We recently looked at Shuttle’s first attempt at an HTPC and weren’t all that impressed. In fact, one of the SFF PCs we compared it to was MSI’s MegaPC which seems more targeted towards the living room. Today, we take a look at MSI’s latest MegaPC- the MegaPC 865 PRO which, while still based on the older Intel 865 chipset, features some interesting new additions to the MegaPC lineup.

Packaging

The MegaPC 865 Pro, like other MegaPCs, comes in a large box that we think isn’t needed and MSI should use something smaller and sturdier. Opening the box reveals the MegaPC, a small box containing the HSF unit and a plastic bag with the manuals and media.

There are two manuals- one for hardware installation and the other for software installation both of which are in nine languages. MSI includes a cable for FM reception however no IDE or SATA cables are included as they are already fitted in. Lastly, a remote control is also included in the package.

Looks

The MegaPC 865 Pro is a pretty good looking SFF PC. MSI hides all the bays and connections in the front to give it a nice smooth look. The right side of the front has quite a few buttons that are used to switch between PC and Instant On modes as well as control volume levels and navigate the unit.

Powering up the MegaPC lights up all the buttons and the big LED screen that’s a trademark of MegaPCs comes alive. MSI uses an orange backlight for the buttons and it certainly looks nice- although we must say that the days of LEDs are over and MSI should think about using a better display on the front.