XXHighEnd

Hi All,

Following up on this :
And now my sound is SCARY (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3268.0)
I'd like to apply some changes to the XXHighEnd PC :

---

At this moment, and for the time being, the XXHighEnd PC will be shipped with :

Edit April 2016 : This "time being" has ended.
See here : General Description of the XXHighEnd PC (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=2733.0) and also here : Super Offer - XXHighEnd PC for 975 !! (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3594.0)

- a 2.5" hdd with Windows 8 Pro + license;
- a 2.5" hdd with Windows 10 Pro Preview, build 10074, meant to fully operate from RAM.

The 500GB hdd as well as the 2.5" SSD will not be part of the shipment any more.

The (still silent) dedicated (and analog rev-controlled) chassis fans will not be electrically connected (hence won't be operative by default, but they can be connected when wanted).

Reason for this strategy change :

At first the XXHighEnd PC was meant to cover for all the needs for Audio Playback, including the housing of the music itself, by means of hdd or by means of USB connections. This strategy has changed (for the better SQ of course) into :

a. Connect as few as possible to the Audio PC (which means totally nothing);
b. Have the music somewhere behind the LAN (another PC or a NAS etc.).

Ad a.
The provided hdd with Windows, by default boots the Operating System into RAM. After that, the hdd can be removed from its removable (and hot-pluggable) bay.
Do notice that all the provisions are there to apply changes - now performed in RAM - to permanent storage (re-mount the W10 hdd and let XXHighEnd apply the changes).

The provided W8 hdd implies the more normal situation, but with still the strategy that as few as possible is to be connected to the PC. Thus, the only difference with the W10 hdd is that W10 is meant to run from RAM (but can also be used in normal fashion) while W8 is meant to run normally from the HDD.

The XXHighEnd PC will be shipped with XXHighEnd 2.03 (or higher) - needed to support the "Windows 10 from RAM";
You don't need to do anything to let this all work and booting will automatically be to/from RAM. Tutorials to let all work seamlessly with the music behind the LAN somewhere, are available.

---

Regards,
Peter

Hi Peter,
A few questions -
Do you plan on using the official Windows 10 version when it is released?
Can you plug in a USB drive instead of using a NAS - is there sound quality difference?  I'm not sure what you mean behind the LAN, doesn't a NAS or another computer need to be part of the same LAN as the XXHIghEnd PC?
If you make changes to settings I assume you need to boot from the physical hard drive, run XXHighEnd from the physical hard drive, make changes, save to the physical drive and then reboot the OS into RAM.
Anything else you experimented with - grounding, clocks, separate USB cards?
Many thanks,
Dave

Hi Peter,
            I presume you have nothing connected via USB to PC. And you have all fans disconnected.
Is this now because running W10 in Ram runs cooler or you have been running no fans anyway?

Robert
 

Is this upgrade possible for existing XXHE PC owners?  Apologies if I have missed the answer somewhere.

Matt, your question is justified, because I "had to" leave it out. This is because :

1. It's daft to not supply anything of this for new PC owners while it's all working;
2. It's also a kind of daft to now hastily supply it to 50-60 others while the RTM (Release To Manufacture) version is around the corner.

Especially #1 is a bit tough because people want a PC "today" and supply nothing of W10, waiting for ... how long ? again is daft. Again, it all just works, works very fine and even more importantly : SQ is superb (in my view).

More in a next post ...

Hi Robert,

The honest answer is actually : coincidence;
Just over a year ago I had to take apart my Audio PC for the Linear PSU project (put on hold in the end) and my Audio PC ended up with the OS-hdd attached as the only thing. Fans were disconnected as well, because they disturbed the boot process. So my PC ended up as you see below and it has been so for a year. All what's connected is the removable bay drive you see in the bottom-left, an USB cable for the DAC and an ethernet cable for the LAN/music.
How tempting it was all this time (a year) to remove the HDD from the bay, which you actually now see happened (it sticks out). PC is just running ...

Shorter answer (is it ?) :
With MinOS and further settings, nothing gets hot in there anyway from the CPU's perspective (CPU package temperature is 40C/104F only) and all what's further warm is the MoBo (always under 40C). Lastly, the OS Disk radiates heat, but when used as intended that's "nothing". Notice that "intended" is a few accesses per minute only, if at all (this, while continuous use of the hdd can make it 100C/212F++ easily). This too is arranged for by XXHighEnd.
So with this hdd all is already sufficiently cool and without it ... it hardly matters.

