Hugely helpful and informative, very interested to see how the CSL DD stacks up with this. Heres to hoping it may be finally time to jump ship from Fanatec!
Well the simagic m10 is defeniteley way stronger then the csl dd. I asked boosted media directly. He just said that the csl dd was way smoother, but that being said that means this will be powerfull and smooth.
The first thing my wife said when she tried it was "Wow it's smooth, almost too smooth". Smoothness is no longer a factor with SIMAGIC Alpha units, it just comes down to how much strength you will want/need.
Just canceled my csl dd order because of this review and the links you shared showing the games it’s working with… Thanks I’m excited even though I’m going to jerry rig my gt lite rig to use it
some feedback, your voice and accentuation could be improved, a little too mono-tone, but on the review side, it was excellent, keep up the vids and you'll get a big channel soon! Nice Job!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this well thought out but simple review! Definitely tipped the scale more in favor for me to purchase it as to getting other budget friendly dd wheels. Thank you!
Concise and very informative. I ordered mine today. The only thing I wish is that my Fanatec F1 eSports wheel and McLaren GT3 wheel were compatible. I do love those wheels. Anyways, great video and subscribed!
I’ve read some talk of people converting them to USB and switching out the QR to make them work with the alpha mini, but I have no first hand experience with that
Simple, short, straight to the point, great review! Thank you! I have a G29 and just purchased the Alpha Mini! It'll be here mid January. Since I have zero experience with DD wheels, could you please share somehow a screen shot of your ACC and AC settings in Alpha Manager? It'd be a great starting point for me! Thank you again!
@@ubufamily I have had about 10 hours on it so far and I'm very impressed, its super smooth and I now actually feel connected to the car I'm driving! I was worried that I would get lost in the tuning but I'm happy with T3NOSIS basic profile, even the simagic stock profiles work fine. I'm finding myself putting up the AI strength now that I can actually win races consistently. my poor old g27 is not even comparable, saying that that's all I can compare to.
@@ubufamily Out of curiosity I would love to see a comparison between the Fantec CSL DD and the Alpha Mini. saying that I can't even get Fanatec products where I live anyway haha
@@JaredPaul01 Yea, they seem to be very close indeed :) Fanatec CSL DD has a waiting time till 23rd Nov in Europe atm.. I personally would be most interested how the Mini and CSL DD compare in AC drifting
Thanks for your review! Super helpful! When u use it for a long time like 1h-2h without stop it gets too hot? Or it cools right? Thanks! I was looking for the csl dd but now this base is in my top list!
My unit has become fairly warm with longer play sessions, but nothing concerning. The unit can become heat soaked over time due to the passive cooling design, but never became too hot where FFB performance was compromised or the unit burned my hands when touching it. Temperatures generally average out between 40-60 degrees, which can feel quite hot when touching the unit but is well within spec (Motor can safely run at 100°+).
absolutely brilliant review, best ive seen. one question. do you know if this will go on my gt omega titan rig? i had the csl dd mounted to it and i think you mentioned it being the same bolt pattern?
I have the Alpha with GT1 bundle on order. Does this info transfer well apart from it being a stronger base? I've also seen the new software changes everything but everyone that reviewed a Simagic hasn't made a follow up. From your experience will this change my life compared to the csl dd 8nm I'm using currently. Your Canadian, right? If so nice to see more Canadians reviewing sim gear.
Hi T3KNOSIS, Alpha combo vs Alpha Mini combo. Trying to decide between these two. Combo difference with GT1 wheel is $220. There are many individual reviews but unable to find any direct comparison review or youtube video. Games are AC/ACC/AMS2/RF2/DR2.0 i enjoy driving all types of vehicles. What would be the deciding factor between these bases and why would a person buy one over the other...? Thanks.
Thanks for the review been waiting on this, I didn’t order the mounting brackets do you need them to Mount it or are there mounting holes underneath the unit? TIA
Hi T3knosis. previously, i followed your guide to set AC for drift based on your M10 video. Now im using alpha mini, does your AC FFB setup changes or maintains the same with the previous M10 setup in AC FFB? THanks. Love ur vids.
