Simagic Alpha Mini vs. Asetek La Prima | Toughest Comparison Yet

[@sorkrot]

dude you are by far the best on youtube. esp this video, hitting exactly the questions when it comes to comparison. very very underrated creator. thank you for your time and attention really appreciate it. i'm still contemplating between the mini or the regular alpha, but its definitely simagic ecosystem for me for sure

[@darthsnape]

Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed the video 😄

[@untrainedprofessionals2374]

Could not agree more. I can't think of anyone else that hits the mark every time, 100% should be racking up more subs.

[@darthsnape]

@@untrainedprofessionals2374 Here's to hoping that my consistency pays off!

[@kevinblythe2192]

As you commented in the video 18 , 22 and 24 bit encoders are all considered 'high resolution' encoders so in a practical sense, produce virtually identical results in these motors. However on the other hand, 15 bit encoders as used in the R5, R9 and R12 are considered 'medium resolution' and the difference is much more noticeable. You get what you pay for I guess .. but I'm sure happy with my Mini + GT Neo + VRS pedals. Awesome combo.

[@darthsnape]

Correct! Also, great setup you have there.

[@asSIMuNation]

Except that it isn't even 15 bit as advertised. Easily proven if you teardown the wheelbase and see the chip on the PCB. There's a photo of it being circulated on FB.

[@TooliusTech]

Sick review.. just ordered my Mini + GT Neo + P1000i with throttle and brake hydraulic upgrades and the haptic motors from VRH :)

[@darthsnape]

Thank you, and congratulations on your new setup!

[@abhishekgoel2115]

Bhai how much did it cost you i am also thinking the same setup

[@TooliusTech]

@@abhishekgoel2115 the base and wheel was 94k and the pedals were about 1L iirc. The inverted pedals were 72k or so and the brake upgrade was about 23k and the throttle upgrade was about 17k. The cockpit was 45k and its pretty nice !

[@Tommy_G29]

Very helpful comparison, thanks!

[@darthsnape]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Chader9]

Great review with some worthwhile segments that others skip or gloss over. I considered both of these bases as well as the middle Alpha (15nm) that I bought. Mini to La Prima seemed like an easy win for the Mini to me, based on price as a key factor at least. It's notably less than the La Prima and according to yours and other reviews, the Mini punches above it's weight class (torque & other specs). I also happen to like the overall Simagic product line better than Asetek so it was a easy selection for me (other than choosing between Mini & regular Alpha's). Overall I can say that I am rather pleased with the state of sim racing hardware as the quality and depth of products we can choose between is impressive. There's a nice range of good options at a wide price range. Great time to be a sim racer. Thanks for the quality review video.

[@darthsnape]

I agree. A lot of products are in the market with fantastic offerings. It's a great time to be a sim-racer!

[@buddy5088]

I owned the Logitech G Pro, Simagic Alpha, and now the Invicta base. The details on the Invicta is amazing. I miss Trueforce on the Logitech G Pro. Especially in IRacing. Great review bro.

[@darthsnape]

Thanks! And those are quite the bases. If you don't mind me asking, what made you switch?

[@buddy5088]

The lack of wheels and echo system from Logitech made me switch from the G Pro. I purchased a second hand Alpha after the G Pro. I tested a friends Invicta setup and fell in love. So much more detail and no clipping at all. I should say I play mostly IRacing, AC, AMS2, LMU, and ACC. Too be honest, I miss the detail from the Logitech G Pro Trueforce the most. Unfortunately, not all games support it but it felt incredible in games such as IRacing and ACC.

[@darthsnape]

@@buddy5088 Ah man. Logitech's lack of wheels and accessories is heartbreaking. I have been waiting on their wheels for so long. Something tells me, it might never come out :(

[@DrR1pper]

@@buddy5088 do you think the difference in what you feel from the ffb from the invicta and alpha enough to make you think there is likely to be a sufficient difference also from the smaller motor of the la prima and forte too versus the alpha? Also, which pedals have you tried too and which did you decide on using? Many thanks!

