ROCK on Intel NUC10i7: DSD Up-sampling, Native DSD Processing, and Convolution with Acourate Filter

Roon Software ROCK
#1

I am thinking to run ROCK on an Intel NUC10i7. I do DSD up-sampling to DSD256, native DSD processing, and convolution with room correction filter generated by Acourate. On my existing CORE on 8th Gen i7 desk top, my processing speed is about 1.9X and goes up to about 2.1X. I want to get faster processing speed.

Anyone has ROCK on NUC10i7 and doing same processing as me? What is the processing speed? My thinking is that processing on ROCK should be more efficient i.e. faster than the other OS. I have about 3600 albums in my library.

Thanks in advanced.

Phil

#2

I don’t have NUC10i7 but I guess it is about the same if not worse. Danny of Roon talked about NUC8 being more robust, more heavy duty than NUC10 (especially if you are upsampling to DSD256 which requires a lot of CPU power and it will have to do it continuously while you play the files).

Basically you need a higher single thread speed and most Intel’s recent mobile CPUs have similar single thread speeds. Hope this helps.

#3

Just curious as to why you want higher processing speeds?
My old 7i3 runs dsd512 quite happily all day long at 1.3x with no bother at all.

I am genuinely intrigued as to what advantage a higher processing speed will give IF one is not having any recognized issues at a lower processing speed.

#4

Dsp options and more concurrent zones… But a lot of this is just future planning. You wouldn’t buy a a 1.3x machine if the 4.0x is negliably more.

#5

So future proofing and the good old VFM reason.
All perfect sense!

I was more wondering if it made any SQ difference to an existing setup like mine but it does not appear to be the case.

Thanks

#6

I want to run DSD512, but the streaming to end point stalls with convolution done on DSD native processing and up-sampling to DSD512.

#7

Sounds like you need a better processor possibly what is your current processing speed at say dsd256?

#8

Phil that has a serious power requirement, and is probably not well met with a NUC.
You might well find that the next Apple M1 chips will up the game again on the processing side.

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#9

My 7i3 does dsd512 at 1.3x Michael.
It shocks me that it is very stable and consistent performer at that.

#10

Kevin Is that just upscaling?
I’m sure I read that none of the current Nucs could handle it (maybe it was with additional DSP added).

#11

Yes just Upsampling, no convolution.
Tbh I was very surprised myself, but I have posted this on some Lumin threads too.
Peter Lie was a little surprised too.

C4644243-61C0-4F6F-A03F-72DFDFA71500
C4644243-61C0-4F6F-A03F-72DFDFA715002048Ă—1536 251 KB

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#12

I seem to remember now (it’s anything added to the upsample that makes it all fall apart).

Well my Matrix Audio can only manage DSD128 over ETHERNET (but DSD 256 Over USB).

#13

Very likely and my needs are simple really as well.

So Danny is of course correct with his statement.
Horsepower is fairly cheap!

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#14

Running gen10 i7 NUC and getting 2.3x with DSD512 and auto leveling turned on to a single endpoint running at a time.

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#15

Thanks. Is the fan coming on and at high speed often?

#16

I only hear the fan when the NUC is analyzing new tracks added to Roon.

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#17

Thanks for the details.

#18

I have set my 10th gen i5 Nuc into quiet mode and almost never hear anything including when upscaling music to DSD256 (Maybe because I am wearing headphones but they are open backed).

There are a lot of options in the BIOS now to help with this.
It is significantly quieter than the 7th generation I was using before

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