The first set of Prime Day deals are here at last and with it come a bunch of fantastic Prime Day laptop deals that should be ideal for anyone looking to upgrade their existing laptop setup. With Prime Day back to its traditional summertime slot after a switch to October last year, this is a great time to consider especially since laptop makers are in the middle of their CPU and GPU refresh cycle. If you’re keen to get the best bang for your buck, keep on reading while we round up the best Prime Day laptop sales for you and check out exactly what you should be looking for before making a purchase.
If you’re looking for a specific type of laptop, we’ve got you covered with a bevy of different options too. For gamers, we have all the best Prime Day Razer deals along with the best Prime Day Alienware deals so you can enjoy a great-looking device that ensures you can play your favorite games at a high standard. Are you looking for something a little more practical and potentially more work-focused? The best Prime Day Microsoft Surface deals offer the best of the bunch from Microsoft with some slimline designs that are also highly practical. Alternatively, there are also the best Prime Day Dell XPS deals for a more professional experience from the masters of all things laptop-related. There are also the best Prime Day Chromebook deals if you don’t mind storing everything on the cloud and not bothering with Windows-based OSes. Whatever your need, you’ll get the absolute best prices out there thanks to these deals.
Best Prime Day laptop deals
HP Laptops, Gaming PCs & Monitors
UP TO 50% OFF
HP Spectre x360 13 2-in-1 (Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
$1,520 $1,720
Dell New Vostro 15 7000 Small Business Laptop
$1,099 $1,713
Should you buy a new laptop on Prime Day?
Prime Day is traditionally seen as a great time to buy new technology thanks to Amazon always keen to focus on the latest gadgets. That means it’s a good time to buy a new laptop with Prime Day laptop sales likely to be on par with anything Black Friday or Cyber Monday can offer. There’s the additional benefit of being able to enjoy a new laptop a number of months earlier than waiting till Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, too. That could be particularly useful if your current laptop is feeling a little tired and in need of replacing.
Potentially, Prime Day is a better time to buy than Black Friday thanks to its exclusivity. Because you have to be an Amazon Prime member, it can make the deals less widely available than those you’ll see on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. That means you should have to deal with less competition while still getting a great deal from the Prime Day laptop sales. As always, don’t be too lured in by the excitement of a Lightning deal. Sometimes, these deals are amazing but other times, the discount can be a little more modest and tame. Check out the price differences before you get too carried away, just in case it’s not such a hot deal.
It’s also worth considering how fast technology changes. We don’t recommend buying a laptop in the Prime Day laptop sales if you’re planning on saving it to be a gift sometime much later this year. That’s because, by the time you give it to someone, there may be a newer and better update out there — one that could potentially be in a Black Friday or Cyber Monday sale. Buy technology with a plan to use it today rather than return to it later.
How to choose a laptop on Prime Day
If you’re looking for something in the Prime Day laptop sales, it’s likely you want something that’s a long-term investment. No laptop is available at an impulse-buy purchase price, so it’s important to think about what you need most from it.
The first port of call is to consider what your budget is and make sure to stick to it. Once you’ve figured that out, check out our laptop buying guide for an overview of what to expect for the price. We also go much further in-depth with the likes of our best laptops guide, and we’ve looked at common laptop-buying mistakes you can make too. We’ve discussed the best time to buy a new laptop on top of that and you’ve guessed it — Prime Day is one of the best times.
Crucially, it’s important to know what operating system is best for you — whether that’s Windows, Chrome, or MacOS. Each of them offers its own pros and cons. While Windows is the traditional choice for many users and has extensive compatibility, MacOS is pretty great too, especially if you already have other Apple devices as it syncs up with them brilliantly. Chrome might seem more limited on the surface but you’ll get amazing battery life and it’s far more secure than the other two operating systems. You do have to rely on your files being stored on the cloud, however.
Consider portability too. Do you need to move your laptop around frequently? A smaller screen and lighter build should be a priority, and battery life is a major consideration too. That’s where something like the MacBook Air or a Chromebook will come to its own, offering typically far superior battery life than anything else. However, if you simply plan on leaving your laptop on your desk most of the time, you won’t have to focus on this so much as it’ll rarely be off charge or needing to be carried around. That’s where a 15-inch or 17-inch laptop may feel more appealing as you’ll get more of a desktop-style experience without the bulk that a true desktop PC offers.
Many Prime Day laptop sales offer features such as touchscreens, but that can bump up the price and you may find it unnecessary for your needs. Don’t be lured in by features you simply won’t use and that includes dedicated graphics cards if you have no intention of gaming on your new laptop. However, it is a good idea to plan ahead. A modest 128GB of SSD storage or 4GB RAM might sound fine now but if you want this laptop to be useful to you for a number of years, future-proofing is crucial so that it remains just as competent in the future as it does right now. Many laptops can’t easily be upgraded so it’s a good idea to assume that what you’re buying today in the Prime Day laptop sales will remain the same for the duration of your ownership.
Ultimately, you can use a laptop for a wealth of different reasons so it’s vital you truly consider what you need it for before delving into the Prime Day laptop deals. Sure, everyone would love a $2,000 gaming laptop but will you actually use it? It’s huge overkill if you simply plan on using your laptop to browse the internet occasionally or use Google apps rather than store files on your system. Similarly, a $300 Chromebook won’t cut it if you want to be able to play games on the move. Plan accordingly then check out the specs of the laptop and make sure it matches your needs. A good deal is only a good deal if it works for you after all.
Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.
Editors' Recommendations
- Best Prime Day Keurig deals for 2021
- Best Prime Day monitor deals for 2021
- Best Prime Day Roomba deals for 2021
- Best Prime Day Dell XPS deals for 2021
- Best Prime Day smart home deals for 2021
