Monoprice Dark Matter GT Foldable Racing Wheel Stand

Manufacturer: Monoprice Monoprice Dark Matter GT Foldable Racing Wheel Stand

A Well-Built Stand that Won’t Break the Bank

Monoprice has been a stalwart in the computer scene for ages. Originally a spot to buy inexpensive, but good quality cables and basic supplies, they are now offering far more options in more categories than ever before. I have purchased my fair share of cables from the place, but I have not limited myself to that. One product that comes to mind is one of their USB powered condenser microphones that has been in constant use for the past decade plus (and can be regularly seen on the PCPer Podcast). The company has a good reputation for a reason.

The basic premise of the company is to offer good quality products at very competitive prices. Sometimes their offerings are a little bare bones, without a great amount of aesthetics, or sorely lacking in RGB. This shouldn’t matter too much, because function certainly trumps form for the price points they are achieving. Monoprice is also not shy about addressing new markets when opportunities present themselves. Speakers and monitors are certainly two major product spaces where the product managers at Monoprice thought that they could provide a quality, no frills product that wouldn’t break the bank

Today we are looking at a new area that Monoprice is trying to address, and it is an interesting one that is somewhat far from the usual range of products they offer. Since covid hit and people relegated themselves to a life indoors for an uncertain amount of time, several genres of games started to come to the fore that were not as heavily exposed to the general populace. Sim racing was one of these. When we saw NASCAR sponsor virtual races with real drivers and extensive sim rigs, it soon brought on far higher prices and lower availability for all sim gear. Wheels and bases that had been on sale months before were now commanding prices well above MSRP.

To address this market Monoprice is introducing their wheel stand, the Dark Matter GT Foldable Racing Wheel Stand. This little number will set the consumer back around $153 US. While to those of us not entirely familiar with wheel stands or cockpits, this represents a very competitive and affordable price for a product that matches the specifications of much higher priced units from well-known brands.

Product Specifications
  • P/N: 43708
  • Product Type: Racing simulator wheel stand
  • Rank: Standard
  • Frame Type: Foldable frame
  • Frame Material: Steel
  • Frame Surface Finish: Powder‑coated
  • Frame Color: Fine texture black
  • Weight Capacity: 44.0 lbs. (20kg)
  • Steering Wheel Mount Tilt Angles: ‑15°/0°/+15°
  • Pedal Base Tilt Angles: 7°/12°/18°
  • Cable Management: Yes, includes 2 clips
  • Dimensions: 24.5″ x 33.0″ x 32.3″ (622 x 837 x 820 mm)
Pricing

$169.99 USD list (currently $152.99)

Manufacturer Description

“Build your racing simulation rig using the Dark Matter™ GT Foldable Racing Wheel Stand. The all‑metal construction adds durability and the necessary weight to keep your racing wheel grounded in tight turns. It supports the standard screw layout to permanently affix your wheel setup or you can use the clamps included with your racing wheel to keep your wheel locked in place. The bottom pedal base is height adjustable to accommodate different chair setups for a more comfortable racing experience, while the foldable design allows you to quickly and easily collapse and store your racing simulation setup.”

Design

Unlike full cockpits, a wheel stand is going to be similar to pretty much every other unit on the market. Four legs, a base plate for the pedals, and a base plate for the wheel. There are only so many bells and whistles that one can add to the idea, but Monoprice put a lot of flexibility in their product and did not skimp out on materials.

The basic structure looks to be comprised of cold rolled steel tubing and plates. It is a mixture of round and square tubing. The different pieces are then welded together and everything given a nice powder coat with white stenciling where required. The welds on this particular stand are solid, but they are not pretty. The welds are blobby and uneven throughout the stand, but all the welds look to be full thickness with good penetration. This takes away some of the aesthetics of the unit, but as mentioned above Monoprice is not overly worried about small details like this, as long as it works and is strong.

The powder coating is evenly applied and resists scratches and scuffs very nicely. The flat black matte finish goes with nearly any décor. The white stenciling is the only printed parts of the stand. Usually we see some pretty dramatic logos spread across any piece of racing gear (see my Next Level Racing review), but in this case we have no idea that it is from Monoprice. The stenciling on the unit is limited to the pedal plate position and the extendable wheel base legs. It is nicely applied and minimalistic. It provides the exact information that the user requires.

There are three areas of adjustment that is available to the user; pedal angle, wheel base height, and wheel base angle. The pedals base features three options that use a bolt/knob and notch setup. There are three corresponding numbers on the base and the legs, and the user inserts the bolt/knob units into the base and then lifts the base so that the knobs engage with the notches. The three positions are set up so that the base legs will stay the same distance apart rather decrease the stability of the base if a user decides to use the lowest setting.

The height of the unit can be adjusted by two turn-able knobs on the primary legs. Users can easily unscrew these knobs and by using the measurement stencils on the expandable tubes can accurately calibrate exactly what position works for them. The tubes slide easily and fairly evenly, but the measurement markings are key to getting the most stable, comfortable, and level position possible.