Peter

PS: I notice myself - watching that picture - that the video card is still in there (the thing with the cooling ribs), but that can also go out since all can be done from RDC/RDP;
I haven't had connected the monitor (and mouse+keyoard) for weeks.

Dave,


Difficult to say at this moment. One answer is :
I see many more reasons why *not* to do that, than do it. Anyway I myself have no single reason to do it.
Additionally, it will only mean work for me. It takes one thing only to do nothing : keep that 10074 build available (and I will take care of that anyway).

Also notice - and this may not be so obvious to everyone - that the 10074 build *really* is free, does not show nasty adds(ware) and does NOT require an existing W8(.1) or W7 license. The final build will (and you will lose the licensing right on the other one. Of course you can normally buy Windows 10 to avoid issues in this context.
Summarized : W10 is not free at all. You're hoaxed to some extent. Still, such a Preview is free, but don't ask me how long it will last. I could not find data on that (like the W8 Consumer preview worked for 15 or so months only).

Not to forget : people tend to think that this build is not stable. Well, maybe if you try to do your work on it. But for us and what we do with it ? It is SUPER STABLE. I never saw even the slightest hiccup from it and it is running for 6-7 weeks in a row now (2 weeks off for vacation) - never needing a reboot, apart from my testing stuff.
But to keep in mind : XXHighEnd anticipates on a few things, and arranges for that explicitly.


But of course. But sadly this is exactly the way NOT to go any more. Not for the better SQ ...


Sorry for that, as it could be too much of Dutch. But try to read the "behind" as something like a black box; invsible; "somewhere".
Anyway, just LAN connected.

Possibly because you didn't get that, I now don't understand the last part of your question here. But the answer is obviously (?) Yes.


No. Normal sequence is this :

- Prepare the lot once (this is the super tough part, "undoable" already for explaning).

- (A) Boot (this is from hdd into RAM and goes automatically)
- Detach hdd
- Apply changes via XXHighEnd as you like (ad-hoc / on the fly, etc.).
- (B) Shutdown (XXHighEnd will now ask you to re-attach the hdd and applies the changes to the permenent storage for you).
- Go to sleep, work, etc.
- Back to (A).

During the process of (B) you are asked to really shutdown, continue, OR continue with the permenent storage attached and accessible FOR YOU. This is the situation that you can apply anything to permanent storage. Example : Such a question (by XXHighEnd) for renaming a particular .tst file to .tss so "the" question won't be asked next time. So you did that in the RAM version, but will also want to do that in the permenant storage so it applies at the next boot to RAM.
Also see below picture (again); default boot is into RAM. But be there to choose the "BASE version" and you have the normal OS from hdd, apply all you like in there (like you're used to with your wildest tweaks and whatever), play music if you like for testing, to next reboot (automatically) to RAM again, and find your changes applied in there.
That's all. :)


Uhm, of course. But by the time such things bring real results, I usually let it know. Haha.

Regards,
Peter

Hi Peter,
So XXHighEnd knows to save your changes to the hdd (very cool).  In essence this PC really can only be used for xxhighend and nothing else.  I say this as no other application is going to ask you to re-attach the hdd ;-)

I don't know much about lans, so a few simple questions - are we talking a wireless lan or hard-wired?  Can I get a NAS and just do point to point wiring or do I need to get a router?

With a stripped down version of the PC I would think some of things I mentioned like grounding would have less of an impact.  Perhaps a stripped down version of a motherboard would also help.

FYI -
I've been looking into products that people have put in their computers to help clean the power supply -

Bybee Rails (second link is someone who installed them in there computer, need to scroll down a bit)

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0111/bybee_music_rails.htm

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f8-general-forum/bybee-music-rail-question-14278/

AudioMagic Pulse Gen ZX (second link is someone who installed them in there computer)

http://www.audio-magic.com/Prod-PulseGenZX.html
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/t.mpl?f=tweaks&m=154427

I have no affiliation with either company.  I have added both of these to components I have already owned with excellent results. 

I found I can connect a NAS directly to a computer using static IP addresses.  My question is if the OS is always loaded into RAM how do I make configuration changes in Windows that will be saved.  I'm obviously missing something.
thanks,
dave

Hi Dave,


Hard-wired. And you can use a router, but point-to-point is advised.


