The best laptop deals for December: Shop Apple, Asus, Microsoft, and more
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UPDATE: Dec. 17, 2024, 4:00 a.m. EST This story has been updated with new laptop deals, plus current pricing and availability.
Buying a new laptop is one of the biggest splurges a person will make every several years, so keeping watch for good deals is imperative. Whether you're looking for an everyday workhorse, a cheap Chromebook for homework, a 2-in-1 Windows PC for drawing, or a powerful premium gaming laptop, a decent discount can make it easier to take the leap on an upgrade.
As a Senior Shopping Reporter here at Mashable, I've been scouting and vetting the best laptop deals across major tech retailers for nearly two years. Read on for my top picks as of Dec. 17, including a sub-$500 OLED laptop, a budget-friendly MacBook, and a record-low price on the best laptop our team tried in 2024.
If you don't see any models that check all the boxes on your spec wish list, bookmark this page and come back soon: I add new picks every other week.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $219.99 (List Price $249.00)
Apple iPad 11" 128GB Wi-Fi Retina Tablet (Blue, 2025 Release) — $274.00 (List Price $349.00)
Amazon Fire HD 10 32GB Tablet (2023 Release, Black) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99)
Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones — $248.00 (List Price $399.99)
Blink Outdoor 4 1080p Security Camera (5-Pack) — $159.99 (List Price $399.99)
Fire TV Stick 4K Streaming Device With Remote (2023 Model) — $24.99 (List Price $49.99)
Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum With XL Self-Empty Base — $249.99 (List Price $599.00)
Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) — $339.00 (List Price $399.00)
WD 6TB My Passport USB 3.0 Portable External Hard Drive — $138.65 (List Price $179.99)
Dell 14 Premium Intel Ultra 7 512GB SSD 16GB RAM 2K Laptop — $999.99 (List Price $1549.99)
Note: Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart occasionally list incorrect MSRPs for laptops, making deals appear better or worse than they really are. If an MSRP you see below differs from the one shown on the laptop's product page, it's because I cross-checked it with the machine's manufacturer and corrected it.
Best laptop deal under $500
$799.99 Save $300
Why we like it
Svelte at 2.8 pounds and 0.6 inches thin, this 14-inch Asus Zenbook features a pretty and bright touchscreen OLED display — a rare sighting at this price point. Its backlit keyboard is also a nice touch. The configuration with a mid-range Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU, 8GB of memory, and a healthy 512GB of storage is currently just $499.99 at Best Buy, or 37% off.
An upgraded model with a better Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor and twice as much RAM and storage is also on sale at Best Buy. It'll run you $699.99 (normally $1,049.99), which works out to 33% off.
More laptop deals under $500
Windows laptops
Acer Aspire Go 14 (AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $299.99
$349.99(save $50)Acer Swift 1 (Intel Celeron N4020, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $299.99
$369.99(save $70)Dell Inspiron 15 3535 (AMD Ryzen 5 7520U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $329.99
$449.99(save $120)HP Laptop 17t-cn300 (Intel Core i5-1334U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $369.99
$849.99(save $480)Asus Vivobook 16X (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $449.99
$699.99(save $250)HP Laptop 15t-fd000 (Intel Core i7-1355U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $449.99
$914.99(save $465)HP Pavilion 16t-af000 (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $449.99
$1,019.99(save $570)Acer Aspire 15 (AMD Ryzen 5 7535U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $499.99
$549.99(save $50)
2-in-1 laptops
HP Pavilion x360 14t-ek200 (Intel Core 3 100U, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $429.99
$699.99(save $270)Dell Inspiron 14 7445 2-in-1 (AMD Ryzen 5 8640HS, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $429.99
$729.99(save $300)Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i (Intel Core i5-1235U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $499.99
$679.99(save $180)
Chromebooks
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 (Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) — $239.99
$399.99(save $160)HP Chromebook Plus 15at-nb000 (Intel Core i3-N305, 8GB RAM, 128GB UFS) — $379.99
$599.99(save $220)Asus Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip (AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD) — $449.99
$629.99(save $180)
Best laptop deal under $1,000
Why we like it
Read Mashable's full review of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M2).
The previous-generation MacBook Air is a Mashable Choice Award winner and our current favorite budget MacBook: It has an awesome keyboard, it lasts all day, and its M2 chip has "enough horsepower to handle everyday tasks with ease," to quote our review. As an added bonus, Apple also recently bumped its base configuration to 16GB of memory (without a price hike). It's on sale for $799 at Amazon and Best Buy, or 20% off; it was $50 cheaper on Black Friday, but that's still a solid deal.
