MSI 6676-001BUS Intel Atom D510 (1.66GHz, dual-core) Intel NM10 Intel GMA 3150 Barebone

Pros: Simple to build
Low power consumption

Cons: None

Other Thoughts: Upgraded from a 3yr old original MSI Wind Box Barebones. Upgraded to this version for the faster 64bit processor to enable the installation of WHS 2011 (64bit only OS since its based on Server 2008) and the higher max RAM. Build is almost identical to the original and these things run like champs. My original has been running almost nonstop as a home server for 3yrs with no hardware issues and I have seen no issues in the first 2 months with this unit. File transfer and access speeds are decent for a home file server and it makes a great low powered, headless server.

Pros: Everything SEEMS like it should work. The case is a good size and well constructed

Cons: This unit was DOA. No video output. Set me back an hour of hardware installation, a week and a half of time to return and get a new one, and $12 to RMA. So much for quality control!

Other Thoughts: I was planning on installing an SSD and 4 gig of RAM to give me a blazing fast box that is small and with low power consumption. If only I could get a unit that WORKS!

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued MSI Customer,

We would like to apologize for the issue you have experienced with this particular BB. Please email me directly via usersupport2@msicomputer.com your BB's serial number and your complete contact information, subject heading "EAH6676". I would like to help you get this resolved.

Best Regards,
User Support
MSI Product Support

Pros: System was very easy to assemble. Dropped in a SATA drive and memory and the system was booted from a USB memory drive. Shipping and delivery from Newegg was outstanding--as usual.

Cons: Does not work with Fedora 14 or Ubuntu 10.10 out of the box. I did install Ubuntu 09.04 and did upgrades until I reached Ubuntu 10.10 with a newer kernel. At that point the system hangs on boot with an intel-agpart error. Linux 2.6.32 kernels work well with this system. Later kernels do not. Mepis 8.5 live CD works flawlessly.

Technical support from MSI said that this system is not supported under Linux. Rather disappointed with the MSI technical support.

Other Thoughts: Probably a good system for Windows 7. Linux support is limited. As a temporary solution I have kept the system running a 2.6.32 Linux kernel. This works fine with Ubuntu 10.10, but is not an ideal solution.

Pros: easy to set up and modify, great for a home file-server, basic pc. I already had a few memory modules from my old macbook pro - worked beautifully.

Cons: has an antenna for wireless, but no wireless card - buyer beware. newegg only has two wireless cards for that fit this slot (pci-express mini half), and the board requires a special screw in order to hold the card in. needless to say, neither this MSI box nor the intel wireless card COMES WITH THIS EXOTIC SCREW!!! Now I'm on the hunt for a $0.02 part in order to make a $160.00 computer function on a pretty basic level. Kind of sucks.

Other Thoughts: Anyone know what I'm talking about? Should I have gotten this screw with the box - was it just missing from mine? Got a customer service ticket with MSI but I'm not optimistic. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Pros: * small
* low power
* easy linux install

Cons: * vga only (minor quibble because I set it up as a server)

Other Thoughts: I set this up as a linux server by installing Centos 5.5 from a USB flash drive.

It was a very easy install, and it was up and running almost immediately. I had to tweak nothing.

You'll need to read the instructions and get a screwdriver to install the memory and hard disk, but it's very easy.

There are two internal sata connectors. I installed a 3.5" sata hard disk in the 3.5" bay, and nothing in the 5.25" bay. The 5.25" bay can take a CD or DVD drive or another hard disk with a 5.25" adapter.

I didn't really check this out as a desktop machine, so I can't comment on graphics.

Wonderful.

Pros: * Robust quality of construction
* Easiest build you can imagine (drive cage is easy to remove and there's plenty of space for hands and fingers to work inside the case)
* Takes a 3.5in HDD make it very cost effective as a single-drive 1TB or higher NAS or file server.
* Consumes only 21W fully on and idle
* Dual core Atom is a nice balance of compute power vs. cost and power consumption for home servers.

Cons: * By default the BIOS tries to boot first via the Ethernet connection (but this is easy to switch off)
* No DVI or HDMI out
* No eSATA connection

Other Thoughts: Bought this specifically as a dedicated music server, using Vortexbox (a Fedora core 11 based disto for ripping and serving music). It is pretty much ideal for this task.

Pros: I was on my way out of a local retailer after returning a NAS that didn't work out and cam across this little Gem! A snappy little box with plenty of I/O to make a Windows Home Server. It even worked with my existing RAM, drives and wireless card! Installing WHS was super easy to install and works quietly in the background.

Cons: While it is well built, the box has little soundproofing, so my noisy HD rattles a bit. (oh well) Still a great use of older components.

Other Thoughts: Going with this little box has (so far) worked out well. Now I have terrabites available on the network with my DroboPro attached.

Pros: I installed Ubuntu 10.04 on it and that works fine. However, I ran into the following issues:

1. Tried booting off a USB stick to install Ubuntu 10.04, that did not work. (I have used the same USB stick on my Lenovo T61 laptop and that boots fine)

2. Boot off an external USB drive to install Ubuntu 10.04, that also did not work. The initialization routine froze about 10 seconds into the install.

3. Boot off an external USB drive to install Ubuntu 9.04, works perfect, no problem whatsoever. Was able to go on-line immediately.

4. After 9.04 was installed, used Upgrade Manager to update Ubuntu 9.10, also no problem.

5. Restarted, use Upgrade manger again and updated to 10.04, still no problem.

6. Maybe the reason why my USB stick did not boot was because it had Ubuntu
10.04, I am not sure. But if you follow my steps for the upgrade, it should go smoothly.

Cons: There is a typo in the memory specs from NewEgg for this bare-bone system. You can only use DDR2 800 or 667. You CANNOT use 533 (the motherboard won't POST).

I found out the hard way by ordering a 1 GB 533 module and thought the motherboard was bad. I checked the memory specs at the MSI website and realized the problem.

It wasn't worth the hassle to return it and get charged a restocking fee so I just ordered a 1 GB DDR2 667 and that works perfect.

Other Thoughts: 1. Very quiet. I have to put my head next to the rear fan to hear it running

2. Runs cool, I touched the heat-sink for the ATOM CPU and it only felt warm.

3. Built quality is excellent, everything fits perfectly. The case feels very solid.

4. If you don't need an internal DVD drive, consider mounting your SATA hard drive in that bay instead. That is because the CPU is positioned right underneath the default hard drive bay, so you may get a lot of heat generated in that area. MSI should have swapped the drive bay position between the DVD and the hard drive.

5. If you mount your hard drive in the DVD bay, you only need to drill one hole. There is one existing hole already and I added another. Two screws are plenty for the hard drive to stay put.

6. It doesn't feel sluggish at all. I am setting this up to be a headless torrent download PC. It uses less power (about 40W) than a regular PC and is quiet so I can just set it up and forget about it.

Pros: Low power consumption, pretty quiet, "just works". The 4GB memory limit is a big step up from the previous model.

Cons: plastic front of case sometimes a little fiddly to install.

Other Thoughts: I also have two of the predecessor model (which was based on the Atom 330). This 510 plus one of those run under 60W total under load (measured by my UPS).