AlphaTecRacing Dashboard Pro – 10 Inch Dashboard Review

AlphaTecRacing Dashboard Pro – 10 Inch Dashboard Review

The AlphaTecRacing Dashboard Pro combines genius and madness: In an aluminum housing, the German manufacturer packs a 10-inch VoCore display and no fewer than 46 RGB LEDs. Is the price of around 500 euros justified for this, and what is such a beast even used for?

Order and Shipping

Like the previously tested Dashboard GT3, the Dashboard Pro can also be purchased directly through the German manufacturer’s webshop. It is offered there for 529 euros, including shipping. Additionally, the dashboard is available through various partner shops.

The product tested here was provided by the manufacturer. No influence was exerted on this review at any time.

Scope of delivery

The dashboard is delivered in very elegant and secure packaging, together with the accessories for the mount, various screws, and spacer sleeves. The premium feel is much more pronounced here than with most other dashboards from the competition.

• Dashboard Pro
• Mounting bracket
• Screws for mounting
• USB-C cable 2 m, angled
• Quick start guide

Screen

AlphaTecRacing uses a 10-inch screen from the manufacturer VoCore. Compared to other dashboards of this size, the very unusual aspect ratio for this diagonal is immediately noticeable. Instead of relying on very wide screens like the competition, the 10-inch VoCore screen is significantly higher with an area of 222.7 x 126.3 millimetres and is more similar to conventional, smaller dashboards. However, the resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels is comparatively low. Although the image quality is still good, other dashboards with small VoCore screens or other panels offer a significantly higher resolution in relation to the screen area (PPI – pixels per inch).

RGB-LEDs:

In addition to the huge screen, AlphaTecRacing has also installed a total of 46 RGB LEDs. These are very well made, and the larger LEDs in particular are very evenly illuminated and clearly separated from each other. In the test, a value of around 5 per cent of the maximum possible brightness was sufficient.

The LEDs can be fully customised using the SimHub software and are divided into three areas:

• 20 RGB LEDs (central): Here you can display classic things such as the speed for the optimum switching time.
• 2 x 4 RGB LEDs (vertical): Four LEDs are installed on each side, which can be used for flags, for example.
• 2 x 9 RGB LEDs (vertical, smaller): Below the two vertical, larger LEDs, the manufacturer has also installed nine smaller LEDs on each side. These are ideal for gimmicks such as TC, ABS or a spotter function, i.e. features that should not obscure the other information.

Materials

One aspect that sets the AlphaTecRacing Dashboard Pro apart from many competitors is its black anodized aluminum housing. This is particularly unusual for such a large dashboard. The housing is completed on the back with an aluminum plate, making the dashboard an extremely high-quality piece of hardware with a weight of over one kilogram.

The high price is offset by the excellent workmanship and attention to detail. This is especially evident when compared to significantly cheaper DIY solutions, which mostly rely on 3D-printed parts.

Compatibility, installation and Ports

The bracket uses the same design as the manufacturer’s other models. The 3 millimetre thick aluminium bracket is fixed to the back of the dashboard with two height-adjustable thumb screws. In principle, various wheel bases are directly compatible with the bracket thanks to the existing recesses. However, we were unlucky for this review and had to resort to our own solution for the soon-to-be-released MOZA R21 base. AlphaTEcRacing lists the following manufacturers as compatible:

• Fanatec
• Simucube 1/ 2 (Sport, Pro, Ultimate)
• VRS Direct Force Pro
• Mige & Lenze motors
• Simagic (not all versions)
• Asetec Simsports
• Moza Racing (not all versions)

The mount is generally of good quality, but reaches its limits due to the enormous size of the dashboard. Especially when mounted directly on the base and/or when using motion rigs, it may well start to swing depending on the situation. An increase in the material thickness or additional threads for standard mounts on the back of the dashboard would significantly improve the mounting options.

In addition to the on/off switch at the rear, two USB-C ports (left side, rear) are practical and can be freely selected for operation. It is recommended to connect the dashboard directly to the mainboard, as it places very high demands on the power supply of the USB port. An angled, two metre long USB-C to USB-A cable is included in the scope of delivery for this purpose.

Size Comparison / Use Cases

Comparing sizes was the most enjoyable part of the test. The DDU800 from Leoxz shown here next to the AlphaTecRacing Dashboard Pro looks ridiculously small in direct comparison, but with a diagonal of 4.3 inches, it actually has a frequently used size.

However, due to its enormous size, the dashboard’s range of applications is limited or even predefined. Due to the height of the housing (168 millimeters), it cannot be used as a classic dashboard above the steering wheel in many setups, for example. This is also the case with the 49-inch ultrawide screen used for the review, which is so heavily obscured by the large dashboard that it is hardly usable. A setup with much larger screens (32 inches and above) is required here, as the greater distance from the driver usually allows the dashboard to be positioned more cleverly.

In contrast, however, the dashboard is almost predestined for use as an additional info screen. Due to the size of the screen, information can be read even from a greater distance, and more information can be displayed simultaneously.

Software

SimHub

AlphaTecRacing continues to rely entirely on SimHub for its software, where the dashboard is officially supported and can therefore be added as a device with just a few clicks. The manufacturer provides a standard LED profile that offers the following features:

• RPM-LEDs
• Flags & Spotter
  • Green, yellow, blue flag
  • Car left, car right
• Car info
  • ABS active
  • TC active
  • Flash
  • DRS
• Car iginition
• Fuel & Pit warning
• Pitlane effects
  • Pitspeed indicator
  • Speed limiter

You can then choose one of the various free dashboard designs in SimHub as your dashboard (additional designs are available on websites such as Overtake). However, some of the most popular designs, which are tailored for use as info screens, are currently hidden behind monthly subscriptions.

SPC Info Dash

During testing, it quickly became clear that the dashboard would primarily be used as an info dashboard. It was therefore moved over the Ultrawide screen and operated with various Pitwall dashboard designs, among other things. In addition, you will find a design here that was created by Simacing-PC and made available free of charge. It consists of three info pages:

• Display of utilisation and temperature from the PC hardware (HWINFO is used to evaluate the sensors)
• Display of any Twitch chat. For your own chat, the link used must be customised in the dash editor (https://chatis.is2511.com/v2/?channel=CHANNELNAMEHERE&bots=true&size=2&font=11&shadow=1)
• Track map of the track currently being driven

Conclusion

The Dashboard Pro from AlphaTecRacing is a dashboard of extremes. Its high-quality aluminum housing contains a 10-inch VoCore display, 46 individually controllable RGB LEDs, and features such as two USB-C ports. Its outstanding workmanship and premium feel clearly set it apart from cheaper alternatives and make the product an impressive statement piece. Official SimHub integration also enables versatile display options, for example for RPM, flags, or TC status. Due to its size, it is particularly suitable as an info screen for large sim racing setups with sufficient distance and less than a classic dashboard that is mounted directly above the steering wheel. For €529 , it offers sim racing enthusiasts a unique combination of quality and functionality. However, in aspects such as mounting and pixel density, it lags behind some of its competitors.