There's no shortage of ultrabooks available right now, but few (if any) boutique system builders have gotten in on the action with customizable solutions. Most existing ultrabooks are currently sold in static configurations with no tweakable hardware. CyberPower has bucked that trend this week, unveiling its new Zeus-M, an affordable machine that offers a little more flexibility than the mainstream outfits.
The Zeus-M starts at $699 and packs a 14.1-inch 1366x768 display, an Intel Core i5-3317U 1.70-2.60GHz with an integrated HD Graphics 4000 chip, 8GB of DDR3-1333MHz RAM, and a 60GB SATA III SSD. For another $100, CyberPower offers a second preset configuration dubbed the Zeus-M2 with 16GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD (the exact models of the default 60GB and 120GB drives aren't listed).
However, you can also get a little more hands-on, choosing from 4GB to 16GB at speeds of DDR3 1333MHz or 1600MHz (for whatever it's worth, the company is currently running a Labor Day promo that nets you a free upgrade to the quicker RAM). You can also select your own storage, with options including several Intel 320 Series (SATA II) and Intel 520 Series (SATA III) SSDs spanning up to 600GB.
The Zeus-M also features a 1.3-megapixel webcam, an Azalia 24-bit 2-channel sound system, an HDMI port, one USB 2.0 port and two USB 3.0 ports, a 9-in-1 media card reader, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, and a removable 8-cell battery. Along with various hardware and software accessories, it's worth noting you can have the notebook shipped without a Windows license for additional savings if you have a spare copy.
Unfortunately, we couldn't find the machine's exact dimensions, but it's said to measure less than an inch thick and weigh under four pounds no matter the configuration. Units will start shipping September 11.