The wheel base mount has three positions in total with a bolt/screw setup that can be positioned in one of three vertical holes. This may not be the most flexible of solutions, but it should work with the vast majority of wheel bases out there to achieve an optimal position for the wheel. While it may not be entirely flexible in terms of position, it is a very stable solution. That position will not move unless a user snaps those bolts.

Monoprice does throw in one extra that is pretty nice. Not every wheel stand will come with a shifter/e-brake base, but this one certainly does. The unit can hang off either the left or right side. The plate has holes drilled on either side so it can be mounted ambidextrously. It is a solid unit overall that is very sturdy and does not give up a lot of flex.

The pedal mechanism also allows the user to fold up the stand by simply lifting the pedal plate and locking it into the vertical position with an included cotter pin. The legs then swing down and the whole unit can be stuck in a closet or behind a desk. Some people have added hooks to their wall and simply hang the stand up on the wall to get it out of the way. This allows easy storage of the entire setup (with wheel and pedals installed) and takes up very little space. A situation that cannot be said for full cockpits.

Dark Matter GT Stand Folded

Impressions

The overall build quality of the part is good. I had mentioned the welds were a bit sloppy, but they are strong. The coating is durable and scratch resistant and because it is black, it goes with everything.

The hole patterns fit a variety of wheels from the major manufacturers. I was able to install Logitech, Thrustmaster, and Fanatec units without issue. There is a high amount of adjustability with the pedals. Less so with the shifter and wheel base platform. Some of that can be alleviated with readjusting the pedals and the height of the wheel.

Dark Matter GT Stand Folded

Monoprice claims that it can handle direct drive bases, but I find that to potentially be an unwise decision. While the frame itself is strong enough to handle that type of load, my worry would be about the stand flipping on its side in a crash where the wheel would whip around at 10nm+. I would be far more comfortable with a traditional base such as the TS-PC or the G29 (pictured). If a customer wants to go with a direct drive base, then a full cockpit might be the best option for those particular units. This is not a hard and fast rule and users can decrease the power of the base if they feel things are getting out of control.

Included are two plastic cable clamps that can be attached to the vertical legs and are positioned as such to not only route the cables, but potentially protect them from getting pinched when adjusting the vertical height of the wheel stand. If there was one disappointment with the included parts, it is a lack of Velcro straps for cable management. Instead, Monoprice includes around 10 zip ties that are essentially single use products. This does impact potential adjustments in cables, bases, and pedals as the zip ties need to be cut off and disposed of. Luckily, those Velcro straps are relatively inexpensive and easy to purchase online for those wishing to have a bit more flexibility in how they are routing cables.

Final Thoughts

I have been pleasantly surprised by this first offering from Monoprice for the sim racing world. It is a well built, sturdy product that does not break the bank. While $150 is still a chunk of change for some users, it is around $100 less expensive than other well-known wheel stands made by the usual suspects. It may not have the branding of some of the more prominent manufacturers, but it sure does get the job done.

There is some twisting and dipping under load on the wheel mount that is not present in something like the Next Level Racing F-GT cockpit. This was under testing with the Logitech G29 which features a little less than 5 nm of force. The effect would be more significant with a Fanatec CSL Elite or a Thrustmaster TS-PC, and even more so with 10nm+ units like the Thrustmaster T818 or the latest Asetek models.

If a user is looking for a well built, solid, inexpensive wheel base then the Monoprice Dark Matter GT should be at the top of the list. It offers all the features of higher end wheel stands at 2/3 the price. It could be a little bit more flexible with more adjustments, but the tradeoff is more complexity to create the same amount of stiffness. More complexity equals a higher price. As it stands it should be enough for the majority of users, and the build quality ensures that it will last for many years to come. It may only be a stepping stone to a full blown cockpit, but due to space constraints that most of us have in our living spaces a wheel stand may be the only option.

Dark Matter GT Stand Folded
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About The Author

Josh Walrath

Josh started writing about the computer field in 1997, opened his own site in 1999 (Penstarsys.com), and joined PC Perspective in 2008. He handles a lot of the general tech and some of the deep dives into products such as CPUs and GPUs. He appears on the PC Perspective Podcast live every Wednesday night at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT.

2 Comments

  1. JGR9

    True Gamer’s Chair

    Reply
  2. Mexigreek

    Josh on your pod cast you said not to use your office chair. I agree, until I got the rollerblade wheel casters for my chair with locks on them. I can lock my chair down and use my Fanatec DDPRO with load cell pedals and I’m not pushing myself across the room when braking. Something like this for around $25 from amazon. https://a.co/d/0tq64zu

    Also, if you are on bare hardwood floors you will not tear them up like you would with the casters that come with the office chairs.

    Casey K.

    Reply

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