You skipped the Memorial Day sales, you bypassed Labor Day savings, and maybe you even slept through the last Prime Day buying event. But now’s the time to jump on a new laptop. Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale lasts just two days, and we’re tracking down all the best prices on traditional laptops, Chromebooks, 2-in-1 devices, and convertible touch-screen computers, in the hopes of saving you a few bucks.
The Best Prime Day Laptop Deals You Can Buy Now
Why is Amazon putting thousands of products on sale again? Didn’t we already do this earlier this year? Well, yeah, but Amazon added a second Prime Day for 2022 to beat retailers to the Black Friday punch. If it helps you cross some things off your holiday shopping list (which includes gifts for yourself!), then so be it.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop and it’s been a while since you bought one, Chromebooks usually make the most budget-friendly purchase, since the processing power required to run these cloud-centric machines is quite low. Creatives might prefer something with a touch screen for sketching, drawing, or notetaking with a stylus, while users committed to Apple machines might find some killer deals on M1 machines as M2 rollout continues.
If your current device is a few years old, any new machine will almost certainly be an upgrade in both storage capacity and processing power, but something to look for specifically is a great built-in webcam if you’re using this for a work computer. There are a lot of devices with a 1080p lens that’ll make you look a lot better on your Zoom, Google Meet, or WebEx meetings. A blurry 720p camera won’t do you nearly as many favors.
Don’t forget about ports, either. If you’re mostly using old USB-A cables for your devices, find a device that has at least one of those ports built-in (otherwise you’ll be clicking “Add to cart” on some adapters, too).
A common question we get is: Should I get an AMD or Intel processor? The processor is the brains of the computer, and if you can afford it, we’d recommend an Intel Core i5 and above, or an AMD Ryzen 5 series CPU, both of which can handle most everyday tasks.
Most new notebooks start with 8GB or 16GB of RAM with a base 128GB or 256GB solid state drive. If you are a gamer, consider a high-resolution display with a decent refresh rate (120Hz or higher) so your games will run smoothly. Graphics cards are an essential component to gaming, and we recommend a built-in Nvidia GeForce graphics card RTX series 3050 or higher.
The Prime Early Access Sale, meanwhile, is only open to Prime members. If you haven’t signed up, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. We’ll keep this page updated as laptop-focused deals are announced for the Prime Early Access Sale.
Recommended by Our Editors
Asus VivoBook Flip 14-inch 2-in-1 Ryzen 7 512GB Laptop
This Asus VivoBook Flip 14 2-in-1 form weighs 3.31 pounds and is only 0.7 inches thick. Powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, 8-core, 4.3GHz processor, this PC should be enough for everyday work and school tasks. The 14-inch, 1,920-by-1,200 touch-screen supports a stylus (sold separately).
Apple MacBook Pro 14-Inch
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Apple MacBook Pro 16- or 14-Inch M1 Pro Mini-LED
The 15.6-inch MacBook Pro was a best-selling laptops for productivity and workflow. Its successor, which comes in 14- and 16-inch versions, features Apple’s in-house M1 Pro chip, 16GB RAM, and 512GB or 1TB solid state storage options. The high-resolution display is Mini-LED backlit, which offers richer blacks and higher peak-nit brightness. These laptops are great options for college students, photo and video editing, or office workflows.
HP Victus Intel i7 RTX 3050 Ti 15.6-inch Gaming PC
At under $1,000, the HP Victus offers performance at a budget price. It features the latest 12th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with Nvidia GeForces RTX 3050 Ti graphics. The 1080p IPS-panel display outputs up to 144Hz with 9ms response time. This should run most AAA and current-generation games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Fortnite, and God of War with no issues with reasonable setting options.
What’s the best low-priced laptop?
PCMag’s current top-rated budget laptop is the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14, which offers excellent performance and a bevy of modern trappings that almost make you forget it rings up at less than $600.
Which site is best for buying a laptop?
The usual suspects when it comes to buying a laptop are Amazon and Best Buy, but you can often snag a deal at Newegg and Walmart, too, or direct from PC makers like Dell and HP. They all want your money, so they’ll often price-match each other if a rival is having a sale. Use a price-comparison app to compare prices and read PCMag’s reviews to make sure you’re really getting a deal.
What is the most reliable laptop to buy?
Dell’s XPS 13 is our perennial favorite among portable general-use Windows laptops. The super-thin chassis design is high quality, the nearly bezel-less display is beautiful, and the battery life is long. Anyone who appreciates the look and style of Apple’s MacBook Air, but would prefer to use Windows, should strongly consider the XPS 13.
Which laptop is best in 2022?
Laptops come in many flavors. Do you need a gaming PC? A portable, convertible 2-in-1? Maybe you’re a macOS fan. We have top-rated laptops in each category, but our top-rated overall laptops include the Dell XPS 13 (9310), Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14, and 2022, M2-based Apple MacBook Air.
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