Hi all,
I am putting together a new gaming rig and would like to get some new items:

System is win7

Joystick - something for BF3 (I hate gamepads) - force feedback if possible

Steering wheel - Any racing game (NFS etc) - force feedback if possible

Any recommendations appreciated,
Rob

I can tell you want not to get... the Saitek x52, i went though 3 of them... all had issues with movement in the joystick with a hitch or a click or something preventing fluid axial movement. eventually got my moneyback... im still looking for a joystick like the Microsoft Sidewinder series, best on the market!

Pour as much money as you can on both. Last time I checked, the Thrustmaster HOTAS Warthog is the best joystick around and the Logitech G27 the best steering wheel.

Either that or give us a budget.

Joysticks is really one of those things with a "viable" price range of 30-400€. It all depends on how much money you are willing to spend on something like this. For a casual user, a 30-40€ joystick will be enough, but for a die-hard simulator fan, you'll probably want something in the 150€< category. But as you mention BF3 and not a simulator, something along the line of a Logitech Extreme 3D pro should probably be enough. It is a cheap joystick that does the job well enough for a casual user, though don't expect precision to be on the level of one of the 100€ joysticks. Also, this one lacks force feedback.

The low end but still acceptable wheels tends to be a bit more expensive, in particular if you want force feedback.

Also, don't cheap out on these things. I previously had a 15€ joystick (this was a while ago), and it was absolutely horrendous.

The Logitech products are not to bad... but the precision is very low, you truly get what you pay for... if you can find a usb cyborg that was one of the better designed joys out there that will work with modern systems, while being affordable.