If you're on the hunt for a better gaming experience but don't want to shell out a ton of cash for a new GPU, one solution is to get a better monitor. Another alternative is a proper gaming laptop with souped-up internals. If that's the route you plan on taking, you'll want to check out this Acer Nitro 5 with an Nvida GeForce RTX 3060, which is currently on sale for $1,349 at Walmart. That's $450 off of the list price.

We reviewed this laptop in an upgraded configuration with the same Ryzen 7 processor, but with a GeForce RTX 3070 instead of a 3060 and with a QHD display instead of 1080p. We gave that version four out of five stars, calling it “outstanding value among midrange gaming laptops.”

With this laptop's RTX 3060 GPU, it should give you no-compromises 1080p gaming in most games. If you want to put this clamshell on a secondary monitor, you could even try 1440p, though that will require some compromises such as reducing the graphics quality.

This laptop is rocking a 17.3-inch 144Hz IPS display and a Ryzen 7 5800H processor, which is a Zen 3 CPU with eight cores and sixteen threads and a boost to 4.4GHz. For RAM and storage, you get 16GB of memory and a 1TB NVMe SSD. This laptop also comes with Windows 10 Home, but you can probably upgrade it to Windows 11.

[Today's deal: 1080p Acer Nitro 5 for $1,349 at Walmart.]

Right now you can get a good price on the M1 Mac Mini in a configuration you won't find on Apple's own website. Adorama is selling a 256GB build-to-order Mac Mini with an M1 processor and 16GB of RAM for $749. That's $150 off of the list price and only $50 more than the standard 256GB version of the Mac Mini with just 8GB of RAM.

In our review of the 8GB RAM Mac Mini, we gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars and an Editors' Choice Award. “The M1 in the new Mac mini provides tremendous performance at a hard-to-beat price,” we said.

The M1 Mac Mini is an excellent desktop computer. The ARM-based M1 processor features an eight-core CPU, an eight-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural engine. It also packs the RAM onto the SoC package and treats it as a single pool of memory.

It does have some downsides, though, especially for those who need to hook up a ton of peripherals to the box. It only has two Thunderbolt ports as opposed to four on the previous Intel version. For most people, that's likely not a huge problem but it's something to be aware of.

Overall, the M1 is a fantastic choice and today you can get it in an unusual configuration at a great price.

[Today's deal: 256GB M1 Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM for $749 at Adorama.]

Whether you're buying a new laptop for school or trying to find a high-end gaming laptop, it's possible to find good laptop deals no matter the season. We're scouring the web daily to find the laptop deals you don't want to miss.

Mind you, not all advertised laptop deals are actually deals, so we've only included the ones we consider actual bargains—and we've explained why. We'll add new laptop deals as we see them daily and remove any expired sales. Right now, we're seeing strong discounts on gaming laptops, Microsoft Surface devices, and more. If you're looking for Chromebooks we've got those deals in here too!

We've provided a handy list of laptop-specific shopping tips at the end of this post, and immediately below are the deals themselves.

The best laptop deals in 2022

Microsoft Surface Pro 7+

From: Walmart

Was: $999.99

Now: $599 ($400.99 off)

If you're looking for a well designed Windows tablet, there's no beating Microsoft's Surface line and this Walmart's sale offers an excellent bargain. This version of the Surface Pro 7+ comes with a Core i3 processor, 128GB of onboard storage, 8GB of RAM, and a black Type Cover. We reviewed the Surface Pro 7+ nearly a year ago, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars and an Editors' Choice Award. We called it “the most potent upgrade Microsoft's Surface Pro line has offered in years.”

See the Surface Pro 7+ at Walmart

Lenovo Legion 5

From: Walmart

Was: $909.99

Now: $649 ($360.99 off the list price)

If you're looking for a solid 1080p gaming laptop, the Lenovo Legion 5 is a great option. It comes equipped with a GeForce GTX 1650, which was the most popular GPU during the 2021 holiday season. While it's not the most exciting graphics processor, the 1650 is still a good performer at 1080p with medium settings. The rest of the laptop features a 17.3-inch 1080p display, a Ryzen 5 5600H CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of onboard NVMe storage. It's a respectable performer at a good price, that's for sure.

