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Best Black Friday laptop deals 2021: Cheapest prices today

There are plenty of great Black Friday laptop deals already out there, and we strongly recommend you dive right in immediately. Why? Because of extensive microchip shortages, stock on almost all tech products is strictly limited this year. When heavily discounted, it’s even more likely that we’ll see stock shortages become a problem. That’s why you need to dip into the best Black Friday laptop deals immediately so you don’t miss out. With so many of the best Black Friday deals out there, it can be tricky to know where to begin. That’s why we’ve picked out some key highlights. Read on while we take you through them.

Where to find the best Black Friday laptop deals

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While it may sport a big 17.3-inch display, this HP laptop is still sleek and light enough for busy professionals who need a larger machine that they can still take on the go. more
If you are in the market for a laptop that will last you years without breaking the bank, try this gem. It's plenty fast for everyday work, is built superbly well, and has great hardware. more

Best Black Friday laptop deals 2021

  • Lenovo Chromebook 3 11-inch — $119, was $219
  • Gateway 14.1-inch Ultra Slim Notebook — $149, was $189
  • Microsoft Surface Pro 7 — $599, was $959
  • Dell G15 Gaming Laptop — $700, was $1,019
  • Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 — $700, was $900
  • Apple MacBook Air — $930, was $1,000
  • Dell XPS 13 Laptop — $1,000, was $1,220

Lenovo Chromebook 3 11-inch — $119, was $219

Lenovo Chromebook 3 on a white background.

Why buy:

  • Fantastic value for a Chromebook.
  • Lightweight design.
  • Great for security-conscious users.
  • Ideal for students and commuters alike.

The best Chromebooks are always great values, as this Lenovo Chromebook 3 demonstrates. It’s easily one of the best Black Friday Chromebook deals out there at the moment thanks to being so cheap. For the money, you get a solid processor, more than enough memory for a Chromebook, and a sleek, portable design.

The Lenovo Chromebook 3 runs on Google Chrome OS. If you primarily use apps like Chrome, Netflix, Google Docs, and the like, rather than a processor-heavy program like PhotoShop, then a Chromebook is perfect for you. That’s not to say this is a wimpy machine. This Chromebook uses two processors: An AMD A6 APU and a central processor. You may not be able to run a new AAA game, but you can multitask with several different programs at once without slowing down. Chromebooks are perfect for students, and this is a great machine to run programs like Spotify, Excel, and Google Docs all at once.

Chromebooks need to be portable, and this machine fits the bill. It’s less than 1 inch thick when closed and weighs about 2.5 pounds. You don’t get a disc drive (as if you’d need one in 2021), but you still get multiple USB and USB-C ports, a microSD slot, and a headphone/microphone jack. You also get a built-in webcam, something not every Chromebook has.

The Lenovo Chromebook 3 is pretty compact, with an 11.6-inch screen. This is just under the size of an average laptop. The display runs at 1366 x 768 resolution, which just barely qualifies as HD. Since the screen is so small, you won’t notice a major drop in resolution. Netflix and Hulu will look great on this Chromebook. During this sale, you get a sweet discount and three months of free YouTube Premium when you buy.

Gateway 14.1-inch Ultra Slim Notebook — $149, was $189

Gateway 14-inch Laptop in many color configurations.

Why buy:

  • Very cheap.
  • Stylish looks.
  • Free Microsoft 365 Personal included.
  • Audio tuned by THX.

The Gateway 14.1-inch Ultra Slim Notebook demonstrates just how cheap laptops can be during Black Friday. For such a low price, you get a lot, and this is an ideal system for anyone trying to be more productive while on the move. It has some other more relaxing features too, such as THX audio tuning so music or streaming shows sound better. On the surface, you get an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of memory, plus 64GB of eMMC storage. That’s just what’s needed to be able to run Windows 10 S in a way that makes it easy to work on your daily commute, take between classes, or simply watch your favorite shows on streaming apps.

The Gateway Notebook goes a little further than that, though. It also has extra features like a Full HD screen, 1MP webcam, and a year’s worth of Microsoft 365 Personal included. That’s just what you need for all kinds of tasks. You can easily use this laptop for taking video calls for work or pleasure before using Microsoft 365 to write up documents or create presentations.

This laptop also looks pretty great, too. It only weighs 3.35 pounds, plus it has a choice of color schemes, so you can find the one that suits your aesthetic the best. With up to 8.5 hours of battery life, it should last you all day long without any difficulty. You can also opt to add additional storage via its microSD slot, which allows for up to 512GB of storage. It’s really well-designed for so many different purposes.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 — $599, was $959

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 on a white background.

Why buy:

  • Stylish touchscreen.
  • Ability to use it as both a laptop or tablet.
  • All-day battery life.
  • Looks super stylish.

In terms of Surface laptop deals, this Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is a pretty sweet offer. The Surface Pro 7 is a fantastic laptop, if you can even call it that. It doubles as a tablet but doesn’t skimp on the processing power, providing a fantastic experience for students, artists, and even gamers.