I have some settings for the Mini posted here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTi0IM--0L1y7ECOk_yXe50o6jOAA1wk5kytYlQUOWhqq24b_0C_fwBt8txDmMbGJ6QFCCWjhYOiBdS/pubhtml
Quality review man, wonder since m10 was replace. Wonder if Alpha will be replace as well in the future 🤔. Heard it's great but some people maybe prefer a bit more of a grunts since the price is more or less to VRS direct pro, simcube sport and dd1. (I'm comparing in Australia prices).
I believe the M10 was a trial run (SIMAGIC aims to be one of the best and the M10 probably wasn't cutting it). The Alpha series are the units going forward with no sign of them being replaced. Everything is unified under 1 roof this way, which makes production/development much simpler and cheaper. If they eliminated the Alpha units, SIMAGIC would have to redesign their whole lineup and software which isn't in their best interests.
@@DavidGarcia-oi5nt Took about 2 weeks to setup properly, and the fidelity is so much better than all offerings in the same price point. But I think what I'm missing is the last bit of detail that he mentions in the video.
The Alpha Mini outperforms the CSL DD. It's stronger, more detailed, and because it uses a true servo motor, it's just as smooth as Simucube (no notches whatsoever).
Thanks for the detailed review man, Planning to order one from simfai. Since you have previous experience with simagic products such as M10, should i buy extended warranty for 2 years? (it costs +300$)
I originally bought the M10. Currently have the Alpha Mini with GT1 and GT4 wheels, Simagic Sequential Shifter, and Simagic Emergency Stop button. I never bothered with extended warranty. DD motors are made to last a long time. Any issues you may experience will most likely happen in the first year which is covered by the normal warranty. It's really up to you if you want that reassurance.
Considering buying the GT4 premium usb wheel for my alpha because I want those hard grips instead of the alcantara. Did you need to buy a cable to give power to the wheel through the QR? I want to use the wireless function instead of the usb, but I dont know if the premium usb version comes with a cable for wireless power. If not, do you know which kind of cable it is?
@Sercoo There are 3 Versions of the GT4 wheel. The basic version with Alcantara grips (Wireless), The Premium Carbon Fiber version with Wireless connection (Like Mine), and The Premium Carbon Fiber USB version which requires a cable. You can contact your local Distributor to make sure you get the right one.
@20:38: GT4 wheel. Okay, now I am even more confused! 😀 I just posted in another video of yours that there seem to be two versions of the GT4 wheel out there: one with colored knobs and one with black knobs. In the unboxing video you GT4 wheel has colored knobs, yet here it has black ones? 🤔
I have 2 versions. Bought a GT4 Premium Carbon wheel with my mini. Setting up a 2nd rig with the M10 and going to use the colored GT4 on that one. The colored one is an older revision, they all have black knobs now.
Hi there. As a fellow Alpha mini owner who has just upgraded from a M10. Did you find that you had to imcrease gain in sim titles to get similar torque levels.
i just got mine! but everytime i load up into assetto through content manager and get onto the track my wheel gets super stiff. would you happen to know why that is happening?
The Alpha mini arrived today and I am doing a test run at once, but when I play ALPHA Manager's total force of 80 or more with AC and ACC, when a strong recoil occurs, the handle suddenly locks to the left or right and it becomes uncontrollable. .. Do you know the solution?
Hey man I bought a simagic M10 literally 2 weeks before the announcement of the alpha mini. Now the question is : "Is it worth it to pull the trigger on the alpha mini ? " Mostly because even through I love my M10 I always thought that it lacked smoothness which made me a bit disappointed as I didn't exactly felt the revolution that everyone promised me with a dd wheel. Like yes the M10 is strong but it was just a tiny bit smoother than my ts pc in the end. Long story short do you think the alpha mini is a good deal for me or should I aim for the alpha ?
If the M10 is strong enough for you, and you just want a smoother wheel, then the Mini will do just that. If you are looking for more Power on top of Smoothness, then the Alpha would suit your tastes better. The Mini and Alpha are both as smooth as a simucube, it's a matter of how much strength you want/need. Yes, I think the mini is a worthy upgrade over the M10. The only reason to buy the Alpha, would be if you wanted something stronger than 10Nm.
