Today’s best laptop deals: Save big on work, school, home use, and gaming

PC laptop deals

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If you’re looking to score a fast laptop at a killer price, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re on the hunt for a blazing fast gaming rig, an affordable laptop under $500, or an everyday Chromebook, we’ve assembled a list of the best laptop deals available right now, using our finely honed editorial judgement (and thousands of hours of testing experience) to only recommend truly compelling deals on worthwhile notebooks.

We’ve separated the recommendations below by best laptop deals under $500, best home use laptop deals, best gaming laptop deals, and best premium laptop deals, to make it easier to find a notebook that fits your budget and needs. For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.

Best laptop deals (at a glance)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, $299.99 ($229 off at B&H)
Lenovo Flex 3, $349 ($130 off at Best Buy)
Acer Aspire 3, $499.99 ($100 off at Adorama)
HP Envy x360, $569.99 ($379.01 off at Adorama)
Asus VivoBook S15, $649.99 ($200 off at Adorama)
HP Dragonfly Pro One, $719.99 ($679.01 off at Adorama)
Lenovo Flex 7, $1,039.99 ($220 off at Adorama)
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1, $1,250.99 ($399 off at Best Buy)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14, $1,299.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)
Alienware m16 R2, $1,399.99 ($300 off at Dell)
Dell XPS 14, $2,099.99 ($400 off at Dell)

Best laptop deals under $500

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3: $299.99 ($229 off at B&H)

If you fancy yourself a casual user (aka someone that likes to browse the web or social media), the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is the laptop for you. It comes equipped with an Intel Core i3-1315U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage–that’s plenty of oomph for everyday tasks. The 15.6-inch 1920×1080 IPS display is nice, too. It should be clear enough for daily activities like spreadsheet work or watching a YouTube video. It also has a decent port selection with one USB-C and two USB-A. Not bad for a sub-$300 laptop!

Lenovo Flex 3: $349 ($130 off at Best Buy)

Sometimes all you need is an affordable laptop for surfing the web and composing e-mail exchanges. If you’re in the market for such a laptop, the Lenovo Flex 3 is definitely worth considering. It’s powered by a Pentium Silver N6000 processor, which is suitable for general browsing and streaming Netflix, but not much else. It’s not the fastest processor we’ve ever seen here at PCWorld, but you’ve also got to temper your expectations, as this laptop is specifically designed with basic tasks in mind. However, according to Best Buy reviews, the 1080p touchscreen display is pretty darn crisp, making this machine an excellent value.

Acer Aspire 3: $499.99 ($100 off at Adorama)

I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but the Acer Aspire 3 is a truly fantastic sub-$500 laptop for casual use. The Intel Core i7-1165G7 is a few generations old at this point, but it’s fast enough to handle web browsing as well as office work. The laptop also comes loaded with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage–which is better than what we typically see in this price range (it’s usually 8GB of memory and 128GB of SSD storage). In addition to the 15.6-inch 1080p display, which is perfect for day-to-day activities like scrolling through your social media feed and watching Netflix, it also weighs approximately 3.75 pounds, making it a pretty travel-friendly machine.

Asus VivoBook S15: $649.99 ($200 off at Adorama)

The Asus VivoBook S15 is a nice laptop for streaming your favorite shows, general web browsing, and so on. It comes loaded up with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU and AMD Radeon Graphics, so it should be smooth sailing when it comes to your daily tasks. The 15.6-inch 1080p display is fine for movie watching or doom scrolling, but if you need a sharper screen for editing work, for example, you should hook up to an external monitor. Fortunately for you, the VivoBook S15 also comes with a wide array of connectivity options: you’re getting one HDMI, one 3.5mm combo audio jack, one USB 2.0 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C. Other features include a backlit chiclet keyboard and a 720p webcam with a physical privacy shutter.

Best gaming laptop deals

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14: $1,299.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a great option for those who like to game on the go. Not only does this laptop come loaded with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU and an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS CPU, but it also weighs just 3.31 pounds. Most gaming laptops weigh five pounds or more, so this machine is pretty lightweight. It’s portable, which is great for students, and it’s powerful enough to run most modern games. The Platinum White colorway is absolutely gorgeous, too.

Alienware m16 R2: $1,399.99 ($300 off at Dell)

The Alienware m16 R2 is a powerful gaming laptop with a high refresh rate display. In addition to the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, you’re also getting a 16-inch display with a 2560×1600 resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. So, what does it all mean? Basically, the hardware should have no problem running most games with the graphics dialed up. The visuals should look fluid, too–this is helpful when playing faster-paced titles. Plus, when we reviewed a similar configuration back in March, we awarded it 4.5 out of 5 stars plus an Editor’s Choice award. The build quality and performance are truly top-notch.

