'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
The 23 best laptop deals: MacBooks, Chromebooks, gaming rigs, and more
We use laptops for everything from working to streaming our favorite shows. But, as with any tech, eventually it becomes time to retire our old machines and upgrade, a prospect that can be daunting when prices are high.
From portable gaming devices to remote workstations, we've rounded up deals on some of the best laptops out there so you can find a portable PC that you or a family member will love -- while saving some significant cash. (Keep in mind that stock may be limited for current deals.)
Also: The best laptops
Our favorite deal right now is for the HP Stream from Walmart. If you need a budget-friendly machine suitable for school, basic browsing, and traveling, the HP Stream is only $179 right now.
If you see something that looks like a great deal, we recommend adding it to your cart ASAP. Here are the best laptop deals from retailers including Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy. (You can also check out the best early Black Friday laptop deals, too.)
The best laptop deals
- Current price: $179
- Original price: $209
Walmart's deal on the HP Stream laptop is worth considering if you need a budget-friendly machine suitable for traveling with. I particularly like this laptop for its easy parental controls, having set one up recently for a friend who wanted to give their 12-year-old their first laptop in a safe manner.
The HP Stream is a 14-inch Windows 11 laptop with an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC storage. Sure, it's not the most specification-heavy, but at only $179, this laptop is a steal.
- Current price: $940
- Original price: $1,850
Alternatively, if you're on the hunt for a powerful laptop suitable for work and productivity, a great deal can be found at Amazon.
The Samsung Galaxy Book2 business laptop is currently available with a massive $910 discount, bringing the cost down to $940 from $1,850. The Windows 11 laptop comes equipped with a 14-inch display, 12th-gen Intel vPro processor, 16GB RAM, and 256GB storage.
Alternatively, Samsung is also offering hefty discounts on the Galaxy Book2 Pro 360.
- Current price: $649
- Original price: $730
Another deal we've spotted for hybrid and remote workers is for the Lenovo ThinkPad L14 business laptop at Amazon.
The Lenovo ThinkPad L14 business laptop comes with Windows 11 Pro as standard, together with a 14-inch anti-glare Full HD touchscreen, an Intel i5 processor, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD storage.
- Current price: $197
- Original price: $250
A budget-friendly option is the ASUS Vivobook Go 15 laptop, available at Amazon.
A 21% discount is available for this thin and light machine, equipped with a 15.6-inch Full HD display, an Intel Celeron N4020 processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB storage. The Vivobook Go 15 is not built for power-hungry apps, but instead, is a great option for daily tasks and web surfing.
Keep in mind, however, that functionality may be limited as the laptop comes with Windows 11 Home in S Mode as default.
- Current price: $2,178
- Original price: $2,600
The Razer Blade 14 is one of our favorite gaming laptops because it balances power and portability. With a powerful AMD processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics, and a 165Hz screen, it packs a lot into a 1.78kg chassis. Quality specs mean a hefty price tag, but right now it's available with a massive $422 discount.
Other laptop deals
Amazon laptop deals
Walmart laptop deals
Best Buy laptop deals
Lenovo laptop deals
Apple MacBook deals
What is the best laptop deal?
Walmart's deal on the HP Stream laptop is our favorite deal and worth considering if you need a budget-friendly machine suitable for studies. The HP Stream is a 14-inch Windows 11 laptop with an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC storage.
How did we choose these laptop deals?
We searched for laptop deals at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, and also at the websites of leading manufacturers like Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple, Acer, and Asus. We also used various price trackers to ensure that a claimed deal wasn't spurious.
We have concentrated on quality products from leading vendors, as discounts on these laptops are likely to be most sought-after by potential buyers.
When compiling the list of the best deals, we considered the following:
- Price: Naturally, the price point of our recommended laptops has to include a worthwhile discount. While some discounts are small in relation to an overall price tag - for example, $30 off a $150 device - and other discounts are in the hundreds of dollars, we wanted to ensure that in any case, it's value for money.
- Features: We included a range of laptops with features sure to appeal to you, including different screen sizes, processors, memory options, and storage. Furthermore, these laptops include varying levels of security, parental lock options, and display resolutions.
- Use cases: At ZDNET, we also took into account different use cases. You might be in the market for a budget-friendly, basic laptop for a child, for example, or you may need a future-proof laptop suitable for work. Or, it might be a gaming device you're after. So, we have compiled a set of recommendations based on different purposes.
What specs do I need to look for in a laptop?
It depends on your needs. We break it down for you below:
- Processing power/CPU: The processor is the computer's brain essentially, and handles the basic programming tasks. Gamers will want a higher processor that can even boost to a higher GHz threshold for AAA games like Death Stranding and Halo Infinite. Higher processor outputs will also apply to content creators who need a laptop to handle editing video software, but if you're using your laptop for general work or just surfing the internet, you can opt for a lower processor.
- Graphics card/GPU: Again, gamers and content creators will want a higher graphics card to reflect the beautiful imagery for their gaming. I personally recommend that gamers opt for at least an RTX 3060 at the moment. However, again, internet surfers and workers shouldn't worry too much about the graphics if you're focusing on building out Word documents.
- Storage: For those that focus on lighter laptop use, 256GB will be plenty of space for your laptop. However, if you need more storage for high-resolution photos, videos, or more, you'll want to opt for 512GB of storage or even 1TB.
- RAM: In conjunction with the CPU, RAM is used to help the computer get through daily tasks, multi-tasking, and is vital to running programs. ZDNET expert Adrian Kingsley-Hughes breaks down RAM needs here, but at minimum, especially for working, you should opt for around 8GB, and gamers will potentially want more.
Do I need a gaming laptop or a "regular" laptop?
Again, it depends on your needs. Those that aren't gamers can opt for a regular laptop with high specs, but content creators or those that work with heavy editing software should opt for a designer's laptop or a gaming laptop. Not because, of course, you want to have the best gaming specs on the side, but because those laptops come with powerful CPUs, GPUs, and high RAM to handle the heavy requirements that software needs.
What are the best deals right now?
ZDNET experts split out the latest and greatest deals for you below.