See the Lenovo Legion 5 at Walmart

Inspiron 15 3000

From: Dell.com

Was: $479.99

Now: $431.99 ($48 off)

The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is a great laptop for getting day-to-day work done. It has a Core i5-1035G1 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of NVMe storage, Wi-Fi 6, and a 15.6-inch 1080p display. It's also light enough to tote around with ease, as it weighs just 3.82 pounds. This deal is only available until Monday, January 10th at 7AM central time. Make sure you enter the coupon code SAVE10 at checkout.

See the Inspiron 15 3000 at Dell.com

HP 17-by4061nr

From: Walmart

Was: $679

Now: $499.00 ($180 off)

This HP laptop has a lot going for it. The CPU is an Intel “Tiger Lake” Core i5-1135G7 with four cores, eight threads and a boost to 4.2GHz. The processor is packing Iris Xe graphics, which will provide surprising performance for an integrated GPU. It also has 8GB of RAM, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a 1080p display. If need a new laptop to kick off 2022, then this is a nice choice.

See the HP 17-by4061nr at Walmart

Asus L510

From: Walmart

Was: $279

Now: $219 ($60 off)

This deal puts us in an odd position. We're not huge fans of laptops with just 128GB of onboard storage (especially this one's onboard eMMC storage) and generally don't recommend Windows PCs running Celeron processors. For a price around $200, however, we're willing to overlook these shortcomings but with some big caveats.

First, you'll get exactly what you pay for with this clamshell, but that just might be a good thing given the price. It's running Windows 10 Home in S Mode and we would not recommend upgrading this laptop to regular Windows 10. Instead, use this laptop like a Chromebook, so focus on using it for web apps like Google Docs or Office Online. Then, if you absolutely need a desktop program download, run whatever you need from the selection in the Windows Store. We wouldn't try editing a photo on this since it has just 4GB of RAM and deathly slow flash storage. Still, the Intel Celeron N4020 will get the job done for basic uses and a 15.6-inch 1080p display offers a bigger display than what you'd get from a Chromebook around the same price.

See the Asus L510 at Walmart

Lenovo Yoga 6

Lenovo

From: Best Buy

Was: $949.99

Now: $849.99 ($100 off)

The Lenovo Yoga 6 has an eight-core, sixteen thread Ryzen 7 5700U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. The screen is 13.3 inches with 1080p resolution and is touch based. As with other Yoga laptops, it can sit around as a regular clamshell or bend over backwards to go into tent mode. It's also rocking Wi-Fi 6 and it's fairly lightweight at just under three pounds.

See the Lenovo Yoga 6 at Best Buy

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Gaming

Lenovo

From: Walmart

Was: $849.99

Now: $749 ($100.99 off)

Lenovo probably isn't the first name you think of when it comes to gaming machines, but they do make nice laptops, and this one has some very nice specs. The IdeaPad 3 Gaming has a 15.6-inch display with 1080p resolution and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The CPU is a Zen 3-based AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, which has 6 cores and 12 threads, and a max boost clock to 4.2GHz. It also has 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, with graphics are handled by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050–a 1080p laptop GPU that brings DLSS and real-time ray tracing to laptops in an affordable package. This is a solid laptop, a great price for a 1080p gaming machine.

See the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Gaming at Walmart

HP Laptop 15-ef2126wm

HP

From: Walmart

Was: $549

Now: $429 ($120 off)

This HP laptop is very capable given the specs (though we'd hesitate to call it a workhorse). The processor is a Zen 2 Ryzen 5 5500U with six cores, twelve threads and a boost to 4GHz. It has a 15.6-inch 1080p display, 8GB or RAM, and a 256GB SSD. HP says you can expect around 9.5 hours of battery life with mixed usage. This would be an excellent laptop for students, home use, or even for taking on the road for business trips.

