The Best Laptop Deals for April 2023
PCMag
It may not feel like it depending on where you live, but spring is here,

It may not feel like it depending on where you live, but spring is here, and it's time to emerge from winter hibernation. Whether that means spending more time working at the coffee shop, going on the road for in-person meetings, or just heading into the office a few more days each month, a new laptop is a great thing to have with you wherever you go.

If you’re still plugging away on the same device you started the pandemic with, you may find it’s struggling a bit. If you feel locked into a Windows machine, we have good news: Apple machines can officially run Windows 11 now. So if you’ve been eyeing a new M1- or M2-powered MacBook, you’re now free to enter the Apple ecosphere, courtesy of Parallels.

If Apple machines are too pricey for you, there is no shortage of budget business laptops, Chromebooks, hyper-powered gaming machines, and versatile 2-in-1 devices that can keep your computing work mobile. Even better: Some of those are on sale.

The Best Traditional Laptop Deals

Our current traditional laptop deal picks include the Inspiron 15 3511 with an Intel i3 processor, 256GB SSD, and 8GB RAM for budget shoppers looking for a casual-use configuration; the Dell XPS 15 with an Intel i7 processor and an RTX 3050 graphics card for mixed usage; and the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro chip for remote-work and mobile-business use.

Best 2-in-1 or Touch Laptop Deals

If you need a budget 2-in-1 touch-screen laptop, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i with an Intel Core i3 processor, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM and a 15.6-inch display will take care of your daily use tasks (as long as they’re not too demanding) for under $400. Our midrange deal pick is the Samsung Galaxy Book2 360 with a 13-inch AMOLED display and an Intel Core i7 processor. The premium pick is Lenovo Yoga 9i with an Intel Core i7 processor, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, and a 4K OLED display.

Best Gaming Laptop Deals

Our current pick for a midrange gaming PC deal is the Asus ROG Zephyrus with a powerful Ryzen 9 CPU, RX 6700S GPU, and 1TB SSD/16GB RAM. With this config, you really get the most bang for your buck. If you need more power, our premium pick, the Dell G16, has an Intel i9 CPU, an RTX 3070 Ti, and 32GB RAM, which will run modern titles in ultra settings without issue and handle content creation as well. Budget gamers should take a look at the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, which is optimized for cloud gaming via Nvidia GeForce Now and can be connected via Wi-Fi to your desktop for titles on other platforms like Steam or GOG.

Has it been a while since your last laptop upgrade? Advances in screen resolution, memory capacity, processor power, and battery capability abound. For example, if you’re currently locked to the nearest outlet because your old battery no longer holds a charge, many models on the market today (especially lightweight Chromebooks) can last a full day or more on a single charge.

If your old machine still has an old-school spinning HDD, you’ll love how snappy and safe an upgrade to a solid-state drive will be. And if you’re in a lot of video conferences, pick a machine with a 1080p webcam, so you look as good (if not better) than everyone else who's still stuck with a 720p lens. Are all your old peripherals still USB-A corded? If so, note that most machines have moved up to mostly USB-C ports, so you might want to add a USB hub to your order.

Finally, even though discounts on Apple laptops are usually neither standard nor high-value, we’ve been seeing some sale prices on original M1 and M1 Pro laptop devices in the wake of the M2 release.

(And if you don’t need a mobile PC, check our list of the best desktop deals out there today.)

Traditional Laptop Deals

Dell Inspiron 16 5620 Intel i5 512GB SSD 8GB RAM FHD+ Laptop

This 16-inch Inspiron laptop features a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 512GB SSD, and 8GB RAM. It will be a capable daily-use laptop with enough oomph to multitask browser tabs and applications. The 1,920-by-1,200 FHD+ display is comfortably sized and will look sharp no matter what task you’re engaged in at the moment.

Apple MacBook Pro M1 Pro 14-Inch 1TB SSD (2021)

Apple just refreshed the 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pros with the latest M2 Pro and M2 Max processors, but the 2021 models are capable machines for those looking for a deal on a MacBook Pro for work or media. This 2021 14-inch MacBook Pro features an Apple M1 Pro 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU chip, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of solid-state storage. Unlike the MacBook Air, this Pro model has cooling fans, slightly improved battery life, and only weighs an extra 0.11kg in comparison—though the 2021 iteration eliminates the controversial touch bar. Check out our 2021 14-inch MBP and 16-inch MBP reviews.

Dell Latitude 3520 Intel i7 256GB SSD 16GB RAM 15.6 Laptop

An 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, Windows 10 Pro, and 16GB RAM make this Dell Latitude 3520 a worthy addition to your work setup. The 15-inch display is large enough to view without the need for an additional monitor and intelligent features like a fingerprint reader add a layer of convenience and security. Plus, Dell Optimizer improves battery performance by adapting to your patterns, so you can spend less time tethered to an outlet.