The track in my video is a modified version of RGB Drift Playground 2021, found here: facebook.com/groups/1410843649241929/permalink/3027396677586610/ Most of my other Drift content comes from here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rvoicuZ7oOyIwIyYyiQcMp3HMIPIoNXG5nvkfWptOmg/edit?pli=1#gid=396865867
@@T3KNOSIS definitely not simucube quality. Simucube wins hands down. My simucube 2 sport has not pins to worry about when putting a wheel on. And came with the kill switch. And has 17nm which allows you to use 4.4-17nm of power.
Quality and strength are two different things. In terms of build quality, the Mini is up there with the best. Some of their Electronics aren't quite as Overkill as the Simucube but are high quality nonetheless. High quality materials are used for all their Hardware. They also design and implement innovative Tech like Wireless Power and Data transmission, which are all housed internally. This design results in a shaft that can be spun forever in one direction without the concern of twisting and breaking wires. It also allows you to quickly and efficiently swap wheels, which can be done mid race without resetting anything or fumbling with USB cables or locking pins for the QR. Even Simucube didn't have a wireless add-on until SIMAGIC launched with the M10, and even now is still inferior compared to the SIMAGIC wireless design (Simucube=Afterthought, SIMAGIC=Designed and built around Wireless Tech). The wireless antenna for the Simcube units are in the rear which can cause signal strength issues depending on your setup (TV or Wheel Deck/Mount can block the signal). The SC2 sport is also 2-3 times the price of the SIMAGIC Alpha Mini, I would hope it comes with more than just the base unit. The Simucube Kill Switch is also plastic, same as the cheap ones on Amazon, whereas the SIMAGIC Kill Switch is housed in aluminum with a nicer button (Not included to help keep costs down). Simucube are the leaders of the Sim Racing industry currently. Copying a well proven design is not a bad thing, and just means SIMAGIC are aiming for Top Tier quality.
I can’t stop watching this review over and over until my mini comes!!
Did it come
@@randymarshprofessionalfarm5818 yes sir! Had it for about 3 months and love it!
You still have it how is it?@@PixelGod240
I keep smiling whenever i jump into ac or acc hahah on the mini! Great review and thank you 🙏
One of the best perspective videos I've seen, Not a let of tech hoopla but end user perspectives. Thank you for this video. Subbed and thumbs up!
Hugely helpful and informative, very interested to see how the CSL DD stacks up with this. Heres to hoping it may be finally time to jump ship from Fanatec!
Why are you so eager to jump ship
Well the simagic m10 is defeniteley way stronger then the csl dd. I asked boosted media directly. He just said that the csl dd was way smoother, but that being said that means this will be powerfull and smooth.
The first thing my wife said when she tried it was "Wow it's smooth, almost too smooth".
Smoothness is no longer a factor with SIMAGIC Alpha units, it just comes down to how much strength you will want/need.
I have the original m10 and may need to sell to get the mini
@@trevz1048 alpha mini > csl dd
Finally!! Thanks man 😊
Just canceled my csl dd order because of this review and the links you shared showing the games it’s working with…
Thanks I’m excited even though I’m going to jerry rig my gt lite rig to use it
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, real made it easy to get into the simagic universe!
thank you ❤
some feedback, your voice and accentuation could be improved, a little too mono-tone, but on the review side, it was excellent, keep up the vids and you'll get a big channel soon! Nice Job!
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this well thought out but simple review! Definitely tipped the scale more in favor for me to purchase it as to getting other budget friendly dd wheels. Thank you!
Concise and very informative. I ordered mine today. The only thing I wish is that my Fanatec F1 eSports wheel and McLaren GT3 wheel were compatible. I do love those wheels. Anyways, great video and subscribed!
hi, what about the wheels compatibility ? i'm curious before order bundle or only base
I’ve read some talk of people converting them to USB and switching out the QR to make them work with the alpha mini, but I have no first hand experience with that
This video has been super helpful in determining which DD is right for me.
Simple, short, straight to the point, great review! Thank you! I have a G29 and just purchased the Alpha Mini! It'll be here mid January. Since I have zero experience with DD wheels, could you please share somehow a screen shot of your ACC and AC settings in Alpha Manager? It'd be a great starting point for me! Thank you again!
