For Roon subscribers who own a microRendu, the Dual LAN variant is ideal.
Plus, the Intel Elements package is cheaper than the PrimeMini 4.
Looks like a great piece! Dual m2 drives means you could get a tiny one for os and a really big one for storage. No fans, no noise and excellent heat dissipation. Pricing looks good too!
Would this be a cheaper option than assembling a nuc motherboard and fanless case separately, I wonder
You wouldn’t be able to replicate the dual M.2 configuration on a self assembly (third-party) fanless case using a standard NUC.
The NUC Elements ‘Compute’ is series 8. As it is an interchangeable unit, it means that you can upgrade that component alone at a later date - assuming the Compute element is upgraded by Intel - so that you don’t have to scrap the whole NUC.
Why exactly for microRendu owners? 
ROCK doesn’t support DHCP to both ports on a dual port machine. Without that any streamer that requires IP for config or control purposes will not work correctly with ROCK on a second Ethernet port. There is a feature request in for this but obviously until a NUC comes out with this feature (or a version of the Nucleus) then Roon don’t have any obligation to further this request. This is a great shame in my opinion because the Nucleus as a product would benefit greatly from being able to feed a device direct from something other than USB direct. And ROCK users would benefit as a consequence.
Seems like a great fanless option. Any word on when the individual components will be available to buy?
As already mentioned in a older thread, it seems one can’t. They seem to sell only complete sets/PCs what makes the already questionable modularity somehow obsolete.
On rummaging through the Simply NUC website, I discovered this alternative/smaller and configurable fanless ‘Porcoolpine’ NUC…
ROCK supports a function better than DHCP server and it is “ip forwarding” (in fact), which allows you to connect the streamer directly to Roon server via ethernet, but for this you need the streamer with ability to setting static network attributes. And if any streamer (for example, rendu, linn ds etc.) doesn’t have such a possibility then it’s a great shame 
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Hi @spinaltap,
We have not tested ROCK with the NUC Elements devices and they are not something that we officially support.
IP forwarding doesn’t work for the vast majority of commercial streamers as they don’t allow you to set their IP address manually. And you have to set their address outside of the subnet used by the DHCP server so no access to that streamer once it is configured. I don’t see that as better! How do you update a streamer if it is on its own subnet and has no internet access?
That’s what I wrote. And it’s a shame because it’s simple for manufacturers to add this option.
This offloads the streamer from parasitic traffic in the local network unnecessary to play audio - the streamer “communicates” only with Roon server.
Change the subnet in the router settings so that the streamer gets access to the Internet during the update. - I suppose you do not update the streamer every day? 
I suppose we will just have to wait until some brave soul can demonstrate that a NUC Elements unit can at least be considered as a MOCK device.
A few things.
The use of a different subnet to feed a streamer was detailed to us by someone from Roon. But I am pretty sure he said is was a configuration unsupported by Roon themselves.
Parasitic traffic really is no big deal in a SOHO network. There isn’t enough of it for its absence to be significant.
Tinkerers may be OK with fiddling with subnets in order to carry out config changes or updates. But they are a small percentage of users. Most would prefer it to work like Roon in an automated or semi automated way.
You can bridge Ethernet in Windows, MacOS, AudioLinux, Euphony and pretty much any standard Linux distro with console access. Euphony actually provides a simple push button graphic on its UI to do it.
Ultimately my opinion is that there is no obvious reason why this cannot be done in ROCK OS. It adds connectivity options that I think makes ROCK and Nucleus more attractive. And it can be kept simple. A simple tick box select option if a second port is detected, otherwise invisible to those not interested in it. 
What is this? Do you suggest adding DHCP server to ROCK for the second ethernet port? This is really unnecessary, because ROCK is minimalist system and additional running processes are not needed, so there is no DHCP server, no SSH server, etc. And that’s right! 
However, you probably meant the network bridge in ROCK. I do not quite imagine how to make automatic installation of network bridge in linux when the data of the second port of ethetnet are not known beforehand. But maybe I’m wrong. And as an alternative to the network bridge, audiophile switch is better suited.
You are not creating a DHCP server. You are exposing the second port to your DHCP server if it has a connection. ROCK already sees that port and allows you to configure it manually with a private subnet. My proposal simply suggest allowing that second port to be on your existing subnet.
For clarification, there are 2 separate/distinct variants of the NUC Elements: one offers dual LAN capabilities, while the alternative replaces the secondary LAN port/electronics with an expansion bay option. The latter variant will suit most Roon users.
Has anyone attempted a Dual Lan Austin Beach NUC Elements implementation of ROCK? These NUCs have been available for a little while now and I’m interested in any successes (or failures). Thanks.
I haven’t seen them for sale anywhere here in the U.K. Are they out there yet?