Nah, sort of;
If you dive more into XXHighEnd you will see/learn that RAMDisk operation requires an environmental "set up" that allows to save the changes WITHIN XXHIGHEND to permanent storage. Nothing super special about that, apart from it being very convenient that it happens.
The same thing now happens to our next dimension of RAM and permanent storage.

So you can try to think another way around :
Suppose you use JRiver, dunk that yourself to RAMDisk and change settings in there - now hope that provisions have been made by JRMC to save those settings for you to permanent storage.
This is unrelated to your quote, if you only also grasp this :

All OTHER means of changes, like given example of renaming a file, is not done by XXHighEnd. Still you can do that redundantly yourself. Think a virtual machine not allowing write changes, while you still want to change the base (you want to apply the writes after all). Normally this requires a re-gen of the OS. I did it more smart (sort of because I ain't - and if I was I would have made an incremental change to permenent storage (like backups can work)).

And do notice that we talk "Audio PC" and not a work PC or something. And worse : We talk about the physical XXHighEnd PC as well, because regarding drivers etc. I made it for that (sh*t happens with a pre-configured OS).

Clear a bit ?
Ah, I'm sure it already was. But true, you could say that this (PC) is for XXHighEnd only. But, what's the difference with a Virtual Machine without writing through changes, which is always for "a" purpose ?
The difference is that external factors now first imply the "no writes" (because we're in RAM) and that now provisions must be found/created to apply those changes after all. Just for convenience.

Peter

Peter,

You talked about a usb stick instead of a HDD before.
Would that also be possible? Would make it a lot easyer in my setup.  :)

If someone (like me) already has an XXhighend PC, can it be updated to this current status w/ windows 10??? :grin:

Hi Fred  - for sure Yes.

Regards,
Peter

Hey Peter,

I'm kind of like Mani right now. I've been so swamped with other things, I have not even had a chance to mess with my audio system.

I purchased a new SSD, downloaded the correct build of Windows 10 probably almost two months ago and the SSD is still in its sealed box & I haven't even put Windows on a bootable disc. Pretty pathetic. ;)

Anyway I'd like to purchase the whole package, and if I haven't already  bought the license for the latest XX by the time your ready to ship it out to me we'll add that in too.
 
I'm really looking forward to getting back to my audio. I've got some new woodworking equipment coming in and I'm getting ready to pair a bunch of 101db sensitive 15" drivers in an open baffle setup with my BD Orphean horns. I've already got some cool finish ideas with some carbon fiber sheeting & Ferrari Rossa Corsa paint. Definitely won't be subtle :smile:

Once again Peter, thank you for continuing to advance all ends of the playback chain. It's easy to rekindle our audio passion with you around!!!
Todd

Hi there Todd,

We are all summer-slow - no worries.
But a question : Super great about the Ferrari's which grow all over you, but do you also have an XXHighEnd PC-Ferrari ?
Maybe you do and I forgot. Browsed briefly through some email titles and don't see it there either.

or


... you don't mean the PC with that, do you ? :whistle:

Peter :sleeping:

Hi Peter,

I have the same ASROCK MOBO and all the same hardware but a full ATX case, is that doable? Hope so.

By the way did I remember a Ferrari red NOS1 pic somewhere?

Todd

OK Todd. All fine then !

Yes, obviously I was thinking about the Ferrari-NOS1 ... but must think where I put that picture.

Peter

The Ferrai-NOS1(a by now) was in here :

Active Speakers - Why ? (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=2991.msg31464#msg31464)

Also see below; different color (number) ...

http://www.pagestart.com/win10tpbuildexp041215.html (http://www.pagestart.com/win10tpbuildexp041215.html)

We maybe passing each other - agreed, by having the OS in RAM you have no writes unless other provisions are made.  So if I change settings in the Windows 10 for networking (e.g. set a static network address) how do they get saved when the OS is in RAM, hence no writes?

Also, you'll notice the link Jud sent has Windows 10 build 10074 is set to stop booting on 10/10/15.  Perhaps by changing the BIOS date, this can be verified...

Hi Peter,

Short question: why detach and re-attach the HDD? (So the hot-plug)

Just for SQ, or is there another reason?

When running OS and XXHE from RAM might the HDD be still attached?

Regards, Arjan

Arjan,

Yes, for SQ.
And Yes, can just as well remain attached. But that violates the whole purpose (which is not running the OS from RAM but which is the HDD not being in there - nor anything else).

Regards,
Peter

Jud, Thank you !

