The best cheap laptop deals in October 2021
With a wave of early Black Friday deals hitting a number of US retailers this week it's a great time if you're after a cheap laptop deal. Whether you want a bargain Chromebook or a budget-friendly mid-range machine, there are a number of devices that will perfectly suit your needs without breaking the bank. Just scroll down for all the very best laptops deals available today.
Leading the way are the early Best Buy Black Friday deals. Many of this week's top picks feature the laptops and Chromebooks from here, so now is definitely a good time to buy if you want to secure a gift early. You're also protected by the retailer's Black Friday Guarantee, which means your product will not be cheaper before November 26. If it is, you'll be able to get a refund for the difference.
Meanwhile, other retailers such as Amazon and Walmart are steadily ramping up the number of offers each day. The Epic Amazon Deals promotion continues with a set of new discounts each day of the month. As for the latter, a few early offers are live, but an ad is also been uploaded that shows what you can expect as part of the Walmart Black Friday deals in early November. There's a Chromebook for under $100 in there, which is a terrific price.
You can also pop over to Dell, where a number of Black Friday prices are available on select laptops and more. Many of these are limited-time deals so will only be available for the next couple of days.
So, while we would encourage caution with the volume of Black Friday laptop deals we expect to arrive in the coming weeks, don't miss out on any of these below if you're after a bargain right now.
If you're after more web-based machines, check out even more Chromebook deals. If you're a gamer, you'd be better suited to check out our selection of gaming laptop deals, as the models on this page are not usually built with gaming in mind.
This week's best cheap laptop deals
Cheap laptop deal of the week
HP 15.6-inch laptop: $499.99 $329.99 at Best Buy
Save $170 – Best Buy has a huge selection of laptops on sale in its early Black Friday sale, but we reckon this is one of the better ones. If you need a general all-purpose machine for everyday browsing or basic offices tasks on a budget this will fit the bill nicely. The solid spec includes a fast i3 processor, a healthy 8GB RAM and a speedy 256GB SSD.
More cheap laptop deals
Cheap laptop deals under $200
HP 11.6-inch Chromebook: $259 $99 at Best Buy
Save $160 – There's a massive $160 off this HP Chromebook to bring it down to just $99. It features an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB RAM and a 32GB hard drive, which is ideal for very light and basic work or browsing. Usually, for a laptop with this spec, you're always going to be paying over $100 so it's terrific value for money.
Samsung CB4 Chromebook: $299 $129 at Walmart
Save $170 – Samsung Chromebooks are usually at the pricier end of the scale compared to its competitors. This massive $170 discount on the CB4 model, then, is easily one of the best laptop deals this week. It's a very basic machine, with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage, but if your budget is tight it's ideal for simple work or school tasks.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3: $219.99 $169.99 at Amazon
Save $50 – This Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is now down to an all-time low price at Amazon. With an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB RAM, it's a basic model that's best suited to the simplest work or school tasks. The jump to 64GB of storage is a welcome boost if you don't want to rely too much on the cloud for your files.
Cheap laptop deals under $400
HP 14-inch Chromebook: $279.99 $219.99 at Walmart
Save $50 – If you've got around $200 to spend on a new laptop for light work or school then we'd suggest the small step up to secure this HP 14-inch Chromebook from Walmart. There's currently $50 off the usual price, which makes this a terrific cheap laptop deal. 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage are great at this price point, while its 2-in-1 capabilities give you the flexibility to also use it as a tablet.
HP Pavilion x360: $449.99 $279.99 at Best Buy
Save $170 – Another flexible 2-in-1 laptop at a great price is this 11.6-inch HP Pavilion x360 at Best Buy. With a massive $170 off you're getting a very portable laptop that's suitable for school or light work while on the move. The touchscreen is a neat addition too at this price.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Laptop: $534.98 $323.39 at Dell
Save $211.59 – Here's over $200 off an excellent mid-range Dell laptop. For a spec that features a fast i3 processor, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage you'd usually pay above the $400 price bracket. It's a great price for a solid all-purpose device for general home or work tasks without compromising on any components. Limited quantities are available so you'll want to buy now to avoid missing out!