[@buddy5088]

⁠@@DrR1pper I’ve never tested the Laprima or Forte bases so I really can’t give you an accurate answer. I can tell you the Invicta provides more details than the Alpha. The wheel feels more “alive”. I lower the slew rate when driving F1 cars in IRacing as the detail and snappiness is pretty crazy. Assuming the forte and laprima are the same, the Asetek base provides more detail. There are tons of reviews out there. Watch them all and make your own conclusion. Boosted media has a review as well where he tests his Simucube 2 Ultimate vs the Invicta. He concluded that both had similar FFB but Invicta had a bit more of the little details. That’s saying something as the SC2U is a 3k base. At the end of the day, 99% of users will be happy with most wheels. I loved the Logitech G Pro wheelbase and the TruForce details it provided. The lack of ecosystem and 12m FFB cap was the reason I upgraded.

[@bobboberton1841]

Great video. I was leaning toward the Asetek, but the reason I looked elsewhere is the non-standard mounting requiring the purchase of a their base (or get the drill out) and their wheel choices turned me off. I hear it is a great wheel base though. Also, am a fan of the NRG QR over the others. Also, would the Alpha U (23nm) or the Forte (18nm) be the better choice? The Alpha U is less expensive when considering purchasing a new wheel deck, and price of the wheel (or price of the adapter to put non Asetek wheel on).

[@Chader9]

Indeed. In my own search & price comparison, the Asetek is more expensive directly (or indirectly via add-ons) just as you mention. I get that they are essentially founded on the older Simucube tech and have that benefit, but as shown in this video the other companies (Simagic in this instance) have largely closed those old gaps down to marginal differences. And just like you, I find the aesthetics of Asetek just unsightly. The wheels have a toy-like quality and their take on pedals is partly one dimensional for setup and adjustments. I get that some people actually like that stuff, but it seemed to be an over-premium price for the offering compared to Simagic specifically at all levels of the product lines.

[@darthsnape]

Asetek is the expensive one, but if putting consumer's perspective over everything else, Simagic has decent options with good balance of price and performance. And yes, the non standard front mount being a requirement can be seen as an issue amongst lot of people.

[@Thorkell_Joms]

I recommend you to watch "HEAD TO HEAD REVIEW - Asetek SimSports Invicta VS. Forte Direct" You will find explained that Asetek Forte has the same details that Invicta but the little details more numb and why +20nm are useful with the base capped at 50-70% because you have more dynamic range to feel the lows more alive. So for me, Alpha Ultimate because his competitor is not the Forte but the Invicta. And the comments of that video talking about Simagic are worth to read, the software really evolved in 1 year.

[@kevinblythe2192]

The Simagic ecosystem is hands down THE best even if you don't choose their pedals ....so there's that .. Overall, bang for buck is excellent.

[@Chader9]

@@kevinblythe2192 agreed, the pedals seemed interesting to me at first, but quality issues and some design/setup issues with them keep me from wanting to add them to my system. All their other gear rips though.

[@Thorkell_Joms]

Thanks for the amazing work (best video comparison of these two brands) and answering me at Reddit. I heard that before, that Tire slippage is very noticeable on Simagic and road details a bit more alive on Asetek from other youtubers that tested them, both very good overall. If same price for Simagic Alpha Ultimate and Asetek Forte (the 18nm) what would you choose? :P Simagic top tier vs Forte because Invicta is more than 1500€… And the Forte Formula wheel is 700€ here on Europe :’( USA has really good prices.

[@bobboberton1841]

Wondering the same thing. Alpha U is cheaper than the Forte when all costs are considered. (at lest where I live).

[@darthsnape]

If I had to pick between those two, I'll pick the Alpha U, mainly because of the QR. There's nothing wrong with Asetek's, I just like the loud mechanical clank. Wheel wise, I think both are doing good?

