? Gain, Kerbs, ABS etc.... Do you have a screenshot of what you use?

Yah those settings are good with all Sims to be honest 👍😎

@@GamerMuscleVideos Thanks mate 👍🏻

Hopefully they do a PS5 version with wheel and pedals like the CSL-E wheel they did

It has the best FFB for feeling the road texture curbs and suspension compression but its ffb is really bad for feeling front end grip in specifc situations and when you get up onto the limit the FFB is not very informative it just goes a bit flat. AC1 FFB tells you prity much everything you need to know inorder to drive fast from the FFB alone.

Dima Kor i have the an issue with rFactor 2, when i try to use my Simucube it has this crazy feeling as if no ffb then hit a curb and goes wild, any ideas what i could be doing wrong

@@Simlife101 Consider I couldn't even set up my racing wheel, I have no idea. I never had any problems with it in any other racing game.

Or you can ruin your life like i did and spend alot more on a simucube pro lol...great price for the 8nm for sure though!!! Congrats in advance if you get one! :)

Is your table very large?

@@mrfrancy0154 maybe 2 meter wide and 60cm deep. Solid table in wood

Thats my plan you will prob get a few quid for the 5mn one too

they ship only one power supply if you order together with boost kit.

He is saying order the CSL DD 5nm wheelbase and then separately order the $149 8nm PSU. You only spend $20 more that way and gain a second power supply as either a backup or to sell. Although the value of the 5nm PSU if you wanted to sell it would not be great and not many people would need to buy the 5nm one separately, unless to have as a backup.

@@jonferraez I see, i read it wrong way. The 5 NM PS will be worth near to nothing of course.

@@Superstocker669 He means as he says, if he starts to have issues he can test it with the 5NM pack to see if it is a power supply issue if it is he will have a spare pack to keep him going while he waits for a new power supply. Good idea to be fair

It should work with all those simulators yes , the same compatablity as G27 and much better FFB than a g27 but it also costs much more. Hope that helps ☕👍

I also did do you know when your going to get it?

@@ponas9767 I predordered it too and got no notice on when I’ll get it but fanatec said they will star shipping in the third quarter of the year which is between July and September. I’m guessing 1st and 2nd wave buyers will get priority but I can’t imagine anyone getting theirs until late July at the very very earliest. I hope I’m wrong

@@harryeyre1322 i got confirmation from fanatec that the first and second wave will be getting thiers between august and september. The third wave will be getting theirs between oktober and november. Personalrum i Will get mine in mod oktober

Be careful guys, this package with rim and pedals is around 1.000€... For a litle more money you can get an authentic powerful DD

@@sergi7610 no because if you buy a dd1, dd2 or simucube you still have to buy pedals and a rim aswell so it will cost around 1500-1700$. Whilst i bought pedals+rim+base+high power pack for 850$. Thats half as much.

I think it makes lots of sense, because it makes them a lot of money

this is a short sighted view, they're clearly clawing back from selling the 5nm at low margin. This floods the market and gives customers the option to upgrade. look at other products like Xbox charge £125 for a SSD

Try ANY direct drive and you will understand what you are missing with those belts .....

Yeah they are exactly the same lol, you'll have to tweak it though as they changed the socket :P

Funny I have used AC with Every DD on the market and for information that's important to driving it's easily the best. RF2 has better suspension and tire flex feel but lacks specifc details of load and rotation at the limit with a ton of cars.

If you didnt see the big pop up stating FACT maybe watch again, he clearly means this as in his opinion and we all know FFB is a subjective thing. Hot lapping around nord is amazing and have the most fun on that track in AC.

You can order the 8nm Boost Kit separately. I did, and it costs $20 plus tax and $12 shipping. Fanatec wouldn't let me order a separate Boost Kit on the original CSL DD order, to save shipping. But it did allow me to make a separate order for it. Now Fanatec won't let me put either item into my cart now, since I've already purchased both. Remember one per customer. My Boost Kit PSU has already shipped. But the CSL DD and 5nm PSU won't ship until September. I wanted the additional PSU so that my 5-6 yr old grandkids can drive it. You know how they always hit a LOT of walls. I didn't want them to hurt their fingers/hands when they do. My 10 yr old grandson can probably handle the 8nm.