You won't do it in that sequence. Instead, again the other way around :
Set up your system to your liking and take as much time as you need for that ... operating from the normal disk boot (see earlier given screen shot of the Boot Manager, 1st option). Done ? then reboot (automatically boots into the 3rd option (RAM) and takes your disk OS version as the base).

Peter

Anyway, this urges for a set up which will last longer. :yes:

Perhaps we need a new thread for covering W10074 expiry:-

http://www.pagestart.com/win10tpbuildexp041215.html

I changed system clock in a test pc installation of W10074 to 22.9.15 and immediately got message that It would expire in October 2015.
Reset it to today, rebooted and still works without the expiry message.
Changed date to 2014, rebooted and W10074 still works. So this might buy some time for finding a proper solution.

BTW - internet sync time was turned off (not that we ever need to connect to internet). Also in EVENT VIEWER - WINDOWS LOGS there are records of the date changes but these can can all be cleared.

Maybe you can make something in xx that reset the date after every start. Or something  :)

Colin & Gerard,

Yes; manipulating the date is the most obvious (and still legal if you ask me). Still I like to test this first because there are also other things that are not so obvious;

Side note : Thank you Colin - now I don't need to test that part any more.

I am pretty confident that the "SxS" (Side by Side : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side-by-side_assembly) stuff may get confused by this, once we update parts of the system.
I forgot the situation(s) but when we e.g. put a newer file to the system than the current time implies, the older file won't be removed from system cache and causes anomalies. But this is outside of reboots and obviously we will reboot in such a (time lapse setting) situation.

Point is also that at least I am not used to this at all because modern IT systems will be molested right away when the attempt is made. I can tell you : 10 years back or so the Atom clock (I think in the UK) went bananas and started telling that it was 2021 or so. Now THAT messes up systems. Especially when all was fine again (back to say 2005) because things in such systems anticipate sequence numbers based upon the year etc. and that no anti-dating (set back the time) is allowed / possible etc. etc. etc.
For us and audio ? probably no problem. But still I can wonder what will happen when I set back the date to 2012 for my W10 system.
Colin, be happy to ...  :)

But otherwise this is the obvious solution.

Peter

The message(s) during RDC set-up (W8, have not played with W10 yet) say that time settings between 2 PC's are
very important for establishing RDC. Can someone with W10 and 2nd PC for RDC check this pls?

George

Hi George,

From my own experience I only know about strange time anomalies in Windows 8 (that being the host PC (Audio PC)). However, this is from the programmer's perspective and how the file date/time of a file runs hours ahead from reality. Time from both PC's is fine in itself, but when the file is copied from the one PC to the other, on the other (the host) it is wrong.
Maybe it is some universal time setting somewhere (this exists).
I did not see this anomaly with Windows 10 (as the host).

Something similar seems to happen (W8 = host) when a freshly (elsewhere) compiled file is put to the host, the host telling that the file is in use. But after 60 seconds (after compile time, as I see it) it is OK.
This too is not in order with a W10 host.

Best regards,
Peter

I use my iPad for remote connection. (rd client app)
Just reset the date on the audio pc to 1/1/2015 and rebooted.

Only a message on the client verification date but was easy to go around by accepting the connection.

No further issues. Still nice sound.....

Regards, Arjan

Hi Peter,

Thanks for above, and it relates to further thinking:
My audio PC is not connected to internet ever and contains only OS HDD. Music library is on 2nd PC and the two are connected via wired LAN  - Gbit LAN Card @ 2nd PC, 'Library' or 'Storage' PC.
If we change date to say 2012 @ Music PC or 'Host PC' and we know XXHE writes some info in each album played - what will be the date of that file, 2012 or real date?
Looking at year designation only, not time, time varies due to 'Time Zone' settings - correctly adjusted to local zone or not.

Thanks,
George

Hi Peter -
Thanks!
Although changing the date backwards would solve the expiration problem, who knows what other problems it may cause.  Very hard to predict with people using different hardware, different environment and doing slightly different things.  I guess we'll know after 10/10/15 ;-) 

George, pfff ... good one !!
My setup is exactly the same as yours (as it looks) but I can not guess it at the moment. So notice though that the writes you talk about are quite irrelevant to anything, I mean, it can only be about the XXAnalysis.dat files and nothing cares about the date of those.

Still it is a good question, because in my situation (and probably yours too) the PC holding the files *IS* important for good date/time. I mean, I won't set back the date of that one, to have it the same as the Audio PC (assumed that would be of any importance to begin with).