I have settings for both titles here:
bit.ly/3tfKOE2
@@T3KNOSIS thank you, you are a friend, you have gained a direct subscriber from São Paulo - Brazil
Thanks for all the details !
Nice break down of information, I have my Alpha mini arriving any day! should be quite the upgrade from my g27
Let us know, how it feels :)
@@ubufamily I have had about 10 hours on it so far and I'm very impressed, its super smooth and I now actually feel connected to the car I'm driving! I was worried that I would get lost in the tuning but I'm happy with T3NOSIS basic profile, even the simagic stock profiles work fine. I'm finding myself putting up the AI strength now that I can actually win races consistently. my poor old g27 is not even comparable, saying that that's all I can compare to.
@@JaredPaul01 That's cool :) Thank you for describing the step. I have a g920, can't wait
@@ubufamily Out of curiosity I would love to see a comparison between the Fantec CSL DD and the Alpha Mini. saying that I can't even get Fanatec products where I live anyway haha
@@JaredPaul01 Yea, they seem to be very close indeed :) Fanatec CSL DD has a waiting time till 23rd Nov in Europe atm..
I personally would be most interested how the Mini and CSL DD compare in AC drifting
Great job Dennis!
Thanks!
Great job my man! Appreciate the review! Really informative. Cant wait for mine to arrive
Glad I could help!
Nice review, thanks for the info!
Thanks for watching!
Great video! Very detailed.
Great review! appreciate u testing it for heating since it doesnt have cooling. :D cant wait to receive mine on Monday :)
Definitely looking into the mini but need to find a way to mount to desktop since I don't have a sim yet
Torn between this and the VRS wheel base. Alpha mini has very attractive price especially with one of the wheels but I fear 10Nm would not be enough.
Perhaps the 15Nm Alpha would suit your needs better. I don't like wasting money, so paying for power I'll never use is illogical to me.
Apparently iRacing staff measured the mini at 13Nm.
Thanks for your review! Super helpful! When u use it for a long time like 1h-2h without stop it gets too hot? Or it cools right? Thanks! I was looking for the csl dd but now this base is in my top list!
My unit has become fairly warm with longer play sessions, but nothing concerning. The unit can become heat soaked over time due to the passive cooling design, but never became too hot where FFB performance was compromised or the unit burned my hands when touching it.
Temperatures generally average out between 40-60 degrees, which can feel quite hot when touching the unit but is well within spec (Motor can safely run at 100°+).
Nice one mate thank you
Nice review thanks.
Hi, I have Thrustmaster T248 wheel. Do you know, is it possible to use only t248 pedals (T3PM) conected with SIMAGIC Alpha Mini Base?
Hi, do you mind sharing your updated settings? If you still use alpha mini of course.
Thanks!
absolutely brilliant review, best ive seen. one question. do you know if this will go on my gt omega titan rig? i had the csl dd mounted to it and i think you mentioned it being the same bolt pattern?
I have the Alpha with GT1 bundle on order. Does this info transfer well apart from it being a stronger base? I've also seen the new software changes everything but everyone that reviewed a Simagic hasn't made a follow up. From your experience will this change my life compared to the csl dd 8nm I'm using currently. Your Canadian, right? If so nice to see more Canadians reviewing sim gear.
Would it be possible to mount it on a normal PC desk, as the Fanatec CSL DD?
sometimes it happens that once set the settings return to the initial values and I have to adjust again
Hi T3KNOSIS,
Alpha combo vs Alpha Mini combo.
Trying to decide between these two.
Combo difference with GT1 wheel is $220. There are many individual reviews but unable to find any direct comparison review or youtube video.
Games are AC/ACC/AMS2/RF2/DR2.0
i enjoy driving all types of vehicles. What would be the deciding factor between these bases and why would a person buy one over the other...?
Thanks.
Thanks for the review been waiting on this, I didn’t order the mounting brackets do you need them to Mount it or are there mounting holes underneath the unit? TIA
Ignore that seen that you mention it in the review I’d skipped that part
Hi T3knosis. previously, i followed your guide to set AC for drift based on your M10 video. Now im using alpha mini, does your AC FFB setup changes or maintains the same with the previous M10 setup in AC FFB? THanks. Love ur vids.