HP Pavilion 15t Intel i7 512GB SSD 16GB RAM 15.6 Laptop

A long battery life combined with HP Fast Charge lets you do more with the power of a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. The 16GB DDR4-3200 RAM will make multitasking a breeze and the 512GB SSD will load up quickly and provide ample space for your files. If you’re looking for a thin, lightweight, affordable laptop to take care of daily tasks like checking emails, reading news, and web surfing, look no further than this 15.6-inch laptop by HP.

Asus VivoBook Intel i3 128GB SSD 8GB RAM 14 Laptop

The Asus VivoBook is well-suited for users who need something for simple tasks like checking email and browsing the web. This no-frills configuration has an Intel Core i3 processor, 128GB SSD, and 8GB RAM. At less than $300 on sale, you can’t go wrong if you don’t need a significant amount of storage or processing power for your daily use laptop.

2-in-1 and Touch-Screen Laptop Deals

Dell Inspiron 16 7620 Intel i5 512GB SSD 8GB RAM 16 2-in-1 Laptop

The Inspiron 16 7620 features a 16-inch touch display with 1,920-by-1,200 FHD+ resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate, and a 360-degree hinge that enables you to switch between laptop, stand, and tablet orientations. The 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor is snappy and will handle day-to-day tasks like document processing, checking email, and web browsing and the 512GB SSD will boot up quickly and provide you with ample storage space.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Ryzen 7 512GB SSD 8GB RAM 14 Touch Laptop

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 comes loaded with the Windows 11 Home operating system and is ready to tackle your daily tasks quickly and efficiently thanks to its zippy AMD Ryzen 7 processor. The 14-inch touch display has a 1080p resolution, perfect for streaming your favorite programs and the 8.33-by-12.66-by-0.67-inch profile makes it extremely portable.

Lenovo Yoga 7i Intel i7 512GB SSD 16GB RAM 14 2.2K 2-in-1 Laptop

Responsive and versatile, the Lenovo Yoga 7i utilizes a powerful 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor to blaze through tasks. Coupled with 16GB RAM, you’ll be able to run multiple programs and have several browser tabs open at once. The 14-inch 2,240-by-1,400 display is perfectly sized for viewing content in crisp clear 2.2K resolution, whether that’s spreadsheets or a streaming service, and the 360-degree hinge enables you to position the Lenovo Yoga 7i comfortably.

Samsung Galaxy Book2 360 Intel i7 512GB SSD 16GB RAM 13.3 AMOLED Touch Laptop

With a crisp, clear AMOLED touch screen and S Pen compatibility, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 360 straddles the line between tablet and laptop. It runs an Intel 12th Gen Core i7 Evo Platform, 512GB SSD, and 16GB RAM. This device can get up to 18 hours of battery life on a single charge so you spend less time tethered to a charger. If you have other Galaxy devices, it’s easy to add the Galaxy Book2 360 to your existing Galaxy ecosystem.

Gaming Laptop Deals

Asus ROG Zephyrus Ryzen 9 RX 6700S 120Hz

There’s a lot of AMD power in this Asus ROG Zephyrus, including a Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU and Radeon RX 6700S GPU which will handle all of your AAA gaming needs. The 14-inch display features a 2,560-by-1,600 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, all but eliminating screen tear and lag. The 1TB SSD will hold dozens of titles and boot up quickly so you’re never out of the game for long.

Alienware m15 R7 Ryzen 7 RTX 3060 165Hz

This Alienware m15 R7 has an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor, RTX 3060 graphics card, a 512GB SSD, and 16GB RAM. The 15.6-inch display has a 1,920-by-1,080 FHD resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate to keep the action on screen tear free and the striking RGB lighting can be tailored to your liking in the Alienware Command Center to really make this configuration your own. As an added bonus, you’ll receive one free month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for PC which includes EA Play.

Dell G16 Intel i9 RTX 3070 Ti 165Hz

The Dell G16 gaming laptop has a 2,560-by-1,600 display with a 165Hz refresh rate, for high-fidelity gaming free of screen tearing and lag. Its powerful RTX 3070 Ti graphics card will run modern-day titles in ultra settings at steady FPS and the 32GB RAM will ensure you have enough bandwidth for multitasking programs and resource-intensive tasks such as photo and video editing. Measuring in at 1.06 by 14.06 by 10.71 inches, this configuration will easily fit into your laptop bag or backpack be your on-the-go gaming battlestation.

HP Omen Intel i9 RTX 4080 165Hz

If you’re looking to play the latest and greatest or to keep up in a competitive gaming setting, look no further than the HP Omen. This configuration includes a speedy 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processor and a powerful RTX 4080 graphics card, plus a generous 17.3-inch 1440p display with a 165Hz refresh rate. If the 512GB SSD doesn’t seem like it offers enough storage space, you can always opt for the 1TB option.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE 120Hz Cloud Gaming Laptop

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE offers cloud gaming on a 16-inch screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s optimized for Nvidia GeForce Now, a subscription-based service, but can also be connected to your bulkier gaming desktop via a Wi-Fi connection to access and play your existing gaming library. The backlit keyboard has customizable RGB lighting, something that sets this configuration aside from your standard Chromebook, and even if you’re not gaming the 16-inch display is large enough for work or video playback.

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