Well, I guess I will set the date of the audio PC to July 28, 2012 in a few minutes and see whether something odd happens in due time.

Btw, Gallery data is also on the "file server" these days (this will be new in 2.03 "more throughout"). So there's a function which can sort Gallery Data on "date/time created" ... that will be confused I supposed. That is, assumed the Audio PC rules over that date.

:scratching:
Peter

Audio PC is at July 28, 2012.
Caused an XXAnalysis.dat file to be created / modified ... but that nicely registered on today. So the "file server" rules, regarding this.

:prankster:

Peter

Hmm ...

I now see that it is not even announced in this topic that I was not able to create a Clone from the base disk I use for this. Thus apparently this was dealt with elsewhere. This summarized : While I have the OS running from RAM, I was not able to create a working copy (clone) of the disk. This in itself means that it is quite impossible to provide people with an OS upgrade by means of sending out a HDD. Well, I could, but it takes 2 days to create an individual one, so quite unaffordable.
I tried all the means of cloning / imaging software I could find, and nothing worked.

Now with this topic in mind, all about the setting back of the date : Windows 10 build 10074 expiration (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3322.0), this also deals with the impossibility of the system to boot. Set your date too early or too late ...
And now it gets vague ... very very vague ...

What I came here for is to announce that my clone disk works after all. The question for me is why, but maybe I can sort that out later. However, it must be related to me setting back the date in the Audio PC while I never rebooted, only to know much later that a reboot did not work at all. And I set back my date two years - a known date which does not work (at least for most); it is too early. Funnily enough, the fact that I use the Audio PC without its HDD (which initially is used to copy the OS to RAM), allows me to move it to another PC and start cloning it. All the time the Audio PC still works, until I try the clone.
Well, I stop here because it is too vague and too difficult to recall all. Fact is :

Today I was going to implement a new build of Windows 10. What disk to use ? I ran out of new ones. So there's the W10 clone. Let's have that.
I put in the USB pen with the W10 install in the Audio PC, put in the old W10 Cloned disk, think about that I should maybe go into the BIOS to denote the USB pen as first boot device - think it will not find it automatiaclly, but also think that the "new" disk I put in there will not be found as boot device, so I decided to let it go and see whether it finds the USB pen automatically.
It did not.

Of course not, because the disk is not a new disk at all, and it just starts booting from it. Well, it comes up with the Boot Menu and the 3 OSes on there (see earlier in this topic). Of course I see this for the xth time, but I let it go and thought to one more time AGAIN look into it; possible it can be repaired after the cloning operation. That's what was in my mind.
I went elsewhere for a little leak, came back and ... the d*mn thing had booted !?

All I know is that the date is Sept. 2, our Ground Hog Day.
What I also know for dead sure is that the message (blue screen (coming up when it did not work)), was exactly the same as was described by now by others (I can't find where it is). But it tells about a Windows component being expired and needs repair (and then an .exe file mentioned).
So can this be coincidence ?

Oh, I now recall that I had to give up Windows 10 entirely for two weeks or so, because the base file also did not want to boot any more. Hey, I only need to find the date where this original clone was created and the post where I asked Bert whether his system still booted.
But as said - for later to sort out.

---

Point is : Now I *do* have a working disk for XXHighEnd PC customers. Must I now really continue and try a new Build of Windows 10 to find out it again sounds bad ? or to find out that this can not be free per the means of how I have to create the disk ?
10074 is and remains free and works superbly ...

Comments ?

Peter

It took me a while to find this :
Re: XXHighEnd PC with Windows 10 from RAM (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3295.msg35642#msg35642)
(out of all in this same topic as this one and at July 28 announcing that I set back the date two years)

Then in the Clone I can see it was created on August 3 ...

On August 7 Bert is asking me whether I was still able to reboot :
Re: W10 - SQ (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3303.msg35698#msg35698)
With an answer of No.

And all I know for sure is that
a. I never told this out of myself because I didn't make the connection with the set back date, at the time;
b. In there (post after) I also say this :
... which is about that I had reverted to Windows 8. I didn't tell that either (maybe a month later I told about this "happening").

So what indeed will have happened is that in this period of a week or so I also had created the Clone (didn't do that myself) and I must never have made the connection between that not wanting to boot, and the original (disk) also not wanting to boot any more. I don't even know which one was first.
All I know is that I started to use W8, and that in there at some stage I noticed that the date was back at "today"; a phenomenon that more people have discovered (IIRC).