[@Thorkell_Joms]

Yes, I prefer the less expensive simagic QR and lesser profile than Asetek and Simucube with their support mount for my rig. I find Asetek problem is the Formula La Prima wheel that feels cheap for 400€ (you can see the toy encoders saying you "you pleb have not paid more for the formula Forte") and you can't add clutch paddles, only to Forte wheel. But I like the Formula Forte aesthetic (screams quality) and wheel buttons distribution a lot. It is sad that it’s 700€ at Europe vs 330€ GT Neo, kills my budget and I still need an Asetek QR for a cheap round rim. I can buy brake haptics, shh shifter, handbrake, button box for that difference. The formula La Prima is not up to day functionality to the competition (Moza KS and GT Neo).

[@reviewforthetube6485]

So the la prima isnt worth paying more for. Makes sense. Im all about tires its the no1 thing you need for racing. You need to know exactly when the slip is happening for corrections. Its literally the 1 thing thats most important with the base. Simagic is special very special with there snap in comaprison to any other brand out there. Simagic has the fastest response of any base ive used which is why encoders dont need to be like asetek says. These bases are so close just get the simagic. Its better priced the wheel gt neo is better priced. Its worth getting over the asetek. But this is how good simagic has gotten 3 years ago it wouldnt have been close. But yesh suspension and snap is most important in a wheel. Thats also what i found as i told you before. I said i liked simagic more then simucube because of the snap. And simucbe and asetke are identical there. There is also a reason why simagic is also the drift king. Did i not tell you that the simagic was that good? And that media makes peoppe believe asetek is this new king that can beat everything haha. Im like no no simagic is as good as simucube and asetek period lol. Simagic wheelspeed and response is there slewratw they dont mention it but they stated thats because to them its firction and speed which is what they go by. Again its why it can response to grip so fast which tells us? Its response time is extremely good and its slew rate is just as high.

[@asSIMuNation]

Totally on point... More people need to know this. Social media can be a curse at times too

[@robertcarr4172]

I trust Boosted Medias opinions above all.

[@reviewforthetube6485]

@@robertcarr4172 I don't at all. All he cares about is details on bumps. He never talks about loading and uploading feel or the edge of grip. He's not a competative racer. He just talks about details. Details that aren't anything that helps you. Also he legit said that he had a falling out with simagic due to a worker being mean to his friend. He legit admitted to being bias towards not liking them in a video he made 6 months ago. So how can you trust him when he bashed how a wheel felt and admitted to being bias due to his freind being treated bad? Now all of a sudden simagic is ok to him and better? No sry can't trust people that let emotions into there reviews.

[@egbertadam7637]

simagic is the one for me looks better more stuff to add on

[@julienbrightwell]

Rlly good review gonna get a get Neo and a alpha mini

[@darthsnape]

Thanks and congratulations!

[@badgeud5709]

Even with the new settings from Asetek, do the rally games feel weird?

[@darthsnape]

My answer won't be applicable to all, but yes, the game feels a bit off. Even after reducing the slew rate, the friction doesn't decrease. It causes a tremendous delay in ffb, which can be felt easily. The base is too responsive for rally titles. You *can* get used to it, but I believe Asetek tailor made all their bases for circuit racing primarily.

[@badgeud5709]

@@darthsnape Ok thanks.

[@Verbal91]

@@darthsnape The settings screenshot in the post at 6:34 bears no relation to the EA WRC settings on their blog. The screen shot looks random, 180 degree steering lock in rally? The blog has 540 degrees lock and 4.0 Nm/s slew rate for example.

[@darthsnape]

@Verbal91 Now that you have mentioned it, that does seem odd. They might change it up on YT community? 🤔

[@parthivroy817]

11:30 I suppose Encoder makes a greater difference at higher torques as compared to lower torques.

[@darthsnape]

About to find out soon. Might pitch Invicta against Alpha U. Might….

[@Max__apex]

Encoder makes no difference. You have zero understanding of enforcers and limitations in terms of overshoot, electrical noise , etc……. Talking about encoder with zero understanding can lead to wrong information for non engineers in electrical industry.

[@parthivroy817]

@@Max__apex there was a word 'suppose' in my comment.

[@shyamkapoor52]

hey u seeem like u are from india i really need help how to buy the sim gears in india

[@darthsnape]

Hi there, you can visit Virtualracinghub.com and buy it from there.

