ROCK on Mac Mini quad i3

Is it possible to install Nucleus ROCK in a newest quad i3 (8th gen.) 3.6Ghz Mac Mini?

Hi @Joao_Lins,

Roon’s Nucleus is a hardware device … (it’s effectively a custom built fan-less NUC, with an optimised OS to run Roon server).

If you mean ROCK that’s only supported on specified Intel NUC devices.

So for a Mac Mini, that’s leaves you with installing Roon Server for OSX.

Hope that helps, but if not maybe an Apple user can add further clarification.

Hi, Carl. You’re right, I meant ROCK, not Nucleus. As a Mac Mini 2018 uses an Intel processor, I thought about installing ROCK on it.

What about an audio oriented Linux?

Sure, that would be possible, but imo you would be complicating things for unknown reasons.
I realize you probably would want to repurpose a MacMini already in your posession?
One reason why it is not good for ROCK - It only does UEFI boot, ROCK cannot…
But a pure Roon Server on a Mac OS X, headless, also works very well.

But if you want the appliance-style of ROCK, get yourself a supported NUC, they are not very expensive and used samples are abundant.

No worries, I’ve updated title and body text to reflect.

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Thanks, Carl. :pray:

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Well but a Mac Mini is cheaper, more performant and all over all the much better hardware than a NUC!

Would be nice if ROCK supports Mac Mini. Over all the 2012 Models, that’s the best compromise between price and performance!

The last generation of Intel based Mac devices are identical to quality built PC platforms by the likes of Dell, Lenovo or HP. There is nothing magic about them, they benchmark exactly the same as a PC equivalent, they use memory the same way too. They (probably) make great Roon platforms for what they are but they certainly are not better than a supported NUC running ROCK. Just different and no doubt reassuringly familiar for Mac enthusiasts.

naja wie gesagt: beim mini bekommt man mehr leistung für weniger geld. und in einem “Apple-Universum” gibt es eigentlich gar kein argument pro nuc. also außer rock os natürlich.


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well as I said: with the mini you get more performance for less money. and in an “Apple Universe” there is actually no argument per nuc at all. so apart from rock os of course.

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