06-Mar-2018, 17:32
It's tempting to think that you're getting "better bang for your buck" if you go for a higher-spec processor, but unless you know you need it, the extra CPU power is actually a negative point for something that's going to sit in your living room; it brings more power dissipation, possibly more acoustic and electrical noise, etc. My guess -- and I admit it is only a guess -- is that unless you're planning to use Roon's DSP capabilities (or DSD-to-PCM conversion?) then an i7 may be a lot more horse-power than you need.
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK