Image: IDG
If you’re looking for an affordable Windows machine under $500, a blazing fast gaming beast for those intense matches, or a portable 2-in-1 for school or work, you’ve got plenty of great choices right now. We’ve hunted deals from Amazon, Best Buy, and beyond—so you don’t have to.
Want to see even more? Take a peek at PCWorld’s list of the top laptops you can get right now.
Best budget laptop deals under $500
Lenovo
Our top pick: Lenovo IdeaPad 1, $299.99 ($280 off at Best Buy)
If you want an affordable, no-nonsense laptop that can handle the everyday stuff, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 ($299 right now) is kind of a no-brainer. The Ryzen 5 chip inside this baby is plenty fast with school or work or just hanging out. Plus, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, it’s fast enough that it won’t freeze up on you and it’s got enough space for all of your files. The 15.6-inch 1080p display also looks decently sharp, and it’s light enough that you’ll forget you’re carrying it.
Amazon
- HP 14 Laptop, Intel Celeron N4020 processor/14-inch 1366×768 display/4GB RAM/64GB storage, $172.19 ($57.08 off at Amazon)
- Acer Aspire 3, AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, $316.51 ($33.48 off at Amazon)
- Asus Vivobook Go, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $393.28 ($36.71 off at Amazon)
Best Buy
- Asus Vivobook 14, Intel Core i3-1315U processor/14-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, $219.99 ($230 off at Best Buy)
- Lenovo IdeaPad 1, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $299.99 ($280 off at Best Buy)
Adorama
- HP Chromebook x360, Intel Celeron N5100 processor/11.6-inch 1366×768 touchscreen display/8GB RAM/64GB eMMC, $234.99 ($165 off at Adorama)
- Asus Vivobook 14, Intel Core i5-1334U processor/14-inch 1920×1080 display/12GB RAM/256GB SSD, $429.99 ($120 off at Adorama)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, Intel Core i3-N305 processor/14-inch 1920×1080 display/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $489.99 ($60 off at Adorama)
Newegg
- Acer Aspire 3, AMD Ryzen 5 7430U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $469.99 ($30 off at Newegg)
- Lenovo IdeaPad 5, Snapdragon X Plus processor/14-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $509.99 ($90 off at Newegg)
Best mid-range laptop deals ($500-$900)
Acer
Our top pick: Acer Aspire Lite, $679.99 ($120 off at Newegg)
If you want a laptop you won’t have to upgrade anytime soon, the Acer Aspire Lite’s a pretty easy win. It’s rocking an Intel Core i7-1255U, which is more than fast enough for work, school, or just juggling way too many browser tabs. But the real kicker is the 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD — that’s double what you usually see in this price range, so you’ve got room to run anything smoothly and stash all your stuff. The 15.6-inch 1080p screen keeps things clear, and for just under $680, it’s set up to last you for years.
Amazon
- Acer Swift Go 14, Intel Core Ultra 5 125H processor/14-inch 2880×1800 OLED display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $649.99 ($200 off at Amazon)
- Apple 2025 MacBook Air, M4 chip/13.6-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $799 ($200.99 off at Amazon)
- Asus Vivobook 16, AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor/16-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $859 ($40.99 off at Amazon)
Best Buy
- HP OmniBook 5 Flip, Intel Core 5 Series 1 120U processor/14-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $549 ($150.99 off at Best Buy)
- Asus Zenbook 14, Intel Core Ultra 5 Series 1 125H processor/14-inch 1920×1200 OLED touchscreen display/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $639.99 ($160 off at Best Buy)
- Apple MacBook Air, M2 chip/13-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $699 ($100 off at Best Buy)
Adorama
- Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G7, Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor/14-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $709.99 ($90 off at Adorama)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop Go, Intel Core i5-1235U processor/12.4-inch 1536×1024 touchscreen display/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, $749.99 ($150 off at Adorama)
- Asus Vivobook 16, AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 processor/16-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $799.99 ($30 off at Adorama)
Newegg
- Asus Vivobook, Intel Core i5-1334U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 touchscreen display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $599.99 ($100 off at Newegg)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor/15.3-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $649.99 ($250 off at Newegg)
- Acer Aspire Lite, Intel Core i7-1255U processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $679.99 ($120 off at Newegg)
- Lenovo ThinkPad E16 G2, Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor/16-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $749.99 ($130 off at Newegg)
Gigabyte
Our top pick: Gigabyte Gaming A16, $1,099.99 ($200 off at Best Buy)
If you want to breeze past the awkward medium-settings stage, the Gigabyte Gaming A16’s got your back. It’s packing an Intel Core i7-13620H CPU and an RTX 5060 GPU, so high settings in modern games are pretty much a given. The 16-inch 1920×1200 screen gives you a bit more breathing room than the usual 1080p, and with 32GB of RAM you can have a game, a dozen browser tabs, and Discord all running at once. Plus, the 1TB SSD means you can keep your library installed instead of constantly playing “which game do I uninstall next?” at 2 a.m.
