If it’s tries that Ultrabooks aren’t
meeting sales expectations because of high prices, CyberPower is making moves
in the right direction by offering a trio of 14.1-inch models that break the
$1.000 barrier. One of those is the Zeus M2, which rings in at $850. That’s
nearly half the cost of the Lenovo Xl Carbon we reviewed Last month. So what,
if any, features and performance are sacrificed in the service of money
savings?
CyberPower
Zues M2
It’s pretty clear that CyberPower cut some
of its costs on materials and construction. The Zeus M2 is nearly all plastic
except for its brushed-metal Lid. The body is not super rigid, exhibiting flex
in the base when the notebook is held by one corner, and some mushiness under
the keyboard. But the build doesn’t seem flimsy and the hinge feels solid. The
keyboard and touchpad are in keeping with the budget motif strictly
serviceable, but thankfully free of any major nuisances in our testing.
Similarly, the screen is an unremarkable TN panel with a 1366x768 resolution
and a glossy finish. All in all, the overall quality is what you’d expect from
the price tag.
But by keeping design flourishes to a
minimum, CyberPower is able to outfit the Zeus M2 with a respectable load out
of internal components that doesn’t stray far from many pricier configs. For
instance, at 1.76Hz, its i5-3317U CPU is clocked just 100M Hz Lower than the Xl
Carbon’s proc (the same proc found in our zero-point, incidentally). The M2’s
120GB Intel SSO is just 8GB shy of the X1’s what’s more, the M2’s drive
achieved sequential reads that were 21 percent better than the Xl’s drive and
sequential writes that were 10 percent better in CrystalOisk Mark. On top of
that, the M2 offers 16GB of RAM to the Xl’s 4GB. The M2 also boasts a
competitive array of ports, including full size Ethernet and HOMI ports, two
USB 3.0 ports (along with one USB 2.O), and a media card reader.
For
instance, you can upgrade to the Zeus-M2 with 16GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD
In our benchmark tests, the Zeus M2 held
its own, performing even better against our zero-point rig than last month’s
Carbon Xl. Our battery rundown test was another story. Here, the M2 conked out
in less than four hours. Since long battery life is one of the tenets of the
Ultra book mandate, this is a notable failing.
Still, we have to give CyberPower credit
where credit is due. The M2 might fall short in the style and battery-life
categories, but it succeeds in key ways that are crucial to the Ultrabook
brand, by offering a thin and Light portable with flexible features and
competitive performance at a very competitive price. Bud get buyers will be
welt-served by this device.