Best premium laptop deals

HP Envy x360: $569.99 ($379.01 off at Adorama)

The HP Envy x360 is powerful, lightweight, and versatile. The 2-in-1 form factor means you can fold the screen back and use the laptop like a tablet, and it comes equipped with a good amount of RAM (16GB) and storage (512GB SSD). The 1080p display is quite large at 15.6-inches and is touch-enabled, which is perfect for habitual notetakers and doodlers. The keyboard is also full-sized and has backlighting–this is great for when you’re using the laptop in low light environments.

HP Dragonfly Pro One: $734.99 ($664.01 off at Adorama)

The HP Dragonfly Pro One is a good laptop if you’re a serial multitasker. This baby is packing an AMD Ryzen 7 7736U CPU as well as 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage, so it should be capable of handling a bunch of open tabs and more demanding applications. The 14-inch touch display has a resolution of 1920×1200 and a maximum brightness of 400 nits, which means the picture should be sharp and vibrant. The Ceramic White colorway is also just plain gorgeous and a welcome departure from the grey rectangles we’ve grown accustomed to seeing.

Lenovo Flex 7: $1,039.99 ($220 off at Adorama)

The Lenovo Flex 7 is a great laptop for those who want an affordable 2-in-1. You’re getting a lightweight design as well as a decent amount of power for just over $1,000. It has an Intel Core i7-1355U CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Zipping through spreadsheet work, light use tasks, and so on should be no problem for this machine. In addition to the 2-in-1 form factor, in which the screen swings back 360 degrees, it also weighs just 3.53 pounds. That means you can easily slip it in a backpack or messenger back and take it with you anywhere.

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1: $1,250.99 ($399 off at Best Buy)

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 is a powerful, versatile machine with a stunning 4K display. What more could you ask for? Underneath the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage–so it should have no issues zipping through daily activities, spreadsheet work, and so on. The 14-inch touch display, which has a resolution of 3840×2400 (4K!), is a real stunner, too. This is the kind of display that’s meant for watching movies, graphically-intensive work, and so on. It also comes with a stylus, which is great because you don’t have to pay extra for a standalone accessory.

Dell XPS 14: $2,099.99 ($400 off at Dell)

If you’re in the market for an ultra-luxurious laptop with a stunning OLED display, the Dell XPS 14 is a fantastic option. Inside you’ll find an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Given the specs, this laptop should deliver snappy performance. The 14.5-inch 3200×2000 OLED display should also produce rich colors and inky blacks. It’s a great screen for entertainment or graphic design. Other features include a backlit keyboard with a fingerprint reader, a 69.5 watt-hour battery, and a 1080p webcam.

FAQ

How much RAM will I need in my laptop?

You’ll want at least 8GB, though 16GB is preferable, especially if you play games. Don’t buy laptops with under 4GB of RAM or 128GB of SSD storage—though on a Chromebook or a budget Windows machine, this configuration is acceptable. Check out our article on how much RAM does a laptop need for more in-depth info.

What’s the difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop?

The one big difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop is the operating system. Chromebooks run ChromeOS and Windows run, well, Microsoft Windows. Chromebooks make good everyday machines because they’re designed for browsing the web, checking e-mail, and so on. They use less resources and are generally more affordable than the Windows variety. They also don’t need antivirus protection. A Windows laptop is a lot more versatile in what it can do, and not just in terms of running local programs. You can really pump a Windows laptop up with a ton of RAM, storage, and so on.

When should I look for a laptop deal?

You’ll likely find the best laptop deals during Prime Day (mid-July), Black Friday (November 29th), and back-to-school season (June-August). Sure, you’ll find good laptop deals throughout the year, but if you really want to save big, we’d recommend scoping out your favorite online retailers during those times.

Which retailers offer the best deals?

You can find all kinds of deals across a wide range of online retailers such as Newegg, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and so on. However, we’d recommend checking out deals from laptop manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, and Dell. You’ll usually find many different configurations on sale and the discounts can be pretty darn steep.

For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.

Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor, PCWorld

Ashley Biancuzzo manages all laptop and Chromebook coverage for PCWorld. She’s been covering consumer tech since 2016, and her work has appeared on USA Today, Reviewed, Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading science fiction, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound.

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