Design a PC/Server for ROON and HQ Player

[Forehaven]

Chris, I use a standard 2.5" SSD and power it separately (SOtM battery pack or iFi iUSB power supply). An m-sata ought to be good, though, too.

 

Ah, embarrassingly I must say I forgot the HD, and someone, uh humm, didn't put it on 'the list' LOL

So I still need order one still, so, is having a separate ps for the SSD worthwhile given everything you've done to isolate the signal?

[ted_b]

Ah, embarrassingly I must say I forgot the HD, and someone, uh humm, didn't put it on 'the list' LOL

So I still need order one still, so, is having a separate ps for the SSD worthwhile given everything you've done to isolate the signal?

 

Then what is the Samsung SSD link above?

 

I really don;t know how effecvtiove the separate power is anymore. I just do it cuz I've been doing it.

 

Al, I haven't really tested the differences between the SOtM battery and the iFi iUSB used as a ps. I have now moved the SOtM battery to my mRendu.

[Forehaven]

Then what is the Samsung SSD link above?

 

I really don;t know how effecvtiove the separate power is anymore. I just do it cuz I've been doing it.

 

Al, I haven't really tested the differences between the SOtM battery and the iFi iUSB used as a ps. I have now moved the SOtM battery to my mRendu.

 

I just tagged that on here at the last moment, it's still in the 'cart' till I was sure of what to get.

[juanitox]

how much the use of the GPU of the Videocard to output a monitor and for the HQP process will reduce the charge of the CPU ?

[Distinctive]

Can this one host HQPlayer and Roon Server with a presumable successful outcome?

http://hkftp.zotac.com/External/ZBOX/C-series/CI545-PLUS/brochure/ZBOX-CI545nano-PLUS_brochure.pdf

[Forehaven]

I don't think an i5 will do the trick.

[Letuchkin]

Can this one host HQPlayer and Roon Server with a presumable successful outcome?

http://hkftp.zotac.com/External/ZBOX/C-series/CI545-PLUS/brochure/ZBOX-CI545nano-PLUS_brochure.pdf

 

Are you planning to connect your DAC directly into this ZBOX via USB?

[Larryng]

I don't think an i5 will do the trick.

I just try Roon with HQPlayer on the same mini pc running i7 4790 and I can only do DSD 256 at most and it shut off after several minutes running DSD 512 . Without Roon , HQPlayer OK even to DSD 512 although CPU running rather hot & fan noise a bit excessive .

[EuroDriver]

I just try Roon with HQPlayer on the same mini pc running i7 4790 and I can only do DSD 256 at most and it shut off after several minutes running DSD 512 . Without Roon , HQPlayer OK even to DSD 512 although CPU running rather hot & fan noise a bit excessive .

 

Quad core Skylakes showed up at right time for DSD 512 duties :-)

[craighartley]

Quad core Skylakes showed up at right time for DSD 512 duties :-)

 

But does it have to be the i7 6700k?

[Larryng]

But does it have to be the i7 6700k?

 

Absolutely as I can see that it is Max CPU frequency that shut off my PC , not CPU usage which is @40% (DSD 512) (@12-15% PCM 384) , Max frequency is already 80-90% when doing DSD256 , no wonder it shut off my PC when going DSD 512 (i7 4790 3.3GHz). Only 6700K can go 4GHz , rest 3.2 - 3.6 . So no better choice.

[Forehaven]

Would running Roon off a Mac Mini and HQP off a high end PC be more efficient than running both on the PC?

Using Screenshare to access Mini and Microsoft Desktop Remote to access Windows right now.

[hifial]

Would running Roon off a Mac Mini and HQP off a high end PC be more efficient than running both on the PC?

Using Screenshare to access Mini and Microsoft Desktop Remote to access Windows right now.

 

 

The simple answer is no.

[Forehaven]

The simple answer is no.

 

Thanks, just thinking what I'm going to use my Mini for now lol

[hifial]

Thanks, just thinking what I'm going to use my Mini for now lol

 

 

I know, tell me about it, lol.

[orgel]

Would running Roon off a Mac Mini and HQP off a high end PC be more efficient than running both on the PC?

Using Screenshare to access Mini and Microsoft Desktop Remote to access Windows right now.

 

Actually, if you have the mini and need something to do with it, it's perfectly fine for running Roon Core (now known as Roon, I guess) or Roon Server. Running Roon on the mini and HQP on another machine (as a Roon endpoint) is very easy to set up. I can't speak to any SQ advantages that might be derived therefrom — IME, it's dependent on the particular system involved.

 

If you guys don't know what to do with your mini's, just send 'em my way and I'll find a use for them. I'm thinking one plus a Thunderbolt multi-drive enclosure would make an excellent NAS.

 

--David

[Solstice380]

I know, tell me about it, lol.

 

I Bootcamped mine and am using it as a Win10 NAA to run ASIO drivers - I think a T+A DAC 8 DSD is in my near future. [emoji41] AO 2.0 for Win 10 will be out (official non-beta) in about 2 weeks. Just ran into a pristine McIntosh C500 preamp (solid state) and my wife said that I exceeded this month's audio budget already. [emoji12]. So, next month! Timing is good with all of the great products coming out, and I found a preamp that I really wanted.

