Intel NUC 8 i7 with ROCK experiencing issues after 6 years of use (ref#CKL6XR)

Support
1

What app are you having the slowness issue with?

· Roon

What kind of performance/speed issue are you experiencing?

· The app takes a long time to respond to commands

Please try to reboot your Roon Server

· No, the issue is still the same even immediately after a reboot

Please try to reboot your networking gear (Router/Switches/etc.)

· No, the issue is still the same even after a reboot

Is there any change in behavior if you try to navigate to Roon Settings -> Library and set both Background and On-Demand Audio Analysis to Throttled or Off?

· No, the issue is still the same

Does the issue happen on multiple Roon Remotes (controllers) or just one?

· Issue happens on multiple remotes

Router Domain Name System (DNS) change

· I don't know how to do this

What is the operating system of your Roon Server host machine?

· Roon Optimized Core Kit (ROCK)

Timestamp of issue occurrences

· It is doing is right now - Jan. 16, 2026 at 1:44 EST

Describe the issue

I have been using an Intel NUC 8 i7 with ROCK and it has worked fine for the past 6 years until the past few weeks.

Describe your network setup

The issue I am having is when accessing Roon via any of my remotes, the system becomes very slow and then freezes and is not responsive at all. If I restart the server software it works fine for a couple of hours and then it starts lagging and freezing again. I tried using my Mac mini M1 16gb as the server to see if that made any difference but it did the same thing. My ISP is Bell, Hub 4000 modem and TPLink & Silent Angel switches.

2

It’s possible thag the slowdown and freezing is caused by thermal throttling. This is a safety mechanism then kicks in when the processor gets too hot.

It can happen when the NUC’s fan assembly and ducts are full of dust – it happened to my NUC8i3.

The solution is to disassemble the NUC, and clean it thouroughly.

See …

3

Thanks for the reply.
My NUC is in an Akasa fanless case, so no fan.
Also, I tried switching the server to my Mac Mini M1 16gb and after a while it did the same thing, so I do not think it is the NUC.

4

Hello @Badge

Can you try clearing your endpoint cache? You can do so using the following steps:

Note: Deleting these files will

  • Log you out of Tidal/Qobuz
  • Delete your endpoint names.
  • Delete saved DSP configs.

If this doesn’t help, please restore the backup you made before trying these steps.

6

Thanks for the reply.

I followed the steps you suggested, however after the server was restarted it started lagging and stalling after a couple of hours, so no change.
FYI, all remote devices are Apple OS / iOS running latest software, v26.
Another odd thing I have noticed lately is the large number of Apple TV endpoints that show up in audio devices. After I followed the procedure you suggested I checked to see how many Apple TV audio devices were shown and there were 21.
After another 2 hours, there are well over 100 that show up.
I have 3 Apple TV devices in my home.
In order to eliminate the ROCK as the problem, I used my Mac mini M1 as the server a few days ago but I am not sure if it was properly “unauthorized” before I switched back to the NUC.

7

As a follow up, I wanted to mention that if I restart the server on the NUC, everything works well for a couple of hours before freezing up / stuttering again.

8

One other update, I just restarted Roon Server on the NUC due to it freezing and when I opened the Roon app on my MacBook the server did not appear, even after a few minutes.
I was prompted to choose another core and had to set up ROCK on the NUC all over again including adding my library, what a pain.

9

Hello @Badge

The issue is definitely related to raising number of AirPlay devices.

We’ve discussed this with our senior QA and development teams. The team is investigating some possibilities here and, as soon as that investigation is complete, we’ll be sure to follow up ASAP.

You have our apologies for the trouble here, and we’ve greatly appreciated your patience as we continue investigating this tricky issue. We’ll be in touch as soon as we can.

10

Thanks!
I shut off Airplay2 on one of the Apple TV devices and restarted Roon Server - that device no longer appears on the Roon Audio devices.
Roon is only duplicating the other Apple TV that still has AirPlay2 enabled.

looking forward to your response.
Thanks.

11

Thanks for the additional information @Badge!

If possible, could you please fully reboot your Roon Server machine twice, and then reproduce the issue and share a general date and time of when the duplications begin?

We’ll be monitoring for your reply, thank you!

12

I rebooted the NUC twice and then watched the Apple TV units in audio devices to see how long it took before the duplications began.
I have 3 Apple TV devices - one was duplicated once right away and did not do it again, this is an older unit.
The other two started duplicating within three minutes and keep duplicating.

13

Thank you @Badge! That should capture what our development needs for further analysis.

We’ll be in touch once we’ve heard back from them - thank you for your ongoing patience in the meantime. :folded_hands:

14

This topic was automatically closed 7 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.

16

Hi @Badge,

Thank you for your patience.

Developers have prepared some additional diagnostic logging we’d like to activate on your Roon Server machine. At your convenience, please reboot your ROCK twice to activate this diagnostic setting (the second reboot is essential). Thank you!