Request for Audirvana NUC

Very interesting build @apeschi!

How do you manage cooling of the CPU?

I guess such a build is easily expandable to be run with an outside linear power supply?

Would you mind sharing the parts you used with pictures? The reason I am asking is that I intend to do something similar, so help is welcome!

Best regards

For the moment I have not had problems about cooling. The mini PC is yet supplied with the CPU and his fanless heat sink. I think that the heat sink is connected with the external case that has build in metal with dissipative grooves.
The power is outside of the case. I’m using the power supplier included in the package I bought (like PC power supplier), but should be possible to use a better power supply. For the moment I have not yet bought one, but should be possible.
Let me know for more informations you need. I will send you a private message with the model I bought.

Note: My pc version mount i7 10th generation, on the site they have 8th generation or 10th generation. I cannot see now my model but only 8th generation or 10th generation 10710U (my CPU is i7 Intel® Core™ i7-10510U CPU @ 1.80GHz 2.30 GHz. Now this version sould be no more available).

Thanks so much for the info, very much appreciated! Nice system, indeed!

I see now, it’s a mini PC. I was under the impression that you transferred a NUC into one of those passively cooled cases that require some sort of cooling schemes applied.

My vision is to build a silent computer for Audirvana much in the same way as described in the Audiophile Style forum

But before embarking onto such an endeavor, I need to read much more into the why’s and how‘s!

Best regards

Yes, shure.

This is my third Music PC I build. The first one was one mini PC Case, the second one on midi PC Case, both with fan and both with noise due to the fan.

Now I try this choice.

In my opinion is better to spend money in better DAC with a good USB input, in amplifiers and in speakers.
About PC, I don’t agree to spend a lot of money in cabling the PC and in power (just my 2 cents).
Is important by my point of view to avoid hot, to have right power needed, to optimize SW, reduce programs not needed, optimize network connection, disk speedy, clean the startup list programs, have a lot of RAM (to avoid paging), have a good processor. (The CPU Power request only for play Flac files is not much, but for high resolution, for sw like Dirac and so on, I prefer have a powerfull CPU).
To the USB I added a small Audioquest device to clean USB rumors between the USB output and USB DAC input. My Dac is Matrix xSabre.
I’d like to work more in DAC interface testing different DAC Models.

Thanks @apeschi for your thoughts! Very valuable!

I must say I am attracted by all the discussions going over at Audiophile Style, but I am just as well aware that these people tend to do overkill!

Perfectly agree on the availability of lots of RAM and a good power supply. In that respect, I let my MacBook Pro run on battery, it lasts well for about five hours which is more than enough (as I never listen for such a long time to music).

Can you elaborate on startup list programs? Do you mean those programs that will be started automatically upon booting the system? If so, I’d need to look into this.

Also disk speed, what do you mean by this? I have an internal SSD, so not much I could do there.

Optimising network connection: I let my MBP run via WiFi, so completely separated from the switch. Anything else one could do?

I certainly agree about optimising DAC and connection. I have a Devialet and I love its sound, so not much I can do there. But maybe on the side of USB connection as you do. What Audioquest device do you use? I use anyhow Audioquest coffee USB cable, pretty good compared to others.

Thanks for your input!

It’s pointless to get linear power supply for the computer. The noisy components are on the motherboard itself.

Just get any small form factor computer with just enough power to do what you want it to do.

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And there is no way around noisy components on the motherboard? No ‘audio-grade’ motherboard?

Not really, there are no general purpose motherboards that could be classified as audiophile grade components.

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