@@anticommoncore4065 you can turn down the max torque tho

It's allowing them to sell a DD wheel base at the same price as a CSLE with it then having an upgrade option to a CSW 2.5 spec DD If they just sold it for say 500 with the larger psu then they would have to keep making and selling the CSLE. I'd rather them do what they are doing than just sell the same product for 5+ years.

Hi @@GamerMuscleVideos "If they just sold it for say 500 with the larger psu" Why 500? It's a 10€/20€ price difference for them (Fanatec) they could just sell the wheel base for 360/370 and make *the same amount of profit*. Instead they make us buy a lower rated (Downgraded) PSU then put a hefty mark up, well over retail, price on the PSU the unit was designed for leaving us with a redundant lower rated PSU. It's a marketing ploy, as others have said of 'decoy pricing' and a way to make more profits. Whilst not illegal it does not make it a 'good deal' for the customer. I, and I'm sure many will, purchase my own 180+W PSU at a far cheaper 'honest' price. (And it will NOT negate the warranty btw *unless* it could be proved the PSU caused the fault)

I think you have to see it more like how a game console is sold , in that the 350 version is sold much closer to cost but alows people to get into the eco system the CSL DD is better than a CSLE with the basic power supply and better than a CSWB 2.5 but sold for close to same price.

Yah but you will save a ton of money from not going outside and being locked in your simrig so its a net win !

WRC wheel is probably the lightest. BMW is quite heavy

The McLaren GT3 V3 is actually one of their lightest.

faster response times

@@jewulo hmm but why would it have faster response time?

How do you know when you dont even own one lol

@@iDTecKt but I do own one

You'll have no trouble selling the Elite to a Playstation user. Hopefully the DD works out better for you. To me, even with the boost pack, it feels like a CSL Elite. Went back to CSW 2.5.

@@theonlyegg are you sure? don´t you feel any difference between CSW and DD?

So a 30 year old with back surgery done just last month and knowing for the most part how this works..yes you might lose a little detail but for the most part its really subjective...and it be best to just keep it where its comfortable for your back.

That is correct

Do you use FFBClip? That made AC pretty close to rFactor for me, though rFactor is still my preference.

Yeah I was surprised to hear praise for AC's FFB. It shows the topic is very much about personal preference and debatable, but I have seen most prefer ACC's or rF2's feeling. I personally felt AC's FBB is missing some elements compared to rF2 (on G29 and CSL Elite), but I probably haven't oozed out every bit of potential of AC's settings yet.

Indeed I just double checked mine and it's the exact same specs as the power brick of the DD. Glad I didn't pay 100+ euros extra for the 8nm version lol.

@@misterdog7 not that easy idiots lol. Next your weak as csl elite doesn't even run more then 5nm anyways so your power supply still isn't efficient duh idiots.

RF2 it massively depends on the specifc car , RF2 the FFB details can be quite lacking at times once you get onto the limit with RF2s FFB mostly being suspension Noise and load. RF2 feels like more is going on with the FFB but it can lack the sense of seat of the pants G load at the times that are most important. RF2 feels more impressive and immersive in its ffb but AC gives you more information to actually drive from especially on slow corners going over crests. I think ACs tire model I think is less "advance" in certain ways but in other ways it handles transient situations and specifically how a car moves at the limit really well. RF2 & AC probably the best two Sims for FFB with a DD wheel though.

This is what I'm thinking too. In the end it is just a normal 20€ ebay power supply that is being sold at 100 or 150 euros which is pretty crazy.

it surely will have a sort of chip lock or someting.

It was at max ffb in this video on both the 5nm and 8nm modes

@@GamerMuscleVideos Max in the wheelbase and in the sim at the same time? My wrists would hurt after a few minutes!

Wave 2 is now open

Wheel can live on the wheel base for a billion years. Lots of people never remove the wheel they happen to have , QR is just to allow you to swap wheels quickly if you want to.

Where can you get it for $25?

Maxing out FFB just gives you clipping