Anyway concluded (I'm sure) : I *can* make a clone of these rather complicated boot disks - and they even work.

:heat:
Peter

Peter, what size is the clone?

Hi Anthony,

Sorry, but I don't understand the question. However, the only answer I can come up with is : 750GB. That's the size of the disk (with 2 OSes on there - one normal (didn't look at the size) and one to go to RAM and which is 11GB).

Does that answer your question perhaps ?

Peter

Hi Dave,

I have a WD My Cloud Mirror NAS & I haven't been able to figure out how to connect it to my audio PC, without a router. If you could be so kind enough to guide me on how to go about doing this. The NAS & the audio PC are connected by ethernet cable.

Best regards,

Arvind

Arvind,

What brings you the idea that "without router" is more problematic than with ?

Did you try it with router already (just to try) ?

Anyway, it shouldn't be more than connecting the cable, obtain the IP address of the NAS and connect to that IP Address (not the Name of the NAS).
Of course start out in Normal OS, as usual for newly connected devices.

An issue theoretically can be that you need a crossed Ethernet cable because of the direct connection. But I hear people often say that with the modern equipment that is not necessary any more (all senses the crossing-necessity and does so internally). Anyway, normally it always has been so that from PC to router uses normal Ethernet cables, while PC-PC (which IMO would be the same for PC-NAS) requires a crossed cable (connections are different from one end to the other).

I hope this helps you ...
Peter

Hi Peter,

It is very possible that it was mentioned somewhere in the forum. And if it is, I will remove this post to avoid confusion.

I have a few questions:
A. Does loading Windows in RAM take a lot of RAM or is 16GB enough ?

B. It is my understanding that any software needs to be in RAM to be executed, so when starting XXHE, an instance of it will be loaded (from a portion of RAM to another). Am I right ?


B. It is my understanding that any executable program needs to be in RAM to be executed, so once the OS is copied in one portion of the RAM (the ramdrive portion), it needs to be copied in another portion of the RAM to be executed ? (maybe this is confusing - I will remove it if not really necessary to understand).

C. Are the ramdrives (Drives A: and B:) still required ? Maybe not the A: drive, since XXHE will already be present in OS RAM, but I guess that the B: drive will still be needed ?

D. Depending on your answer in C, what would be the maximum RAM size of the B: drive ? We still need some RAM space available for the SFS...

I put these questions as a start only :)

Regards,

Alain 
Edit: After reading the tutorial about the OS ramdrive, I hope that my questions are still valuable, but I will let you be the judge of that (still to avoid confusion for those reading this).

Hi Alain,

Very coincidentally (but some times I wonder) I finished a first (further) Tutorial about that minutes ago. Here it is :
The Operating System booted from RAM - General (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=3457.msg37136;topicseen#msg37136)

RAMDisks within that are not in order any more (a moot thing, now worstening).

16GB of RAM is enough as the OS itself occupies about 13GB (no swap file engaged). See below, while it was very easy to make a screen copy of the environment as all was still on-screen from making that Tutorial.

(http://www.stordiau.nl/xxhighend/XXHighEnd RAM Boot 04.png)
Don't get confused :

Internal space for the OS ("disk") is 13.6GB with 9.7GB used and thus 3.8GB free. This can be compared to your HDD where you made a partition of 13.6GB only and the OS occupying 9,7GB of that. Now you have some free space for temporary files etc. Thus, 3.8GB for your "Playback Drive" files (so to speak because we don't use a Playback Drive explicitly), like from FLAC converted WAV files.

Now, the RAM itself in this case is 16GB, thus 16 - 12.8 is about 3GB of RAM is free. This is normal RAM and in there your "SFS" goes (and more of course). So :
Supposed that normally the OS consumes 1GB in memory and 15GB is free, then now it consumes still 1GB in memory (we can not see that here thus we assume it) and 2GB is free.
This is sufficient for everything that I notice (and I recall that an SFS of 120 just works (or just not works, but something like that).

Peter

Peter,

Is there a big trade-off if someone adds 8 or 16GB (total = 24-32GB) ? I know the more RAM, the more noise and consumption, but... ?

Just to know your opinion on this...

Thanks,

Alain

Alain, I really have no idea. It seems to me that the less draw the better, although this is merely about spikey draw and IMO not so much about the more in general (more memory needs more current).
Of course it is not easy to test/check ...

Regards,
Peter