More laptop deals under $1,000
MacBooks
Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $899.99
$1,099(save $199.01 with on-page coupon)
Windows laptops
Samsung Galaxy Book4 (Intel Core 7 155U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $529.99
$899.99(save $370)HP Pavilion Plus 14-ey0047nr (AMD Ryzen 5 7540U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $619.99
$999.99(save $380)Lenovo Slim 7i (Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $714.99
$1,129.99(save $415)Dell Inspiron 16 5640 (Intel Core 7 150U, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $799.99
$1,049.99(save $250)HP Envy 17t-da000 (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799.99
$1,299.99(save $500)Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge, 14-inch (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB eUFS) — $799.99
$1,349.99(save $550)Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 (AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $849.99
$1,219.99(save $370)HP OmniBook X 14-fe0097nr (Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $879.99
$1,199.99(save $320)Asus Vivobook S15 (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $899.99
$1,099.99(save $200)Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640 (Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $899.99
$1,099.99(save $200)Acer Swift X 14 (Intel Core i5-13500H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $899.99
$1,099.99(save $200)Acer Swift X 16 (AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $999.99
$1,249.99(save $250)Acer Swift Edge 16 (AMD Ryzen 7 8840U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $999.99
$1,299.99(save $300)
2-in-1 laptops
Lenovo Yoga 7i, 16-inch (Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $749.99
$1,049.99(save $360)HP Envy x360 16t-ac000 (Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $699.99
$1,109.99(save $410)Microsoft Surface Pro (Snapdragon X Plus, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) + Keyboard Bundle — $999.99
$1,349.99(save $350)Lenovo Yoga Pro 7 (AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $999.99
$1,354.99(save $355)
Gaming laptops
MSI Thin 15 (Intel Core i5-13420H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $649.99
$899.99(save $250)Acer Nitro V 15 (Intel Core i7-13620H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799.99
$999.99(save $200)Dell G15 5535 (AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799.99
$1,049.99(save $250)HP Victus 16t-r100 (Intel Core i5-14450HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $899.99
$1,299.99(save $400)Acer Nitro 16 (AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $999.99
$1,399.99(save $400)
Best laptop deal over $1,000
$1,999.99 Save $500.99
Why we like it
Read Mashable's full review of the 13-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7.
Combining a 23-hour battery life with M3 MacBook-beating performance, a sophisticated design, and some entertaining AI features, we think Microsoft's Copilot+ PC is the best laptop that launched this year. (It's another Mashable Choice Award winner, obviously). The higher-end model we tested came with a Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage, and Amazon and the Microsoft Store still have it on sale at its record-low Black Friday price of $1,499 — a 25% discount. Other variants with lesser specs start at $899.99 (or $300 off).
Best Buy was matching that price at the time of writing, but only for paid My Best Buy members.
More laptop deals over $1,000
MacBooks
Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M3, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $1,099
$1,299(save $200)Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,449
$1,599(save $150)
Windows laptops
LG gram 17 (Intel Core Ultra 155H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,099.99
$1,799.99(save $700)LG gram Style 16 (Intel Core i7-1360P, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,099.99
$1,999.99(save $900)Dell XPS 13 9340 (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,399
$1,999(save $600)
2-in-1 laptops
HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14t-fh000 (Intel Core Ultra 7 256V, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,249.99
$1,599.99(save $350)HP Spectre x360 16-aa0047nr (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,399.99
$1,849.99(save $450)
Gaming laptops
Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 (Intel Core i9-14900HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,049.99
$1,449.99(save $400)Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 9 (AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099.99
$1,519.99(save $420)Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 9 (Intel Core i9-14900HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,149.99
$1,499.99(save $350)HP Omen Transcend 16t-u100 (Intel Core i7-14700HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,179.99
$1,599.99(save $420)Asus TUF Gaming F17 (Intel Core i7-13700H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,199.99
$1,499.99(save $300)Dell G16 7630 (Intel Core i9-13900HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,299.99
$1,749.99(save $450)Alienware m16 R2 (Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,499.99
$1,899.99(save $400)
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several times throughout the year when we see extra-low prices on laptops:
Around Amazon Prime Day and its fall counterpart (which typically happen in July and October, respectively)
During back-to-school sales in July and August (which come to a head over Labor Day weekend)
When retailers' Black Friday and holiday deals are in full swing from late October to December
Whenever manufacturers unveil next-generation models
The same timing applies to Macs and MacBooks, said Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, who tracks Apple deals year-round: She recommends timing your purchase with Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday to nab the best deal. Shoppers should also keep an eye out for discounts during back-to-school season and right after new models are announced, Allard said.
Best Buy tends to be the best major retailer for laptop deals, followed by Amazon and Walmart. That said, all three sell a lot of discontinued models and often inflate original list prices, making their deals look better than they actually are. (Amazon and Walmart are also rife with sketchy listings from third-party sellers outside of major shopping holidays like Black Friday.) As such, we always cross-check model numbers and prices with manufacturers' direct websites, and we look for deals there, too.
We're partial to Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft, MSI, Razer, and Samsung. They're reputable brands that typically tick most of the right boxes when it comes to innovative features, durable build quality, performance, power efficiency, and overall value.
Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.
