Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Best laptop deals: Save on Apple, Dell, HP and Lenovo

Everybody has different requirements from the laptops that they buy. Students need reliability to help with their schoolwork, professionals desire lag-free performance for their daily workload, and gamers aim to be able to play the latest video games. Fortunately, there are laptop deals for every situation — you just need to make the right choice, depending on what you want out of your new device. However, since there’s no shortage of options that involve the best laptop brands such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, and Apple, that’s easier said than done. To help you with your decision, we’ve gathered the best laptop deals that you can shop right now.

Today’s best laptop deals

HP Chromebook 11a — $160, was $260

Shoppers turn to Chromebook deals for affordable but dependable laptops, like the HP Chromebook 11a. Its specifications — the MediaTek MTK 8183 processor, integrated MediaTek graphics, and 4GB of RAM — don’t look like much on paper, but Chromebooks are able to provide fast performance even with low-end components because Google’s Chrome OS relies on web-based apps instead of installed software. The HP Chromebook 11a also features an 11.6-inch HD display, a battery life of up to nearly 16 hours, and a 32GB eMMC that’s supplemented by cloud storage.

Dell Inspiron 15 — $220, was $300

Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop sits open with the display showing two women leaning against a wall, looking at each other and laughing.

While there are Dell laptop deals for high-end machines, there are also offers for affordable options like the Dell Inspiron 15. It’s got what it takes to handle basic tasks such as creating reports and watching streaming content with its Intel Celeron N4020 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 600, and 4GB of RAM, and you’ll have ample space for your files on the laptop’s 128GB SSD. The Dell Inspiron 15 comes with Windows 11 Home in S Mode pre-installed so that you can start using it right away, and its 15.6-inch screen with HD resolution displays vivid colors and sharp details. The laptop is also equipped with a built-in HD webcam for joining video calls.

HP 17.3-inch Laptop — $400, was $650

The HP 17.3-inch Laptop with the Windows 11 interface on the screen.

If you want a large display on your laptop but you want to keep it cheap, check out the HP laptop deals for the HP 17.3-inch laptop. As its name implies, it’s equipped with a 17.3-inch screen that features HD+ resolution, on which you’ll enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing the internet. Beyond its display, the laptop offers decent performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor, AMD Radeon Graphics, and 8GB of RAM, which is the sweet spot for most users, according to our laptop buying guide. The HP 17.3-inch laptop also comes with a lift hinge that raises the keyboard into a more comfortable typing position, and a 128GB SSD with Windows 11 Home pre-installed.

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Laptop — $550, was $800

Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 7420 front angled view with keyboard folded under and showing display.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 laptop can function as both a laptop and a tablet because of the 360-degree hinges attaching the 14-inch Full HD+ touchscreen to its body. From laptop form, you can simply fold the display all the way back to change it into its tablet form. This isn’t the device’s only selling point though, as it also provides smooth performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor, integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. There’s a lot of space for your software and files on its 512GB SSD, even with Windows 11 Home pre-installed.

Dell G15 Gaming Laptop — $650, was $850

Dell 15 Gaming Laptop front view showing display and keyboard deck.

While some gaming-focused machines are very expensive, there are affordable options from gaming laptop deals like the Dell G15. With its 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, and 8GB of RAM, you’ll be able to play the best PC games, though you’ll need to roll with low to medium settings for the more demanding titles. You’ll appreciate the modern graphics of video games on the laptop’s 15.6-inch Full HD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and you’ll be able to install multiple titles on its 256GB SSD, which comes with Windows 11 Home out of the box.

HP Victus 16 Gaming Laptop — $700, was $1,000

Angled image of the HP Victus 16.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The HP Victus 16 is another relatively affordable gaming laptop that won’t disappoint gamers, as it can run today’s most popular games without any trouble with its AMD Ryzen 5 6600H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, and 8GB of RAM. The 16.1-inch Full HD screen gives justice to the graphics of the video games that you play, and there’s space for multiple AAA titles on the laptop’s 256GB SSD. You’ll also have access to HP’s Omen Gaming Hub, through which you can make performance adjustments and choose lighting options.

HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop — $900, was $1,250

HP Spectre x360 13 2-in-1 (Latest Model)

The HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 laptop is one of the top choices if you’re after performance and versatility. It won’t have any trouble keeping up with tough tasks with its 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD Graphics, and 8GB of RAM, and you won’t be limited by storage space as it’s got a 512GB SSD with Windows 11 Home. You can use the device as a laptop or a tablet, and at the center of both of these modes is a 13.5-inch WUXGA+ touchscreen with 360-degree hinges. The 2-in-1 laptop also comes with the HP True Vision 5MP IR camera, which will not only let you join video chats, but also enables the Windows Hello face recognition system.

Apple MacBook Pro M2 — $1,150, was $1,300

A MacBook Pro M2 sits on a wooden table with a nice bokeh background.

The Apple MacBook Pro M2 was designed to meet the needs of creative professionals, with Apple’s M2 chip offering the necessary power to complete demanding processes without any hint of slowdowns. The chip’s efficiency enables up to 20 hours of battery life, while the laptop’s active cooling system sustains peak performance. Whatever you’re working on, you’ll see every detail on the MacBook Pro’s 13.3-inch Retina display, and you’ll enjoy convenience in using the laptop through its Magic Keyboard and Touch Bar. For your protection, it’s secured by Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint recognition system.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 — $1,200, was $2,399

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 laptop, opened with a colorful wallpaper on the screen.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is a high-end business laptop that promises dependable performance with its 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. You’ll have a lot of storage space for your documents and software on the laptop’s 256GB SSD, which comes with Windows 11 Home out of the box. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10’s 14-inch WUXGA display offers a 16:10 aspect ratio, while a 1080p Full HD camera with microphone will let you participate in online meetings.

Apple MacBook Air M2 — $1,300, was $1,499

The screen of the MacBook Air M2.

One of the best MacBook deals around, the Apple MacBook Air M2 will serve as a great introduction to MacOS. Apple’s M2 chip, combined with 8GB of RAM, promises stunningly quick performance for a laptop in this price range. It features a 512GB SSD for storage, TouchID support to remove the hassle of entering your password all the time, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera for video calls, and a backlit keyboard that’s convenient for low-light conditions. With a battery life of up to 18 hours, for many people, this is more than just all-day use. A 13.6-inch beautiful Liquid Retina display rounds off the package, ensuring whatever you do looks great.

Dell XPS 15 — $1,499, was $1,899

Dell XPS 15 7590 review
Riley Young/Digital Trends

Dell offers powerful performance, stylish aesthetics, and ultimate portability with the Dell XPS 15. It’s powered by the 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM that’s recommended for laptops by our guide on how much RAM do you need. These specifications are more than enough for creative tasks such as graphic design and video editing, which will be easy on the eyes on its 15.6-inch Full HD+ screen. The Dell XPS 15 also has a 512GB SSD with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, and a backlit keyboard with large key caps to help boost your productivity.

How to choose a laptop

The first step of choosing a laptop, after setting your budget, is determining what you need it for. Most people just need a standard laptop that will perform well and that won’t feel outdated within one or two years, and for that, you’ve got plenty of very affordable options available to you. Those with more specific needs — artists, graphic designers, video editors, and gamers, to name some examples — may want extra features like touchscreens, fold-flat displays, and dedicated graphics cards. Keep size in mind as well. Laptops commonly range from 13 to 17 inches (which refers to screen size measured diagonally), and also pay attention to overall dimensions and weight if you’re going to be moving and carrying yours around fairly often.

As far as hardware goes, the three basic components to consider are CPU, RAM, and storage. The CPU, or central processing unit, is the “brain” of any PC. It’s what actually does the computing: Reading data, running programs (and other processes), and so on. The two biggest CPU makers are Intel and AMD, and unless you’re on the tightest of budgets, we typically recommend sticking with 11th or 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processors, AMD Ryzen 5 processors, and above (Core i7, Ryzen 7, etc.). If the specific generation of Intel CPU isn’t stated explicitly, it will be indicated in the first two digits of the processor’s model number. For example, a Core i5-11400 is an 11th-gen model, while the Core i5-12400 is 12th-gen.

