Akasa Tesla H Review

Extra features

As standard, the Intel board can support one SATA drive by way of its single SATA 6Gbps connector plus the mini PCI-E slot of course. However the Tesla H offers two 2.5in bays. By using an optional mini PCI-E to SATA adaptor, you can sacrifice the port for an additional SATA connection complete with power.


The adaptor slots in to the standard mini PCI-E slot but also comes equipped with a cable that taps into the boards own 2-pin 19V DC power connector to power your storage. There are a few extra cables to deal with but this allows you to use a standard 2.5in SSD, which is likely to be cheaper than an equivalent mSATA model, plus a 2.5in hard disk. The adaptor is available for around £15 and includes the 2-pin NUC 19V adaptor cable too.

Performance Analysis

The extra surface area provided by the Tesla H compared to the Tranquil PC Abel H2-5 allowed it to knock a sizeable chunk off of the temperatures. Under full load with Prime95's small FFT test running, it was 6°C cooler when enclosed and 11°C cooler when out in the open. There was even a noticeable difference during more modest HD Netflix streaming, with the Tesla-H 4°C cooler when in our TV cabinet and 6°C cooler when out in the open.

Conclusion

There's no doubt that the Tesla H is far more effective at cooling Intel's NUC than the Tranquil PC Abel H2-5 as it outperformed it convincingly in every test. It's a little larger, but also costs around £30 less with a NUC adaptor and £50 less without. It's also well made although the standalone Abel H2 case, which costs £100, is certainly more attractive and lust-worthy.

Ultimately the Tesla H is the better case, though. For a small size increase and smaller price, you can lower the temperatures significantly and use two 2.5in hard disks with Akasa's adaptor. In all other areas the cases are fairly equal so the question will be are cost and cooling or style and size more important; if it's the former then go for the Akasa, if it's the latter Tranquil PC is where the money's at.