When we say it doesn’t skimp on power, we mean it. While this isn’t a powerhouse, it comes close, especially for such a slim design. This particular Surface Pro 7 comes with a 10th-generation Intel i3 processor, capable of running any modern program. You get 4GB of RAM, which will help with multitasking in several apps at once or running demanding programs like Photoshop. This model of the Surface Pro 7 has 128GB of storage, about average for casual use. If you export a lot of large files, like film or photo projects, you’ll want to look at external hard drive deals.

The Surface Pro 7’s biggest advantage is the tablet experience. When the Type Cover is connected, it acts like any other laptop. (This deal includes a black Type Cover.) When you take the cover off to use the Surface as a tablet, everything changes. It becomes super easy to transport and use. It’s just 7.33mm thin and only weighs 1.7 pounds. Combine it with the best Surface Pro accessories like the Surface Pen, and you have a fantastic mobile art station. All-day battery life makes it an ideal option for taking out and about with you without worrying about running out of juice. You can get up to 13 hours on one charge.

Dell G15 Gaming Laptop — $700, was $1,019

Dell G15 Gaming Laptop on a white background.

Why buy:

  • Great graphics card for the price.
  • Offers Alienware-inspired thermal design on a budget.
  • Fantastic 120Hz display.
  • Ideal for gaming while on the move.

Offering much of what you would expect from the best gaming laptops, the Dell G15 Gaming Laptop is one of the highlights of the Black Friday gaming laptop deals at the moment. You’ll get respectable power and speed at a fantastically low price. This is a fantastic gateway into a high-level gaming PC, with the bonus of being extra portable and fully built from the get-go.

Let’s start with the most important aspect: The power. This Dell G15 comes with a 10th-gen Intel Core i5 processor. That’s the same one that comes in Dell’s more expensive (but non-gaming) XPS 13 laptops. You get 8GB of RAM, enough to run multiple programs at once or one demanding game, such as Elden Ring. The real power comes in the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. NVIDIA produces premiere graphics cards, and this one is no exception.

The main draws of gaming laptops are their portability and their all-in-one nature. That means you need a screen that can keep up with your internal components. The G15 has a 15.6-inch display (hence the name) that clocks in at 1920 x 1080 resolution. Anything short of 2K is going to look great on this machine. A highlight of the screen is the 120Hz refresh rate, letting you max out the frame rate on most modern games. Dell wraps all that up with four sleek and thin bezels. It’s a beautiful machine.

The package and the guts combined make the G15 an ideal gaming system for when you’re on the move or have limited space at home. You can easily spend plenty of time playing your favorite games here while enjoying great graphics courtesy of the good graphics card and display.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 — $700, was $900

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 on a white background.

Why buy:

  • Highly portable device.
  • Ideal if you can’t decide between laptop or tablet.
  • Dolby Atmos audio.
  • Fast boot-up times.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is a stylish device for those times when you can’t decide between a laptop or tablet. The Surface Laptop isn’t quite a tablet like the Surface Pro, but it’s pretty close. Surface Laptops have touchscreens, but their keyboards are permanently attached like a traditional laptop. This is the latest model of the Surface Laptop line, so you’ll be on the cutting edge of Microsoft tech if you spring for one this Black Friday.

When you compare the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, the biggest difference is obviously the Type Cover versus the keyboard. Since the two different models have similar price points, what advantages does having a keyboard bring? Well, some people just like the feel of a traditional keyboard. Our review noted that it’s a comfortable and satisfying keyboard to use. Another advantage is all the extra space that having a keyboard affords you.

Microsoft can pack that space with more powerful components. The Surface Laptop 4 has a special Surface-specific AMD Ryzen processor that speeds things up considerably. You also get 8GB of RAM versus 4GB on a Surface Pro 7 at a similar price. If you’re looking for a true powerhouse in the Surface line, you should consider the newly announced Surface Laptop Studio. The comparisons are up for debate when it comes to the screen. You certainly get better protection with a clamshell chassis, but the screen itself has similar capabilities to the Surface Pro version. The bezels are slightly bigger, but you get more vertical space than on the Surface Pro.

Apple MacBook Air — $929, was $1,000

MacBook Air on a white background.

Why buy:

  • Speedy performance.
  • Perfect for Apple fans.
  • Great security features.
  • Lightweight build.

One of the best Black Friday MacBook deals out there at the moment, the Apple MacBook Air is a dream to use. The 13-inch Retina display looks gorgeous alongside the backlit keyboard. If you’re a diehard Apple fanatic, you’ve been hunting for a deal like this all month. This 2020 MacBook Air has power, style, and accessibility.

This model of MacBook Air uses Apple’s powerful M1 chip to ensure it’s faster than mostly anything you’ve seen elsewhere. While Apple did recently upgrade its main line of chips, this is the best of the 2020 models. Alongside the powerful chip comes 8GB of memory. That’s plenty of power to run demanding programs like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. With a hefty 256GB of storage, you’ll never miss a beat. All of this runs on a fanless system, so it’s incredibly quiet.

