If you use a computer on a regular basis, there’s a good chance that it’s of the laptop variety. That means you know how vital it is to have a good, reliable (and perhaps most importantly, portable) PC in the age of mobile technology, even if you only need it for relatively basic stuff like writing emails, shopping, streaming, and browsing the web. Laptops aren’t what most consider cheap, though, so if you’re shopping for a new one, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve already got of this week’s best cheap laptop deals right here so you can get shopping with no time wasted.
Looking for something more specific? Check out these MacBook deals and gaming laptop deals, too. If you want an even better deal and don’t mind a pre-owned laptop, then also consider these professionally refurbished laptop deals.
Today’s best laptop deals
Featuring a compact build and an incredible battery life (up to 22 hours), the HP Spectre x360 makes an amazing machine for on-the-go productivity. It's slim, sleek, and packed with functionality. more
The Surface laptops can get a little pricey, but the new budget-friendly Surface Laptop Go hits the sweet spot in price versus performance while retaining what we love about the Surface lineup. more
If you're a professional in need of an immense amount of space, this HP laptop has over one terabyte of storage for all your clerical and office-related needs. more
Grab a new Evoo laptop packing a snappy Ryzen CPU and save some cash. Perfect specs for work and daily use without breaking the bank. more
MSI's 14-inch Prestige laptop takes everything up a notch. The dedicated Nvidia GPU will be a great boost for games, and content looks superb on its 4K display. more
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The classically inspired ThinkPad T14 isn’t made to win visual design awards. It’s made to work; boasting great hardware that can easily handle heavy workloads and even gaming. more
This is a great productivity laptop, perfect for small business. The laptop keyboard has an ergonomic design which gives you an ideal typing experience. more
Get all the work done with this Acer Aspire 5 as it comes with Windows 10 Home (S mode) and 10th Generation Intel Core i3-1005G1 Processor, all in a 15.6-inch full HD display. more
Whether you're a lightweight or heavy-duty user on the move, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 is a well-rounded laptop that can do it all at an above-average quality, making it a great jack-of-all-trades. more
Work like a true power executive wherever you want with the LG Gram laptop, raising the bar for work laptops everywhere with its powerful processor and spacious hard drive. more
Need a complete Windows bundle? This package deal gets you the Surface Pro 7 with Type Cover keyboard -- a must-have addition that turns this tablet into one of our favorite 2-in-1s. more
With a vibrant 4K display, great hardware, and a gorgeous gem-cut design, the HP Spectre x360 is easily the best 2-in-1 Windows laptop you can buy right now. more
Dell's 15-inch high-performance laptop with a stylish, sophisticated design features 10th Gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX Graphics on select models. more
A perennial pick for best laptop by DT staff, the Dell XPS 13 is a fan-favorite among working professionals for its reliability and power, making it a great option for every need. more
Just released a few months ago, this Samsung Galaxy Book Pro will bring your photos and videos to life unlike any other laptop thanks to its super vibrant AMOLED display more
Get the best of both worlds with this 2-in-1 laptop/smart tablet from Lenovo. The laptop powered by AMD Ryzen is thin, has a widescreen display, and is easy and comfortable to use and set up. more
The Kano 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrid is one of the cheapest Windows PCs you can buy right now and would be the perfect first machine for a young techie. more
HP is always running deals and is offering up incredible discounts on laptops for both work and play. more
The best device for work and play is one with swift hardware and a screen that's comfortable to sit in front of for hours. With these specs, the all-new Inspiron 16 laptop is perfect for the job. more
Looking for a high-performing laptop on a budget? This powerful and lightweight laptop is for you. Its i7 processor combined with selection of ports makes it a great budget laptop for every day use. more
This laptop is powered by a new 11th-generation Core processor and some extra RAM, giving you extra juice for work and graphical tasks, more
The hinge and lightweight design on this laptop make it perfect for work, play, and school. It features a narrow-bezel display as well as an all-day battery and the latest Intel processors. more
The Surface Laptop 3 is built with the latest processor which makes it two times faster than the older model. It brings in up to 11.5 hours of battery life in such an elegant, compact form factor. more
This convertible PC is packed with innovative privacy features, a near-borderless display, and long battery life. more
Need a PC on the tightest of budgets? The Gateway Ultra Slim notebook is perfect for anyone in the market for a cheap yet reliable workstation that you can take with you anywhere. more
Upgraded models also on sale The Asus ExpertBook is known for its lightweight yet efficient design, making it the perfect laptop for working people. It has a 14-inch full HD NanoEdge frameless screen for optimal viewing as well. more
Released in late 2020, the new Apple M1 MacBook Air has better battery life and performance and is more secure than the older MacBook Air models with Intel processors. more
You can work or play all day long with this Microsoft Surface Laptop 3. At less than 3 pounds and a 13.5-inch display, the Laptop 3 is faster than the Laptop 2 and has a more complete port set. more
Gateway is back exclusively at Walmart. Grab yourself a deal with this 15-inch slim notebook featuring modern specs and four colors. It's a great workhorse that doesn't break the bank. more
Looking for a modern 2-in-1 with up-to-date hardware that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? This HP Pavilion x360 is a highly versatile convertible work machine that won't break the bank. more
How to choose a laptop in 2021
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 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 need 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 10th or 11th 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 i5-10400 is a 10th-gen model, while the Core i5-11400 is 11th-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 cheap laptops — you really aren’t saving much money my 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 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, 20-series, and (less common) 30-series cards. Avoid the 10-series cards still found on some laptops, as they are significantly outdated by today’s standards. 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.
We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.
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