[@Max__apex]

The Alpha mini amazing….. very strong and the best base. Better then my Alpha which has too much power and kicks too much. These base are designed to run 150’C operating in industrial applications that move heavy loads all day every day in factories.

[@darthsnape]

Interesting. Why do you think mini is better than Alpha?

[@Max__apex]

@@darthsnape The Mini has more than enough power to drive with finesse and react to oversteer. Clipping is not an issue as running higher in game FFB does not matter because split second peak only happened when hitting kerbs or car jumps up. In that instance no finesse is needed as the car is bouncing and the wheel is kicking left and right. With the fast slew rate the force can return unison with game telemetry instantly. Mini turned up with filters very low so that all game data comes through undamped and intended as the game telemetry in perfect way is ideal. I saw u run a bit of damping and inertia…. I don’t run anything only game telemetry for FFB. And it’s very direct and crisp. Mini can give that directness very nicely and quickly with nice power.

[@JC0894]

@@darthsnape coping

[@Max__apex]

@@reviewforthetube6485 High power is not what makes ffb good ….. fast speed and knowing what is happening makes ffb good. Driving fast got to be reactive and smooth and precise. Top end power is not it and I wish I got the Mini as I don’t use Alpha to high power. Why don’t u but a new plug ???

[@Max__apex]

@@reviewforthetube6485 So what are you going to do with the ultimate when u get it back ?? On a real you don’t need 23nm don’t need 15nm. Mini is perfect

[@unotoli]

Great job - cinema, personal approach, tech.depth! Missing bits / ideas, if you will, that may make your reviews even more complete: 1) Always mention wheels and their compared weight. It makes a big difference on FFB. If possible, use same rim via adaptors. 2) Expand your comparison FFB titles: iR, AC, ACC, rF2/LMU, Rally, BeamNG. There will be surprises that will tell more info about wheels and make your review more applicable to wider audience. 3) A rally simcade (EA) or slow car (soft suspension) in any sim won't tell you a detailed story. Fast cars, hard suspension - will. At least GT3 cars (ACC vs iR) or open-wheels formulas will open your eyes on 10vs16vs20Nm. 4) Nobody cares about wrestling with wheels, limiting force at 8-12Nm, but real king of the show is SlewRate that comes with more powerful motors (and amplifiers that drive them). Drive LaPrima vs Forte vs Invicta in GT3 and you will see the difference. We need power to switch directions, to draw sharp picture that don't get blurry. 5) Slew rate info is there for many wheels and there are tools to measure it (at least relatively). Same as - there is a way to measure holding torque, if you really want to dig the answer which wheel is more powerful. 6) LaPrima is upgradable to Forte. So adding it to comparison, along with clear competitor(s) from Fanatec - would add huge value to the review. 7) Price is huge factor. Rims, pedals and other ecosystem is equally if not more important than price of base itself. Viewers are lazy while you already made huge efforts - just add lowest and optimal config. 8) Find a local pro-simracer and just a random guy and convince them to give 2nd or 3rd opinion into the mix ;)

[@Chader9]

Sounds like you need to start your own review channel ;) I get your ideas, but they would drastically increase the time & effort of doing a video with them included.

[@darthsnape]

@unotoli Thank you very much for taking the time out to write this. You pointed out some really good things I missed on. I did mention the upgradability part (La prima to forte), but you are right. I need to widen my comparison. I have been putting iRacing off for a while now solely because of the subscription model, but I'll give it a try. ACC has been looking real good, just waiting for the next steam sale.

[@asSIMuNation]

Simagic now has 360hz FFB on iracing... Not even Asetek has that. Only simucube but that's going cost more

[@Chader9]

@asSIMuNation Logitech also has 360hz avaliable for the G923 and G PRO models. So it's 3 brands with it now (Logitech, Simucube and Simagic). David Tucker from iRacing said he is also discussing it with other brands but he wouldn't list them specifically.

[@guccibangs9216]

Where can i get your malenia wallpaper?

[@darthsnape]

Here you go. drive.google.com/file/d/1Pu-AN3VrX17wtAK7tYUfFboht_FGrlV0/view?usp=sharing