HP 15.6-inch laptop: $499.99 $329.99 at Best Buy
Save $170 – Best Buy has a huge selection of laptops on sale in its early Black Friday sale, but we reckon this is one of the better ones. If you need a general all-purpose machine for everyday browsing or basic offices tasks on a budget this will fit the bill nicely. The solid spec includes a fast i3 processor and a healthy 8GB RAM. Plus, for $15 more than the Dell above, you double your storage with a speedy 256GB SSD.
Cheap laptop deals under $600
Dell Inspiron 14: $604.98 $440.99 at Dell
Save $163.99 – This mid-range laptop is a definite highlight in the latest Dell cyber sale. With the latest generation i3 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD you're getting all the usual specs for around this price point. Sure, it's near-identical to the Inspiron 15 3000 above, but some may prefer the small size for easy portability.
14-inch HP Pavilion laptop: $649.99 $519.99 at HP
Save $140 – There are so many laptops under $400 this week that offer great specs at excellent value for money that it's hard to justify jumping up to this price bracket right now. If you do have around $500 to spend and want a worthwhile performance boost, though, this HP laptop comes with a slightly better i5 processor, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go: $699.99 $549.99 at Best Buy
Save $150 – With new versions in the wild, the last iteration of Surface Laptop Go models are reduced now at Best Buy. Even though they feature the previous generation Intel processors, these are still fast, capable and brilliantly made machines for working professionals that need portability on a tighter budget.
The best laptop deals over $600
Dell XPS 13 laptop: $949.99 $685.99 at Dell
Save $264 – Here's another big price cut courtesy of the Dell Black Friday preview. The XPS 13 is a very popular laptop and this version includes an i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 258GB SSD - all solid components. Where it shines, though, is that 13.3-inch InfinityEdge display that makes it one of the most stylish laptops out there.
Lenovo Yoga 7i: $949.99 $749.99 at Best Buy
Save $200 – The standout inclusion in this Lenovo Yoga 7i from the early Black Friday sales at Best Buy is the 12GB RAM. This means the laptop will perform better when multitasking or during more involving tasks. You don't lose out elsewhere, though, with an i5 processor, 14-inch touchscreen and a healthy 512GB SSD rounding out the specs on this premium ultrabook.
MacBook Air M1 (256GB): $999 $929 at Amazon
Save $70 - The 256GB M1 MacBook Air is sadly no longer at its lowest ever price this week at Amazon. After previously dropping to $849 there's now only a $70 saving on the new machine featuring Apple's powerful M1 chip and premium chassis. Perhaps the previous best offer will be back for Black Friday.
This week's best store-wide laptop sales
HP: Save up to 45% on laptops, all-in-one PCs, monitors and more
You'll find savings across a range of HP Pavilion and Envy laptops this week, as well as HP's budget entry level models as well. Not only that, but desktop towers, all-in-one bundles and other accessories are also discounted right now.
Dell: cyber sale with limited-time Black Friday prices
Dell is offering some major savings across its range of XPS and Inspiron laptops this week, with up to $700 off some of its more premium machines. You'll find plenty of discounts across the price range, though.
Best Buy: massive range of laptops now under $500
Best Buy has a strong selection of cheap laptop deals under $500 this week, with everything from HP to Dell, Acer to Asus either taking a price cut to fit or already available for less.
Which stores have cheap laptop sales?
If you're looking for the best budget laptop to see you through everyday browsing, we'd recommend heading over to the generalist retailers - Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon, for example. If you're after something a little more specialist, Dell, Lenovo and HP will offer far more configuration options with their own discounts as well.
The best cheap laptops
The best cheap laptops of 2021
The best budget laptops are usually the ones offering decent entry level specs (32 or 64GB of storage in a Chromebook or a 4GB / 8GB RAM, i3 processor, 128GB storage in a Windows machine) at a reduced price. However, you'll sometimes find mid-range specs offering a step up at similar prices on cheaper machines. Below you'll find our top picks of cheap laptops that do exactly that during busy sales periods.
