I just have the opportunity to buy a Nucleus rev-B. My computer is a new one. It’s a windows 11 for gaming.
Which one is the better choice? Nucleus one? Which one of those three will give me the better sound?
Thank’s
Sylvain
Personally I’d stick with your Win 11 PC.
The Nucleus B whilst ok, is quite old tech now, and has a limited usable life span.
If you really want a dedicated Roon server there are better options (a NUC or MacMini spring to mind).
Of course if you can get it a very good price and accept if it breaks it’s most likely scrap then it might be ok a dedicated Roon Server.
PS How many music tracks (local and streaming) are in your library?
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Thank you! very appreciate. Tracks number is not an issue for me. I’m looking for the better sound for transfer via my router. most part of my gear in streaming cost a lot and I don’t want my computer represent the weakness part of it.
Regards
There is no sound quality difference.
All Roon Server hardware options will output bit-perfect data to your chosen DAC.
The advantage of a Nucleus is that it is passively cooled, so there is no fan. So if required it can be located in your listening room.
I prefer to have my server well out of the way in a different room, so for me fan noise is not an issue.
There is no right or wrong here it’s down to preference.
What DAC are you using and how is it connected to Roon? If it’s not Roon Ready you might want to consider adding a Roon network endpoint.
There are lot of options from Roon Ready commercial devices to DIY Raspberry Pi units.
My streamer is an Auralic Roon Ready and my DAC is Weiss 204 mkII, My amp is a MC462 Mcintosh and my preamp a C52 Roon ready too.
My computer is located in an another room so… no noise, but I must joined DAC by wifi from my computer to my router. Would it be better to wire this up? Have a great day!!! You’re a good teacher! 
If you can borrow the Nucleus to try, you can install Roon on both and see which you prefer (faster, quieter, etc.).
None of them. The Nucleus is a standard Intel NUC running a Roon customized Linux for OS. The RoonServer software is the same across all OS. There might be some contention issues using a gaming PC and running RoonServer as RoonServer takes over audio outputs and has issues with gaming overlays that also want exclusive audio access.
So you’d be doing a lot of starting and stopping RoonServer when you wanted to game for example. I know I’ve run RoonServer on my Gaming Rig for over 10 years.
If you are at all handy with PCs, then you are better off getting a NUC and loading ROCK instead of a Nucleus. Cheaper and you can put in better RAM and SSD components than what comes with a Nucleus. Or even better, load Linux like DietPI and then RoonServer, that way you can run diagnostics if you need to, or, monitor RAM usage and internal Temperatures.
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I run Roon Server on 4 different devices including:
Nucleus - Rev B with 16 GB RAM
Dell XPS 15 Windows 11 laptop with 2.6 Ghz i7 and 32 GB RAM
Apple Mac Mini (late 2014) with 2.6 Ghz i5 and 8 GB RAM
NucBox G5 with N97 and 12 GB RAM
The Nucleus is my main Roon server connected by ethernet. The Dell is my “travel” Roon server and main “at home” Roon client connected by WIFI. The Mac Mini is for rebooting my Nucleus when away from home and reconnecting the Nucleus with Tidal and Qobuz ocassionally. The NucBox was just for playing around. My other Roon clients are two iPads and an iPhone.
All four servers work well for me but the Nucleus has been flawless for 6 1/2 years. That’s with 4530 albums (71,476 tracks), all but 7 albums streaming from Tidal and Qobuz. I did have to replace the Nucleus SSD once. If I ever need a new Roon server, I think I will try a new Apple Mac Mini M4.
Also, if you go with a Nucleus, I would suggest an uninterruptable battery backup power supply.
Very instructive! Thank you!
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