I have some settings for the Mini posted here:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTi0IM--0L1y7ECOk_yXe50o6jOAA1wk5kytYlQUOWhqq24b_0C_fwBt8txDmMbGJ6QFCCWjhYOiBdS/pubhtml
@@T3KNOSIS Thanks Sir
@@T3KNOSIS i tried ur drift setup for Alpha Mini, i liked it alot!!! Damn smooth! Thanks
Quality review man, wonder since m10 was replace. Wonder if Alpha will be replace as well in the future 🤔. Heard it's great but some people maybe prefer a bit more of a grunts since the price is more or less to VRS direct pro, simcube sport and dd1. (I'm comparing in Australia prices).
I believe the M10 was a trial run (SIMAGIC aims to be one of the best and the M10 probably wasn't cutting it). The Alpha series are the units going forward with no sign of them being replaced. Everything is unified under 1 roof this way, which makes production/development much simpler and cheaper.
If they eliminated the Alpha units, SIMAGIC would have to redesign their whole lineup and software which isn't in their best interests.
@@T3KNOSIS That's a fair assumption. Hopefully will bring good success tbh
@@T3KNOSIS Guess I was half wrong haha. They release a 23nm Alpha, so pretty much selling across in all range.
Hmmm... Having just bought an m10, maybe get an alpha next year.
Just use it for a while and get your money's worth dude, no reason to sell it right away and lose money.
@@DavidGarcia-oi5nt Took about 2 weeks to setup properly, and the fidelity is so much better than all offerings in the same price point. But I think what I'm missing is the last bit of detail that he mentions in the video.
hello ! would you prefer the mini compared to a fanatac csl dd ? in terms of detail ? im thinking about buying this or the other ..
The Alpha Mini outperforms the CSL DD. It's stronger, more detailed, and because it uses a true servo motor, it's just as smooth as Simucube (no notches whatsoever).
@@T3KNOSIS have it already at home - just had to send back the gt4 wheel because the quickrelease was totally broken
Muchas gracias por tus videos ,es de agradecer toda la información, por lo menos apara mi que daré el paso en la compra de esta base,un saludo
hey man, great video. what size is that display?
50 inch TV.
Thanks for the detailed review man, Planning to order one from simfai. Since you have previous experience with simagic products such as M10, should i buy extended warranty for 2 years? (it costs +300$)
I originally bought the M10. Currently have the Alpha Mini with GT1 and GT4 wheels, Simagic Sequential Shifter, and Simagic Emergency Stop button. I never bothered with extended warranty. DD motors are made to last a long time. Any issues you may experience will most likely happen in the first year which is covered by the normal warranty. It's really up to you if you want that reassurance.
Order one from simfai,,still waiting😊
Considering buying the GT4 premium usb wheel for my alpha because I want those hard grips instead of the alcantara. Did you need to buy a cable to give power to the wheel through the QR? I want to use the wireless function instead of the usb, but I dont know if the premium usb version comes with a cable for wireless power. If not, do you know which kind of cable it is?
@Sercoo There are 3 Versions of the GT4 wheel. The basic version with Alcantara grips (Wireless), The Premium Carbon Fiber version with Wireless connection (Like Mine), and The Premium Carbon Fiber USB version which requires a cable.
You can contact your local Distributor to make sure you get the right one.
@20:38: GT4 wheel. Okay, now I am even more confused! 😀
I just posted in another video of yours that there seem to be two versions of the GT4 wheel out there: one with colored knobs and one with black knobs. In the unboxing video you GT4 wheel has colored knobs, yet here it has black ones? 🤔
I have 2 versions. Bought a GT4 Premium Carbon wheel with my mini. Setting up a 2nd rig with the M10 and going to use the colored GT4 on that one.
The colored one is an older revision, they all have black knobs now.
@@T3KNOSIS (as in the other post) THANKS very much for the explanation!
Hi there. As a fellow Alpha mini owner who has just upgraded from a M10. Did you find that you had to imcrease gain in sim titles to get similar torque levels.