See the HP laptop 15-ef2126wm at Walmart

Vostro 5301

Dell

From: Dell.com

Was: $1,712.87

Now: $729 ($983.87 off)

The Dell Vostro 5301 is an excellent business laptop. However, you might be able to sneak in a little lightweight gaming on the side during off hours thanks to the onboard GeForce MX350 GPU. This laptop is packing an Intel “Tiger Lake” quad-core, eight thread Core i7-1165G7 with Iris Xe onboard. You're getting 8GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage as well. For ports, it has a USB 3.2 Gen 2 type-C port, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard ports, and HDMI 1.4b. The display is 13.3 inches at 1080p resolution with a max brightness of 300 nits.

See the Dell Vostro 5301 at Dell.com

Asus VivoBook 15 F513

Asus

From: Office Depot

Was: $749.99

Now: $599.99 ($150 off)

This VivoBook is rocking 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That's not a ton of storage, but if you have most of your files in the cloud it's manageable. The display is 15.6 inches with 1080p resolution. For ports, it has three USB ports, one HDMI out, and Wi-Fi 6. Normally, we wouldn't recommend this as an everyday laptop. However, as a travel laptop, it's light and easy to carry while still offering good performance.

See the Asus VivoBook 15 F514 at Office Depot

HP Spectre x360 14

HP

From: HP

Was: $1,399.99

Now: $1099.99 ($300 off)

If you're looking for the best thin and light laptop money can buy, you've come to the right place.

This 14-inch HP Spectre convertible strikes a great balance between performance (from Intel's Tiger Lake CPUs) and design, even if it's a little on the heavy side at 3 pounds. Its 1920×1280 IPS display is another highlight, whether you're making use of the 360-degree hinge and touchscreen or not. The deal highlighted here is on the model we reviewed, but all configurations are currently discounted.

See the HP Spectre x360 14 at HP.com

Asus ROG Flow X13

Asus

From: Best Buy

Was: $1,499.99

Now: $1,249.99 ($250 off)

Asus ROG Flow X13 is a nice gaming laptop with good specs and it's $100 cheaper right now than the price we saw during the holidays. It's not a huge laptop, but it does have HDMI out if you want to game on a larger screen. The display, while on the smaller side, is pretty nice with a maximum 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1920-by-1200 with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, which will offer high to ultra graphics capabilities, and 16GB of RAM for snappy responsiveness. It also has 512GB of NVMe SSD onboard storage, Windows 11 Home, and Wi-Fi 6 for wireless capability.

See the Asus Rog Flow X13 at Best Buy

HP Victus 16t-d000

HP

From: HP.com

Was: $999.99

Now: $749.99 ($250 off)

HP is offering a very nice gaming laptop at an excellent price.

The HP Victus 16t-d000 features a 16.1-inch 1080p display with a boost to 144Hz and a maximum brightness of 250 nits. Driving that screen is a Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which will provide some nice graphics capabilities with high graphics settings, depending on the game. This RTX GPU also supports DLSS and real-time ray tracing. In addition, It has 8GB of RAM, a 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD, and a six-core, twelve thread Intel “Tiger Lake” Core i5-11400H CPU.

See the HP Victus 16t-d000 at HP.com

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i

Lenovo

From: Walmart

Was: $699

New: $449 ($250 off)

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is a nice everyday use laptop. It has 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, which is more than enough for web browsing and whatnot. This laptop is running Windows 11 Home and the processor is a quad-core, eight thread Intel “Comet Lake” Core i5-10210U. That's a generation behind, but it's still a capable processor. The screen is also 14-inches with a 1080p resolution.

See the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i at Walmart

Acer Chromebook 315

Acer

From: Walmart

Was: $289

Now: $229.99 ($59.01 off)

If you'd like something a little beefier than the Lenovo Chromebook at Best Buy, take a look at this deal at Walmart. The Acer 315 is a 15.6-inch laptop with a 1080p touch display. Again, this is not a convertible laptop so no bending back the keyboard for a tablet-like experience. The processor is the Intel Celeron N4020, which is pretty standard for Chromebooks. It has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.0.