RAM, or random access memory, is a bit more straightforward. In simple terms, if the CPU is your PC’s brain, then RAM could be described as its short-term memory. It supports your CPU’s performance by storing data and tasks for quick recall when needed. The more the better. We suggest a minimum of 8GB for good performance by modern standards, and like Core i5 and Ryzen 5 CPUs, you can find this even on affordable laptops — you really aren’t saving much money by skimping on RAM, but you will definitely feel your computer stumbling when under load.

Storage needs are personal to the user, but today, solid-state drives (SSDs) have largely replaced older platter-based hard disk drives (HDDs) owing to their superior read/write speeds and reliability due to the lack of moving parts. However, SSDs are typically smaller (or at least cheaper per gigabyte) than traditional HDDs, which is something to bear in mind if you do need a lot of storage space for things like games or large project files. We recommend sticking with SSDs as a rule, but some laptops come with a smaller solid-state system drive paired with a larger HDD for overflow, so you’ve got options.

Finally, depending on your needs, a discrete video card may be worth the extra money. A GPU, or graphics processing unit, is essentially a second processor dedicated solely to demanding graphical tasks like rendering videos and playing 3D video games. Mobile laptop GPUs are a bit different than their desktop counterparts and Nvidia GeForce cards are by far the most common. The current-gen models are the 16-series and 30-series cards. AMD has also rolled out its own line of laptop graphics cards, the 5000M series, as mobile counterparts to its desktop GPUs. These are a fine option as well, especially if you prefer AMD hardware.

Editors' Recommendations

Clearance sale knocks $390 off the Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon laptop
lenovo ideapad slim 7i pro review

There's nothing quite like an expensive laptop with a steep discount. And there's no manufacturer who does laptop deals quite like Lenovo. Right now this Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon is 26% off, bringing the total from $1,490 down to $1,097. That's a nice discount of $393. Lenovo often has great sales, but the individual laptops don't stick around for long. Grab this one while you can.

Why you should buy the Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon laptop
Lenovo is one of the best laptop brands, and its Slim devices are its premium line of clamshell laptops, according to our explainer on the different Lenovo brands. Everything about the Lenovo Slim 7i Carbon certainly falls under that premium description, starting with its powerful performance. Inside the laptop are the 12th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, plus 16GB of RAM that's recommended by our laptop buying guide for those who will be running intensive applications or engaging in any form of content creation. If you're only planning to use the device for simple functions, you'll be able to accomplish all your tasks in no time because all the processes will run so smoothly.

Read more
Save $40 when you add 1TB of storage to your Xbox Series X or PS5
western digital wd black d30 game drive 1 tb deal best buy march 2023

 

The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are finally attainable, after years of being sold out and underproduced. Both have great options for downloading new games monthly -- Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Now -- but they just don't come shipped with enough storage to hold all that content. That's where external hard drive deals come in. Right now you can buy a 1TB Western Digital WD_Black D30 hard drive for $110, $40 off its usual price. That should give you enough storage for tons of full games, and you can forget about cleaning up your hard drive for a while.

Read more
Dell XPS 13 flash deal sees the laptop drop under $1,000
Person sitting and holding Dell XPS 13 laptop on their lap.

If you’re looking for an all-purpose laptop, whether for school or for professional use, Dell currently has its XPS 13 laptop discounted to just $949. This is a pretty impressive discount of $150 from the popular laptop’s regular price of $1,099. While this isn’t the touch screen model of the Dell XPS 13 laptop, it does have some impressive specs as built for this deal, and provides the performance and portability you typically find in more expensive laptops. Free shipping is included with your purchase.

Why you should buy the Dell XPS 13 laptop
The Dell XPS laptop lineup spans several different screen sizes, making it an extremely popular laptop option for just about anyone. In the Dell XPS 13, Dell is offering a 13-inch model that manages great portability without sacrificing power. As built for this deal, the XPS has a 10-core Intel i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics and 16GB of RAM. These combine to create a snappy, responsive experience that will suit users all the way up to creative professionals. And like all of the best laptops, this XPS 13 provides more than enough power for most users. It also has a 512GB solid state drive that provides plenty of super fast storage for all of your favorite software and apps.

Read more