Buying New Laptop for Roon Core - Best CPU Option

[wizardofoz (Mr Fix It aka The Wiz)]

@Mediahound

dedicated non-computer server optimized for nothing else but Roon

Something like a RPi4, or Sonore xxxxrendo or SOtM SMS device (there are others too) could all be considered as no computer server. I mention the above units as I have used them all, but have settled on the RPi as I have different HAT options with DigiAMPs and multiple USB outputs (I am a many setups kind of guy) and even a now playing screen add on that all run ropieee but the most workable of all my endpoints is the Lumin network endpoints - of which I have 2 x D1’s (older model but most capable) which has made a big step up in both simplicity of devices in the system and audio quality.

I have run cores on Mac, Windows, NAS and NUC’s and the ROCK is by far the best IMHO to have roon sit quietly in a corner and not have to hassle with OS updates…plus its able to run at much lower power use than a desktop or laptop.

that’s my 2c worth.

[wklie (Peter Lie)]

@Jacques_Distler

The user-interface’s usage of the GPU cannot possibly adversely affect the SQ of Roon’s music signal path, if the latter doesn’t use the GPU, now can it?

The digital music signal itself is not affected by RFI / EMI from GPU. The analog circuitry and playback chain, however, is different. The post below mentions devices submitted to Roon Labs. Then there are far more devices that have nothing to do with digital signal, like analog pre-amp, tube amp, etc.

Option for optimized performance for a single core and single zone playback [Not on Roadmap]

Devices with metal enclosure do not approximate faraday cages–remember, bluetooth, wifi, and air are passing in and out–at least. Computers are designed to be permeable. In my experience, RFI produces the largest effect size of all of the “beyond bit perfect” interference mechanisms. It’s the first place I try to debug when things don’t sound right. And nearly 100% of my bad experiences with RFI have occurred in the presence of plenty of metal enclosures. When I want to do critical listening …

[Jacques_Distler]

" The analog circuitry and playback chain" is not located on the Roon Core machine.

[xxx (Banned - toxicity)]

@Jacques_Distler

The difference is 4% CPU usage, versus 4.01% CPU usage: negligible both in total and in the differen

@Jacques_Distler

@xxx

f I understand the fear about ‘rogue’ processes correctly it isn’t about clock cycles.

The paranoia is that some Roon irrelevant processes are so toxic they will, somewhere somehow, adversely pollute the signal with extraneous electrical noise.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell sarcasm from earnestly-held beliefs.

A non-sarcastic, representative example -

@Speed_Racer

The Roon Core can run the background processes just fine. That’s not the issue. The issue is system noise and how it increases whenever the CPU has to run more processes.

[grossmsj (Scott G)]

For sure. There are good processes and bad processes.
Just like the witches in the Wizard of Oz.
Programs like Audiophile Optimizer are designed just for this purpose (processes, not witches).

[wizardofoz (Mr Fix It aka The Wiz)]

I got all good witches in me hehehehehe

[Mediahound]

Interestingly, running only Roon Server on my Mac and controlling it from Roon Remote on my phone uses more CPU than running full Roon Core on the Mac. Something like 34% CPU usage vs 4-6% while playing a track.

[Pascal_Scholl]

PrimeMini 4 als Roon Nucleus Alternative | Prime Computer

is this interesting for you?

pascal

[grossmsj (Scott G)]

It is interesting. Also interesting that the install instructions point back to Roon’s instructions for ROCK. Seems to me if you really wanted to make this easy for the user you would write your own instructions that are current and clear.

[wizardofoz (Mr Fix It aka The Wiz)]

At least they are respecting Roon IP and selling the non rock installed system that the user must install. Essentially creating a MOCK

[grossmsj (Scott G)]

Yep, that’s good. First thing I checked for. But if it were my business I’d set up the BIOS for the customer myself (which is frankly the confusing part), and maybe write a script to do the other stuff for the user automatically.

[James_I (The truth is out there but not necessarily here)]

@Richard_Tibbets

I was able to find the Exasound E28 on the list of Roon compatible devices, but not the Wyred4Sound DAC2. Maybe somebody within Roon Support will see this and respond.

I have a W4S DAC 2 and it works very well with Roon. Pretty much any DAC will, albeit some DACs are fussy with resolution or bitrate changes and that can be a bit of an issue, but that is definitely not an issue with the W4S. It works fantastically.

All this junk about processes running on the core. That is a theoretical concern that I did see happen when I hooked up a cheaper portable DAC directly to my core, but the problem goes away entirely when connected to a separate, quiet endpoint. Just use a different endpoint. All those concerns about core noise etc. simply go away.

[Richard_Tibbets (Richard_T)]

Thanks James. My W4S DAC2 runs fine on my old Win7 laptop as well. My concern was in going to a Linux based ROCK would the W4S work as well.

I’ve decided to go a different route with replacing my Win7 laptop & I’m still a few days away from getting it all up & running. Will report in with my new environment after I have it going.

[James_I (The truth is out there but not necessarily here)]

Ahh, got it. I can’t answer that as I’ve not used it with Linux. It’s a nice sounding DAC, I think, and I have drooled at the upgrades they offer but haven’t pulled the trigger. Kids need to go to college first…

[edgar_betancourt]

Despite anything you may have read any new processor will run Roon with aplomb regardless of series. Roon will only scratch the processing power of present day chips. Compared to the graphics of games the processing of any audio algorithm is peanuts.

[Dave_Richardson]

I don’t know if that’s completely true. My 2014 Mac Mini i7/16 gig is marginal when playing DSD 64 files and convolution filters. Processing starts out at 0.5x and works up to 1.2x over the course of a second or two and the music begins to play.

[edgar_betancourt]

If you are having issues, its not the processor. Its the settings, the wifi, lack of RAM or other issues. Even an i3 will run Roon. Most of the concerns with processing power were from the era when Roon was new and people were trying to run it on very old machines. The cheaper nucleus runs and i3. Unless you are running many additional processes simultaneously with an i3 based laptop you should have zero issues.

[edgar_betancourt]

Update the audio driver. Im not sure if Mac supports DSD.

[tomnpegs]

Just to add to this some personal experience;
I run Roon fine on my average spec MacBook. Any issues I do get are because of the Chromecast Audio misbehaving.

I do, in time, plan to purchase a Nucleus. Partly so my MacBook doesn’t have to be up & running 24/7 & then to support Roon further.

[edgar_betancourt]

That I can certainly agree with. One thing that does drive me nuts about the Nucleus however, is that it doesn’t include a hard drive! They could slap a 2TB SSD on there for an extra $150 and it would make a much more compelling sales argument.