See the Acer Chromebook 315 at Walmart

Gigabyte G5 MD

Gigabyte

From: Newegg

Was: $1,199.00

Now: $849 ($350 off after $100 rebate)

Gaming laptops are tough to find at a discount right now, and this one is a decidedly mixed bag of pros and cons. Inside is a Core i5-11400H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD behind a 144Hz 1080p screen. The RTX 3050 Ti is usually considered to be a bum deal compared to the RTX 3060…if you can find one? And, whoa—there's a $100 rebate card you need to fill out? If you're willing to jump through these hoops, though, the price and savings aren't bad at all. This offer ends just before midnight Pacific time on Tuesday, November 30.

See the Gigabyte G5 MD at Newegg

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go (Platinum)

Microsoft

From: Microsoft Store

Was: $699.99

Now: $549.99 ($150 off)

We gave the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go, Microsoft's 12.4-inch budget laptop, 3.5 stars out of 5 in our Surface Laptop Go review. We felt it was a little overpriced. Dropping the price by $150 on its midrange version (Core i5/8GB RAM/128GB SSD) certainly helps! Just be aware that the Laptop Go's display is sub-1080p quality—but, in our experience, it didn't really matter.

See the Surface Laptop Go on Microsoft.com

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet

Lenovo

From: Walmart.com

Was: $299.99

Now: $192.95 ($107.04 off)

If you like the concept of a Chrome OS tablet but think that the Chromebook Plus V2 price is too high, consider the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet, which we looked at last year. This tablet ships with 4GB of memory and 64GB of integrated storage.

Support runs through June 2029.

Buy the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook at Walmart

Laptop deal buying tips

If you've shopped online before for laptop deals you're probably aware that there's a vast range of laptop configurations available.

A good place to start is with the processor. Buy laptops with Intel 10-series Core chips or higher, such as the Core i5-10510U, or the Core i7-11800H (for even more details see our Intel 10th-gen mobile CPU buying guide); or go with an AMD Ryzen processor (but not an AMD Athlon or A-series chip). Avoid laptops with Pentium or Celeron processors unless it's a Chromebook (running Chrome OS). You're going to need to pay attention with gaming laptops, too, as some GPUs, like the RTX 3050 Ti, don't offer much boost over their RTX 2xxx-series cousins, and Nvidia has dropped the Max-Q designation on certain low-power options. Our laptop CPU and GPU cheat sheet can help you shop smart.

Display resolution is a gotcha. If you see a laptop labeled as “HD” resolution that means 1366-by-768 and often isn't worth your time for a laptop under 13 inches unless the deal is absolutely standout. What you want is “Full HD” or “FHD,” which means 1080p.

Don't buy laptops with under 4GB of RAM or 128GB of SSD storage—though on a Chromebook, this configuration is acceptable. We have more explanation in our laptops versus Chromebooks buying guide, as well as in our primer on how to buy a budget laptop without getting screwed. Also watch out for eMMC storage, which is something we don't recommend for a Windows laptop but works fine for a Chromebook.

Reviews can be helpful. Even if you can't find a review of a specific configuration, try related models. They'll often give you a good idea of the build quality and performance. Also buy from brands you trust. Amazon's daily laptop deals right now are full of brands we've never tested or talked to (Broage, Teclast, DaySky, Jumper) and it's just a good idea to be wary.

Most older laptops will run Windows 10, and that's fine—there's no rush to upgrade. Windows 10 in S Mode, though annoying, can be switched out of easily if you find it on a budget laptop. If you want to buy a Windows 10 PC with the intent of upgrading it to Windows 11, we recommend you start here with a list of older laptops that are Windows 11-eligible.

Updated on January 7 with additional deals, and to remove expired deals.