Let’s talk about the screen. First of all, it’s packaged in a nice chassis, with fairly unobtrusive bezels. The screen itself is a 13.3-inch Retina display, Apple’s trademark tech. Apple boasts 25% more colors than a traditional sRGB screen. Images are lush, crisp, and beautiful with 2560 x 1600 resolution. That’s quite a bit higher than other 13-inch laptops. That pixel density makes text and images crystal clear.

Other useful features include the Touch ID, which keeps your laptop secure at all times, and a beautiful webcam for FaceTime calls. The MacBook Air can last up to 18 hours on one charge. If you’re accustomed to your iPad and iPhone, you’ll instantly recognize the interface on a MacBook. That’s Apple’s famous cross-device synergy.

Dell XPS 13 Laptop — $1,000, was $1,220

Dell XPS 13 on a white background.

Why buy:

  • The best laptop out there right now.
  • Effortlessly stylish.
  • Lightweight design for a 13.3-inch laptop.
  • Speedy performance.

Easily one of the best laptops out there right now, this Dell XPS 13 is also one of the best Black Friday Dell XPS deals available at the moment. It isn’t the cheapest XPS 13 deal we’ve seen since the start of Dell Black Friday deals, but that’s because the cheapest ones come and go like boomerangs in the wind. The microchip shortage has hit laptops the hardest. But when one model of the XPS 13 sells out, Dell quickly discounts the next model up.

This particular XPS 13 is a bit of a powerhouse. It runs on an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, a respectably strong processor for a casual laptop. You get 8GB of RAM, a solid setup for running multiple programs at once, exporting large files, and even playing some undemanding games like Rocket League or Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The Intel Iris Xe graphics card will hold its own for movies and light games.

The Dell XPS 13 looks fantastic thanks to its InfinityEdge display that leaves hardly a bezel in sight. Impressively, that means while it’s a 13.3-inch laptop, it fits into a 11-inch form factor so it’s more lightweight and smaller than a regular 13.3-inch laptop. They barely had room to slide a webcam in. They made a super-small one but gave it the image clarity you’d expect from a fantastic machine. You don’t get a disc drive, but you do get an incredibly light laptop that’s ready for anything.

Since you’re ordering straight from Dell, you can always upgrade any section of this laptop and still get the initial discount. Want a 4K screen, 32GB of memory, or a touchscreen? Fork over a bit more cash, and Dell will be happy to oblige. You’ll still get the Black Friday discount.

Should you shop the best Black Friday laptop deals now?

Now is the best time to dive into Black Friday laptop deals. That’s because we’re already seeing some fantastic offers going on even though the big day isn’t with us just yet. Perhaps more importantly, with ongoing microchip shortages, stock is strictly limited. If you don’t grab one of the best Black Friday laptop deals now, you might miss out for a long time to come.

Sure, you might save a few extra bucks by waiting it out, but what’s the point if you don’t get your new laptop for weeks or even months? Buy now, and you’ll reap all the benefits in time for the holidays without worrying about stock issues, shipping delays, or anything else. You’ll have your shiny new machine at your doorstep within the next week or so.

How to get the best Black Friday laptop deals

Like anything, the trick to shopping the best Black Friday laptop deals and taking home a cracking machine at a rock-bottom price is preparation. We’re doing our best to collect all of the best Black Friday laptop deals above, listing their main features and who each one is best for, but you still need to know whether you want a Chromebook, Windows, or Mac; whether a touchscreen could be useful; if you’d benefit from a 2-in-1 laptop; or whether a standard laptop with a trackpad will do the trick. Screen size and processing power are other things to consider, too.

Your first step should be to peruse our laptop buying guide if you’re feeling a little lost, which can help you narrow down what particular style of laptop is a fit for your needs, wants, and budget; then go ahead and go through all the best Black Friday laptop deals we’ve listed above. We have made sure that our picks cover all of the best gaming laptops, best 2-in-1 laptops, and the best Chromebooks, as well as budget laptops. We’ve only included the best laptops at each price point, taking the stress out of the decision-making process.

Black Friday laptop deals FAQ

With so much to consider when buying a new laptop, knowing how to approach a significant sales season like the Black Friday laptop sales can further complicate matters. It’s a great time to buy, but there’s a lot to take in. That’s even more so if you’re new to buying a laptop or diving into the offers. Fortunately, we’re on hand to answer some key questions so you know exactly what to do and when to buy. Read on while we guide you through some key queries so you always get the right offer for you.

Who has the Best Black Friday laptop deals?

No one retailer is going to be the ideal choice for everyone. We’re big fans of Dell, and they often offer some of the best Black Friday laptop deals in town, but it’s still worth checking out other retailers. As you’d expect, Dell only sells Dell or Alienware laptops, so if you want to consider a different brand, you’ll need to go elsewhere. Also, Dell tends to favor discounting its best productivity machines, with slightly fewer price cuts for the latest gaming systems.

In that case, it’s worth seeing what retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart provide. All three are particularly good for cheaper laptops — both Windows -and ChromeOS-based systems — but they also offer high-end systems, as well as MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros. They’re all great bets for gaming systems, too, from the likes of Lenovo, Razer, and more. Shop around, as there’s no one-stop shop for the best discounts, and different budgets require different solutions.

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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