If you're shopping for cheap laptops, chances are you're not going to be spending too long poring over spec sheets or looking forward to splashing out on the latest processors and graphics. You might be looking for a simple every day web browsing machine light enough to throw into a backpack and flexible enough for comfortable streaming. That's where the Lenovo Duet comes in - a Chromebook that's technically a tablet, but far more powerful than you'd expect it to be.
With its slick lines and a slim silhouette, the Acer Chromebook 14 makes for a subtle, snazzy laptop. Although its display isn't the most attractive we've seen, it’s still acceptable for full HD. On top of that, the keyboard and trackpad adhere to the principle of ‘it just works.’ The battery life is satisfactory as well despite falling a bit south of Acer's 12-hour claim in real-world use.
Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 14
You're shopping in the $399 - $599 range when looking at an Asus Vivobook, with entry level specs outperforming the vast majority of Chromebooks you'd usually find at this price. Plus, you're getting some pretty premium features in this cheap laptop. A Nano-Edge display keeps everything looking sharp, the option for Intel Optane memory makes sure all your most-used programs and files are well within reach, and a 1.6kg weight on a full sized 15.6-inch laptop is nothing to sniff at either.
Here we have one of the few budget laptops with a processor nearly equivalent to a MacBook Pro from a couple of years back, that is if you opt for the Intel Core i5 configuration. The best part? Among the best Acer laptops right now, it's roughly half the cost of its Apple-branded rival. Now given that it sells at a range of different prices, the Acer Swift 3 can be an obtuse purchase, but lucky for you, the midrange model will get you by just fine. There are often plenty of cheap laptop deals on Acer products so you'll always be in a good position to grab a discount.
Read the full review: Acer Swift 3
Cheap laptops: Spotting the best laptop deals under $200
One of the first things we often check when shopping for cheap laptops is the amount of storage on offer. As shoppers, we've become accustomed to comparing prices and models based on the number of gigabytes next to the model name. However, there may be more to it than that, especially when you're browsing the cheaper shelves. You may also need to pay attention to your operating system when picking up a budget laptop deal under $200.
Some cheap laptops are more worthy of your cash than others, and many simply need to be avoided. For example, you'll easily find a Windows machine that offers just 16 or 32GB of storage, but with update file and software sizes increasing, you may quickly find that insufficient. However, finding a Chromebook with 16 or 32GB of storage for under $200 makes for a great cheap laptop deal. That's because these machines run on Chrome OS which doesn't require updates and operates largely through your browser.
Similarly, a lot of laptops hold incredibly low price tags because they are labelled as 'FreeDOS'. This means they don't have an operating system on them already, so you will need to buy Windows 10 to get them set up.
How much are the best laptop deals?
Shopping for the best budget laptop deals between $50 and $200 will usually have you looking at the excellent range of Chromebooks on sale right now. Running Chrome OS, these budget laptop deals will see you through everyday web browsing, emails, and some light streaming for eye wateringly low prices. You'll be picking up anything from a 16GB SSD to a 64GB hard drive, but you'll also be looking to utilize the cloud for more storage.
If you're punting a bit higher than $200, you'll be opening yourself up to more RAM, moving from 4GB to 8GB in most models, meaning your cheap laptop will be able to open programs faster, generally retrieving information and multi-task in a more streamlined manner. You'll also be picking up far more storage for your cash, with prices this week including either a 128GB or 256GB SSD. This SSD further streamlines your storage, acting as a lightning-fast drive to keep everything you need instantly attainable.
Once you search for laptop deals above $400, you may well start to find 16GB of RAM on offer as well as a few models with a 512GB SSD. Along with improved processors, that means exceedingly fast storage potential, keeping your cheap laptop zippy however many programs you have open. Laptops above this price range are also better suited to media editing than cheaper models.
Not quite what you're looking for? Maybe our other laptop articles will have what you need:
- 15 best laptops you can buy in 2020
- The best cheap MacBook deals
- Top 10 best gaming laptops of 2020
- Top 10 2-in-1 laptops of 2020
- The best home internet service providers of 2020
- The best refurbished MacBook sales
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