I’m planning to build a new, dedicated Roon Core for a future-proof setup, and I’ve put together a parts list based on the latest ASUS NUC 15 Pro+ Kit.
Before I purchase the components, I would be grateful for the community’s insight on its compatibility with Roon ROCK, as it’s based on very new hardware.
I am aware that the components I’ve chosen are likely overkill for a typical Roon Core, but I’m comfortable with that as I’m aiming for a powerful and long-lasting machine with plenty of headroom for future updates.
Here is my planned configuration:
NUC: ASUS NUC 15 Pro+ Kit (Barebone, model family NUC15CRS)
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 225H (2nd Gen / Arrow Lake architecture)
RAM: 32GB Kit (2x16GB) DDR5 5600MHz SO-DIMM
SSD for ROCK OS: Crucial T705 1TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe M.2 (non-heatsink version)
I have reviewed the official Roon ROCK and Nucleus documentation, and I can see that Intel NUCs are officially supported up to the 13th Gen. Since this is a brand new platform, I wanted to check if anyone has experience with it.
Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated before I proceed.
Thanks for pointing that out.
I saw that thread and was already prepared for the BIOS tweaks. The model I’m asking about is slightly different, however—it’s the Pro+ version—which is why I wanted to double-check.
Too bad!
Out of curiosity, I compared the cost of a build based on the NUC 13 Pro with one for the new NUC 15 Pro+. I noticed that the price difference is surprisingly small, while the architectural benefits of the newer model are enormous. The NUC 15 Pro+ doesn’t just offer more modern and faster standards, but most importantly, far greater energy efficiency. Thanks to the new LP E-cores, background tasks and idle periods are handled with drastically lower power consumption compared to the NUC 13 Pro, which directly translates into lower running costs and less heat generated.
I decided on a different approach. One of our local digital experts cautioned me that highly capable CPU chips, with DDR5 RAM and the latest SSDs, on motherboards not designed for audio can generate lots of unwanted noise. After a home demo, I decided on an Innuous Stream 3 running in Roon mode. It really separates the performers within a deeper soundstage, making performances all the more exciting. Would have been interesting to compare it to a NUC, but not feasible for me. The Innuous seemed the better bet.
In principle, the person who suggested this is correct. However, after about two years of hands-on experience, I’ve concluded that the best approach is to isolate the Roon Server on a dedicated network segment (the “dirty” side) and keep only the streamer/DAC on the “clean” side.
Naturally, you can’t do this if you use the NUC as a streamer connected directly to your DAC. In that scenario, an integrated solution like an Innuos server (an excellent product) is indeed the best choice, although it is significantly more expensive.
Furthermore, it’s worth considering that a newer generation of Intel chipset doesn’t just offer more raw performance; it also provides significantly lower latency for RAM and storage access and a much more efficient power architecture. These are all points in favor of modern platforms. You don’t need the brute force of a Core i9, but technologies like PCIe 5.0 and DDR5 measurably contribute to reducing the system’s overall latency, IMO.