Yes, I explained that in my video. Because of the softer/smoother feel, I had to raise all my settings by 10-20 for Total Force.
i just got mine! but everytime i load up into assetto through content manager and get onto the track my wheel gets super stiff. would you happen to know why that is happening?
adjust the lower speed ffb reduction in content manager
Do you have a profile for AMS2?
Hi mate, is the bracket of alpha base is also compatible with alpha mini?
Yes the Alpha bracket works for both units. I am currently using them on my mini.
Have a question please where can I buy the wheel stand you use
It's the GT Omega ART Cockpit:
www.gtomega.ca/products/art-racing-cockpit
@@T3KNOSIS thank you so much sir
Do know any good table clamp for simagic mini instead of getting gt cockpit
The Alpha mini arrived today and I am doing a test run at once, but when I play ALPHA Manager's total force of 80 or more with AC and ACC, when a strong recoil occurs, the handle suddenly locks to the left or right and it becomes uncontrollable. .. Do you know the solution?
have you solved this problem?
@@michampunkt1353
yeah Already solved xD
@@qurto9097 how did you solve it please
@@magga2646 Yes, please tell us what the problem is.
Hey man I bought a simagic M10 literally 2 weeks before the announcement of the alpha mini. Now the question is : "Is it worth it to pull the trigger on the alpha mini ? "
Mostly because even through I love my M10 I always thought that it lacked smoothness which made me a bit disappointed as I didn't exactly felt the revolution that everyone promised me with a dd wheel. Like yes the M10 is strong but it was just a tiny bit smoother than my ts pc in the end.
Long story short do you think the alpha mini is a good deal for me or should I aim for the alpha ?
If the M10 is strong enough for you, and you just want a smoother wheel, then the Mini will do just that. If you are looking for more Power on top of Smoothness, then the Alpha would suit your tastes better.
The Mini and Alpha are both as smooth as a simucube, it's a matter of how much strength you want/need.
Yes, I think the mini is a worthy upgrade over the M10. The only reason to buy the Alpha, would be if you wanted something stronger than 10Nm.
Your drift settings is too loose, your using fingertips to steer the wheel which is not simulating real life drifting. Go see in car drifting videos.
what is this drift track for ac?
The track in my video is a modified version of RGB Drift Playground 2021, found here:
facebook.com/groups/1410843649241929/permalink/3027396677586610/
Most of my other Drift content comes from here:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rvoicuZ7oOyIwIyYyiQcMp3HMIPIoNXG5nvkfWptOmg/edit?pli=1#gid=396865867
I feel like it’s a copy of simucube 2
Nothing wrong with being simucube quality at a fraction of the price 👌.
@@T3KNOSIS definitely not simucube quality. Simucube wins hands down.
My simucube 2 sport has not pins to worry about when putting a wheel on. And came with the kill switch. And has 17nm which allows you to use 4.4-17nm of power.
Quality and strength are two different things.
In terms of build quality, the Mini is up there with the best. Some of their Electronics aren't quite as Overkill as the Simucube but are high quality nonetheless.
High quality materials are used for all their Hardware. They also design and implement innovative Tech like Wireless Power and Data transmission, which are all housed internally. This design results in a shaft that can be spun forever in one direction without the concern of twisting and breaking wires. It also allows you to quickly and efficiently swap wheels, which can be done mid race without resetting anything or fumbling with USB cables or locking pins for the QR.
Even Simucube didn't have a wireless add-on until SIMAGIC launched with the M10, and even now is still inferior compared to the SIMAGIC wireless design (Simucube=Afterthought, SIMAGIC=Designed and built around Wireless Tech). The wireless antenna for the Simcube units are in the rear which can cause signal strength issues depending on your setup (TV or Wheel Deck/Mount can block the signal).
The SC2 sport is also 2-3 times the price of the SIMAGIC Alpha Mini, I would hope it comes with more than just the base unit. The Simucube Kill Switch is also plastic, same as the cheap ones on Amazon, whereas the SIMAGIC Kill Switch is housed in aluminum with a nicer button (Not included to help keep costs down).
Simucube are the leaders of the Sim Racing industry currently. Copying a well proven design is not a bad thing, and just means SIMAGIC are aiming for Top Tier quality.
Are you wearing a mask?
Wearing a bandanna, no mask.
@@T3KNOSIS it was just a little difficult to understand you at points