Looking for a powerful laptop without breaking the bank? You’re in the right spot. Whether you’re after a high-speed gaming machine, an affordable laptop under $500, or a dependable Chromebook for day-to-day tasks, we’ve carefully curated the best deals available right now. With our expert knowledge and hands-on testing, you can be confident that you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
Want even more choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.
Best laptop deals under $500
Lenovo
Our top pick: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, $307 ($72.99 off at Amazon)
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a lightweight laptop designed for seamless day-to-day performance. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 73200U processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of SSD storage. Given the specs (modest for this price point), you should be able to fly through most daily tasks. The 15.6-inch 1080p display also has a low blue light feature that makes it easier on the eyes.
More laptop deals under $500
- Asus FHD Laptop, Intel Celeron N4500 processor/14-inch 1080p display/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC, $119.99 ($60 off at Best Buy)
- Asus Vivobook 14, Intel Core i3-1215U processor/14-inch 1080p display/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, $250.99 ($176 off at Best Buy)
- Acer Aspire Go 15, Intel Core i3-N305 processor/15.6-inch 1080p display/8GB RAM/128GB flash memory, $264.99 ($125 off at Adorama)
- Asus Vivobook Go, AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor/15.6-inch 1080p display/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, $274.99 ($100 off at Adorama)
- Lenovo Flex 5i, Intel Core i3-1215U processor/14-inch 1200p touchscreen display/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $400.99 ($149 off at Best Buy)
Best mid-range laptop deals
Samsung
Our top pick: Samsung Galaxy Book4, $699.99 ($300 off at Adorama)
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 is a sleek and lightweight machine with decent hardware. It weighs just 3.42 pounds, which is impressive for a laptop with a 15.6-inch display. Underneath the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core i7-1355U processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage–so it should have no problem zipping through web browsing, document editing, and media consumption. The 15.6-inch display also has a 1920×1080 resolution, which is great for working with documents or watching streaming content.
More mid-range laptop deals:
- Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440, Intel Core 7 155H processor/14-inch 2240×1400 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $699.99 ($300 off at Amazon)
- Dell Inspiron 5441, Snapdragon X Plus processor/14-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $749.99 ($50 off at Amazon)
- Acer Swift Go 14, Intel Core Ultra 5 processor/14-inch 2880×1800 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $769 ($80.99 off at Amazon)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024), Snapdragon X Plus processor/13.8-inch 2304×1536 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $829 ($370.99 off at Amazon)
- Dell Inspiron 16 Plus, Intel Core i7-13620H processor/16-inch 2560×1600 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $833.43 ($116.56 off at Amazon)
Best gaming laptop deals
Acer
Our top pick: Acer Nitro V, $1,021.31 ($128.68 off at Amazon)
The Acer Nitro V offers powerful hardware for a decent price. It comes loaded with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU as well as 16GB of memory and 512GB of PCIe SSD storage. Given the hardware, you shouldn’t have any problem zipping through most games on Medium or High graphics. The 15.6-inch LED-backlit IPS display also has a resolution of 1920×1080 and a refresh rate of 144Hz, which should give you a smoother experience in games.
More gaming laptop deals:
- HP Victus, RTX 4070 graphics/16.1-inch 1080p display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $899.99 ($600 off at Best Buy)
- Gigabyte G6 KF 16, RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 1200p display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $949.99 ($250 off at Best Buy)
- Asus TUF Gaming A15, RTX 4050 graphics/15.6-inch 1080p display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $999 ($200.99 off at Amazon)
- MSI Katana 15, RTX 4070 graphics/15.6-inch 2560×1440 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,149 ($250 off at B&H)
- Asus TUF Gaming A17, RTX 4060 graphics/17.3-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,239.99 ($260 off at Amazon)
- Asus ROG Strix G16, RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,309 ($90.99 off at Amazon)
- MSI Stealth 14 AI Studio, RTX 4070 graphics/14-inch 2880×1800/64GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,699.99 ($699.01 off at Adorama)
Best premium laptop deals
Samsung
Our top pick: Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro, $1,388 ($361.99 off at Amazon)
The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro is a powerful laptop built for productivity tasks. It boasts an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (16- core!) processor, which is designed to crush light to moderate workloads. The 16-inch 2880×1800 120Hz touchscreen display should also deliver vibrant visuals. Plus, it’s lightweight and portable, weighing only 3.44 pounds and measuring just 0.49 inches thick.
More premium laptop deals:
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7, Intel Core Ultra 7-155H processor/14-inch 1920×1200 OLED display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,029.99 ($109.01 off at Adorama)
- Microsoft Surface, Snapdragon X Elite processor/13.8-inch 2304×1536 touch display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,039.99 ($360 off at Amazon)
- LG Gram SuperSlim, Intel Core i5-1340P processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 OLED display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,149.99 ($449.01 off at Adorama)
- Lenovo ThinkPad T14s, Snapdragon X Elite processor/14-inch 1920×1200 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,330 ($369.99 off at Amazon)
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 (the day after Thanksgiving), 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.