[hifial]

I Bootcamped mine and am using it as a Win10 NAA to run ASIO drivers - I think a T+A DAC 8 DSD is in my near future. [emoji41] AO 2.0 for Win 10 will be out (official non-beta) in about 2 weeks. Just ran into a pristine McIntosh C500 preamp (solid state) and my wife said that I exceeded this month's audio budget already. [emoji12]. So, next month! Timing is good with all of the great products coming out, and I found a preamp that I really wanted.

 

That's great and good luck. But at this time I have no plans on using the Mac Mini as a NAA. Mine is already boot-camped (W8 Pro will be upgraded to W10 Pro) and tweaked with Uptone Audio power supply and fan control.

 

The PC I am building, should be done tomorrow, is to be as quite as can be at a very reasonable price. And later I hope to have something more special.

[hifial]

FYI

 

I got word that the EVGA 1600W T2 power supply really kicks a** when it comes to sound quality.

 

So I decided to use the EVGA 1600 T2 instead of the Seasonic 400 Platinum.

 

It is not a small difference in cost but it is also not a small difference in sound quality. Not that the Seasonic was any slouch in that dept.

[Forehaven]

Update on my PC build. All put together, but of course not working yet. At first, I had forgotten to attach the 12VATX to the PS. -Congrats btw Hifial! - so of course it only started for 2 secs and then turned off. All fans worked at this point. After I attached the 12VATX, it started right up, cpu cooler fans working...but the fans are now not working. I'm getting an "AE" error message on the board. Manual says: AE = Boot To Legacy OS. Using hdmi cable to MB and not DVI from EVGA card, and nothing ever came up.

 

So for now, I'm somewhat stuck.

[Forehaven]

Score! Forgot the fan regulator connection...doh!

 

Installing Windows now...wow!

[Solstice380]

That's great and good luck. But at this time I have no plans on using the Mac Mini as a NAA. Mine is already boot-camped (W8 Pro will be upgraded to W10 Pro) and tweaked with Uptone Audio power supply and fan control.

 

The PC I am building, should be done tomorrow, is to be as quite as can be at a very reasonable price. And later I hope to have something more special.

 

Remember, it took Sound Galleries a lot of tweaks (many of them custom hardware) for the one PC approach to better a 2 PC setup. Let us know yours turns out!

 

I have the JS-2 and MMK in my Mini and with only a slightly tweaked W10 Pro it is one of the best sounding CA systems I've heard. LPS on the network switch, EMO Systems network isolator before NAA and Uptone REGEN after NAA. Dead quiet background, beautiful timbre and striking dynamics.

[tsaett]

Absolutely as I can see that it is Max CPU frequency that shut off my PC , not CPU usage which is @40% (DSD 512) (@12-15% PCM 384) , Max frequency is already 80-90% when doing DSD256 , no wonder it shut off my PC when going DSD 512 (i7 4790 3.3GHz). Only 6700K can go 4GHz , rest 3.2 - 3.6 . So no better choice.

 

Larry, are you sure you got the numbers right?

The 4790 has a base freq of 3,6GHz, the turbo on all 4 cores is approx. 3,8GHz.

If you only achieve 3,3GHz you may have some settings wrong.

Maybe you have turbo and/or hypherthreading disabled or you set the power settings not to maximum power? Did you enable Pipeline SDM in HQPlayer?

 

In my CAPS I was able to upsample PCM to DSD512 without roon but with room correction with my xeon 1265L which has a base freq of 2,5GHz and maxes out at 3,1 GHz on all 4 cores. Your 4790 should be capable of doing at least the same.

It would be great if you could check this, because I'm thinking of swapping the 1267L for a 1271v3 which seems identical to yours on specs.

[Larryng]

Larry, are you sure you got the numbers right?

The 4790 has a base freq of 3,6GHz, the turbo on all 4 cores is approx. 3,8GHz.

If you only achieve 3,3GHz you may have some settings wrong.

Maybe you have turbo and/or hypherthreading disabled or you set the power settings not to maximum power? Did you enable Pipeline SDM in HQPlayer?

 

 

In my CAPS I was able to upsample PCM to DSD512 without roon but with room correction with my xeon 1265L which has a base freq of 2,5GHz and maxes out at 3,1 GHz on all 4 cores. Your 4790 should be capable of doing at least the same.

It would be great if you could check this, because I'm thinking of swapping the 1267L for a 1271v3 which seems identical to yours on specs.

 

I am able to do DSD 512 easily without running Roon , but if engaged , I can only do DSD 256 smoothly, I can play DSD 512 for a minute or two , it then shut off & Window restarting and I cannot even enter Window after password as it restart immediately , I need to wait a few minutes - CPU fan still running - before restarting Window and play again . Yes , Bios by default - hypherthreading & turbo engaged - checked & confirmed again - Pipeline SDM - yes.

 

It is better to go directly to 6700K or similar Xeon (not familiar to me) , I think it is best to get max GHz cpu if you want to use Roon with HQPlayer and DSD 512 conversion. I am going to install a new PC with 6700K. Water cooled etc. Cost me @USD 1100.00 here.

[tsaett]

Thank you for checking!

Well I still hope i can avoid going the 6700k route because I literally would have to change every single piece in my CAPS except the SSD and USB card.

 

In my tryouts I was only able to use 512 and polysinc with the addition of process lasso and HQ set to realtime.

Maybe you could try this too, the shutdown issue however suggests a thermal issue indeed, process lasso of course would not change that.

 

So were the 3,3GHz you mentioned just a typo or are you really only getting 3,3?

I would really appreciate if you could check this last thing again, thanks!