Amazon
- MSI Katana A15, AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor/RTX 4070 graphics/15.6-inch 2560×1440 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,399.99 ($300 off at Amazon)
- Asus ROG Strix G16, Intel Core i9-14900HX processor/RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,567.39 ($132.06 off at Amazon)
Best Buy
- Gigabyte Gaming A16, Intel Core i7-13620H processor/RTX 5060 graphics/16-inch 1920×1200 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,099.99 ($200 off at Best Buy)
- HP Omen 16, AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX processor/RTX 5060 graphics/16-inch 1920×1200 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,249.99 ($330 off at Best Buy)
Adorama
- Asus TUF Gaming F17, Intel Core i7-13620H processor/RTX 4060 graphics/17.3-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,099.99 ($400 off at Adorama)
- HP Omen Transcend 16, Intel Core i7-14700HX processor/RTX 4070 graphics/16-inch 1920×1200 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,899.99 ($120 off at Adorama)
- HP Omen Transcend, Intel Core i7-13700HX processor/RTX 4070 graphics/16-inch 2560×1600 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $2,049.99 ($569.44 off at Adorama)
Newegg
- MSI Sword 16, Intel Core i7-14650HX processor/RTX 4060 graphics/16-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $999.99 ($200 off at Newegg)
- Asus ROG Strix G18 (2025), AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX processor/RTX 5050 graphics/18-inch 1920×1200 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,599 ($100 off at Newegg)
Best premium laptop deals ($900+)
MSI
Our top pick: MSI Summit A16 AI+, $1,099.99 ($600 off at Newegg)
Out of all the Newegg deals listed below, the MSI Prestige A16 AI+ feels like the best one–I’ll tell you why. It’s the same price as the Summit model ($1,099.99), but you’re getting a sharper 3840×2400 display instead of the lower resolution (2560×1600) one. That’s a pretty solid screen upgrade for no extra cost. And since both have the same processor, RAM, and storage, so why not grab the one with the better screen for the same price?
Amazon
- Apple MacBook Air, M4 chip/13.6-inch 2560×1664 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $999 ($200 off at Amazon)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024), Snapdragon X Elite processor/13.8-inch 2304×1536 display/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,099 ($300.99 off at Amazon)
- Asus ZenBook 15 Pro OLED, Intel Core i7-13620H processor/15.6-inch 1920×1080 display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,099.99 ($100 off at Amazon)
Best Buy
- Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1, Intel Core Ultra 7 processor/16-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $919.99 ($230 off at Best Buy)
- Dell Plus 2 in 1, Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 2 256V processor/16-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen display/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $999.99 ($100 off at Best Buy)
Adorama
- MSI Creator A16 AI+, AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor/16-inch 2560×1600 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,495 ($204 off at Adorama)
- Apple MacBook Pro, M4 Pro chip/16.2-inch 3456×2234 display/24GB RAM/512GB SSD, $2,299 ($200 off at Adorama)
Newegg
- MSI Summit A16 AI+, AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor/16-inch 2560×1600 touchscreen display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,099.99 ($600 off at Newegg)
- MSI Prestige A16 AI+, AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor/16-inch 3840×2400 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,099.99 ($600 off at Newegg)
- Asus Vivobook S 16 AI, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor/15.6-inch 2880×1620 display/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,329 ($240 off at Newegg)
FAQ
1.
How much RAM will I need in my laptop?
You’ll want at least 8GB, though 16GB is preferable, especially if you play games. Don’t buy laptops with under 4GB of RAM or 128GB of SSD storage—though on a Chromebook or a budget Windows machine, this configuration is acceptable. Check out our article on how much RAM does a laptop need for more in-depth info.
2.
What’s the difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop?
The one big difference between a Chromebook and a Windows laptop is the operating system. Chromebooks run ChromeOS and Windows run, well, Microsoft Windows.
Chromebooks make good everyday machines because they’re designed for browsing the web, checking e-mail, and so on. They use less resources and are generally more affordable than the Windows variety. They also don’t need antivirus protection. A Windows laptop is a lot more versatile in what it can do, and not just in terms of running local programs. You can really pump a Windows laptop up with a ton of RAM, storage, and so on.
3.
When should I look for a laptop deal?
You’ll likely find the best laptop deals during Prime Day (mid-July), Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and back-to-school season (June-August). Sure, you’ll find good laptop deals throughout the year, but if you really want to save big, we’d recommend scoping out your favorite online retailers during those times.
4.
Which retailers offer the best deals?
You can find all kinds of deals across a wide range of online retailers such as Newegg, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and so on. However, we’d recommend checking out deals from laptop manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, and Dell. You’ll usually find many different configurations on sale and the discounts can be pretty darn steep.
For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available right now.
Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor, PCWorld
Ashley Biancuzzo manages all laptop and Chromebook coverage for PCWorld. She’s been covering consumer tech since 2016, and her work has appeared on USA Today, Reviewed, Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading science fiction, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound.
