Example Setups – Hardware, Sims & RaceLab
These example setups give you a starting point for common situations – from simple 1080p single screens to high-end triples and VR with streaming. Pick the one closest to your PC and screens, then adjust using the PC Specs & Baseline, CPU / GPU Tuning and RaceLab Performance Tips pages.
- Match your hardware to a tier: Basic, Recommended, High-end or Ultra.
- See a suggested sim graphics preset, FPS cap and RaceLab overlay count.
- Use these as “known good” examples when helping others in Discord.
Basic – 1080p single
Setup 1 – 1080p single screen, no streaming
- Hardware: Older quad-core or entry 6-core CPU, GTX 1060 / RX 580, 8–16 GB RAM, SSD.
- Sims: iRacing, AC, AMS2 on mostly Medium settings.
- FPS target: 60–90 FPS capped at 60 or 72.
- RaceLab overlays: 2–3 core overlays (Relative/Standings + Fuel/Radar).
- Notes: No streaming; keep background apps closed and layouts simple.
Recommended – 1440p / light triples
Setup 2 – 1440p or light triples, overlays only
- Hardware: Modern 6–8 core CPU (i5 / Ryzen 5 or better), RTX 3060 / RX 6700 XT, 16–32 GB RAM.
- Sims: iRacing, ACC, LMU, AMS2 on High with a few heavy options turned down.
- FPS target: 90–120 FPS cap (or monitor refresh minus a few FPS).
- RaceLab overlays: 3–5 overlays (Relative/Standings, Radar, Fuel, maybe Chat or Advanced Panel).
- Notes: No or very light streaming; focus on smooth triples or 1440p single screen.
High-end – streaming
Setup 3 – 1080p/1440p with streaming & overlays
- Hardware: Strong 8-core CPU, RTX 4070+ class GPU, 32 GB RAM, fast NVMe SSD.
- Sims: All major titles on High / Very High at 1080p or 1440p.
- FPS target: 90–144 FPS in-game, stream at 60 FPS (NVENC/AMD encoder).
- RaceLab overlays: Full layout (Standings tower, Relative, Fuel, Radar, Chat, small widgets).
- Notes: Use FPS cap and hardware encoder so streaming doesn’t create stutter spikes.
Ultra / Enthusiast – triples / VR
Setup 4 – High-end triples or VR with streaming
- Hardware: Latest 8–16 core CPU (i9 / Ryzen 9 / Threadripper), RTX 4090/5090 or similar, 64 GB RAM.
- Sims: LMU, ACC, iRacing, rF2, AMS2 at High / Ultra tuned per sim.
- FPS target: 90+ FPS in VR; 100–144 FPS on triples with sensible caps.
- RaceLab overlays: Rich layout but still focused – no unnecessary duplicate info.
- Notes: Designed for VR or big triple rigs with full RaceLab + OBS and possibly extra dashboards.
These examples are not strict rules – they are “known good starting points”. If a user’s PC roughly matches one of these, start there and then fine-tune using the other Performance & FPS pages.
How to choose and adjust an example setup
These example setups are “good starting points”, not strict rules. Use this section to pick the right template, then tune it up or down based on real FPS and how smooth the sim feels with RaceLab running.
Choosing a template
1. Match your PC & screens to a setup
- Identify your hardware tier:
- Basic: Older quad / small 6-core + GTX 1060 / RX 580, 8–16 GB RAM.
- Recommended: Modern 6–8 core + RTX 3060 / RX 6700 XT, 16–32 GB RAM.
- High-end: Strong 8-core + RTX 4070+ class, 32 GB RAM.
- Ultra / Enthusiast: Latest 8–16 core + RTX 4090/5090, 64 GB RAM.
- Confirm your display setup: 1080p single, 1440p, triples, ultrawide, or VR.
- Decide if you stream or record regularly. If yes, ignore the non-streaming template.
- Pick the example from the top of this page that best matches your tier + screens + streaming use.
- Apply that example’s FPS cap, sim preset and overlay count as your baseline.
Tip: When helping people in Discord, ask for their specs, screen type and whether they stream. Then point them to “Setup 1 / 2 / 3 / 4” on this page instead of starting from zero.[1]
Tuning up
2. If FPS is high and stable – tune up slowly
- Check that FPS stays above your target (for example 90 or 120) in heavy conditions: race starts, rain, night, large grids.
- Increase one group of settings at a time: textures, then shadows, then effects – not everything together.
- After each change, test the same scenario again and log the new FPS.
- If FPS is still stable, you can add one more overlay (for example, Chat or an extra info panel).
- Stop tuning up when:
- FPS drops more than ~10–15% in busy scenes, or
- stutters appear when overlays and streaming are both active.
“Tune up” rule:
If it feels smooth and FPS is comfortably above target in bad conditions, you can afford more quality or one extra overlay.
Tuning down
3. If FPS is low or stutters – tune down smartly
- First, test the sim with no overlays and no streaming: if it’s already slow, follow the Sim-Specific FPS Guides for that title.
- If the sim is fine alone but slow with overlays, switch to your lightweight RaceLab layout (Relative + Fuel or Radar only).
- If streaming makes it much worse:
- Switch to hardware encoders (NVENC / AMD).
- Lower stream resolution or FPS (for example 900p / 30 FPS).
- Keep the in-game FPS cap reasonable (90–120, not uncapped).
- Drop only the heaviest options first: triple-screen super sampling, Ultra shadows, ray-tracing, or huge AI grids.
- When the system feels stable again, save a new “Safe” preset for that hardware tier.
“Tune down” rule:
Always remove heavy effects and duplicate overlays before sacrificing core clarity or critical information overlays.
4. Recommended overlay counts by hardware tier
Use this as a rough guideline for how many RaceLab overlays to run at once.
| Tier | Typical use | Recommended overlays |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | 1080p single screen, no streaming. | 2–3 core overlays (Relative or Standings, + Fuel or Radar). |
| Recommended | 1440p or light triples, little or no streaming. | 3–5 overlays (Relative/Standings, Radar, Fuel, + 1–2 extra widgets). |
| High-end | 1080p/1440p with streaming, more complex layouts. | 5–7 overlays, including full timing tower + a few smaller panels. |
| Ultra / Enthusiast | Triples or VR with streaming, big rigs. | 7–9 overlays, but still avoid redundant or rarely-used panels. |
Tip: More overlays are not always better. A smaller, well-chosen layout is easier to read, cheaper on performance, and simpler to support for new users.[2]