Windows 10 S, though annoying, can be switched out of easily if you find it on a budget laptop. Most older laptops will run Windows 10, and that’s fine-there’s no rush to upgrade.
Amazon’s daily laptop deals right now are full of brands we’ve never tested or talked to (Broage, Teclast, DaySky, Jumper) and it’s just a good idea to be wary. They’ll often give you a good idea of the build quality and performance.
Even if you can’t find a review of a specific configuration, try related models. Also watch out for eMMC storage, which is something we don’t recommend for a Windows laptop but works fine for a Chromebook.
We have more explanation in our laptops versus Chromebooks buying guide, as well as in our primer on how to buy a budget laptop without getting screwed. What you want is “Full HD” or “FHD,” which means 1080p.ĭon’t buy laptops with under 4GB of RAM or 128GB of SSD storage-though on a Chromebook, this configuration is acceptable. If you see a laptop labeled as “HD” resolution that means 1366-by-768 and often isn’t worth your time for a laptop under 13 inches unless the deal is absolutely standout. Our laptop CPU and GPU cheat sheet can help you shop smart.ĭisplay resolution is a gotcha. You’re going to need to pay attention with gaming laptops, too, as some GPUs, like the RTX 3050 Ti, don’t offer much boost over their RTX 2xxx-series cousins, and Nvidia has dropped the Max-Q designation on certain low-power options. Avoid laptops with Pentium or Celeron processors unless it’s a Chromebook (running Chrome OS). Buy laptops with Intel 10-series Core chips or higher, such as the Core i5- 10510U, or the Core i7- 11800H (for even more details see our Intel 10th-gen mobile CPU buying guide) or go with an AMD Ryzen processor (but not an AMD Athlon or A-series chip).
If you’ve shopped online before for laptop deals around the holidays, you’re probably aware that there’s a vast range of laptop configurations available.Ī good place to start is with the processor. See the HP Spectre x360 14 at HP.com Holiday laptop deal buying tips The deal highlighted here is on the model we reviewed, but all configurations are currently discounted. Its 1920×1280 IPS display is another highlight, whether you’re making use of the 360-degree hinge and touchscreen or not. This 14-inch HP Spectre convertible strikes a great balance between performance (from Intel’s Tiger Lake CPUs) and design, even if it’s a little on the heavy side at 3 pounds. If you’re looking for the best thin and light laptop money can buy, you’ve come to the right place. We’re keeping tabs on holiday laptop deals as they happen! If you’re looking for Chromebooks we’ve got those deals in here too! Holiday laptop deals Dell XPS 13 Right now, we’re seeing strong discounts on gaming laptops, Microsoft Surface devices and Dell laptops.
We’ll add new laptop deals as we see them as well as note which deals have sold out. Right now, there’s a bunch to choose from. Mind you, not all advertised laptop deals are actually deals, so we’ve only included the ones we consider actual bargains-and we’ve explained why. We’ve provided a handy list of laptop-specific shopping tips at the end of this post, and immediately below are the deals themselves. The ongoing supply chain shortages mean that there may be fewer PCs as the holiday season wears on, and they might take longer to ship the further we get into December. This year, more so than years before, you should act fast. Whether you’re buying a new laptop for school or trying to find a high-end gaming laptop, the holidays can be the best time of the year to find laptop deals.