8 of the best back-to-school laptop deals for students — my top picks from Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and more | Tech Radar
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8 of the best back-to-school laptop deals for students — my top picks from Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and more
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If you're starting to plan for the upcoming school year and are finding your current laptop a little lacking, the good news is retailers have already launched some solid deals across a vast range of devices from the likes of Dell, Apple, Lenovo, HP, and more. So, I've taken a look and picked out what I think are eight of the best laptop deals if you're shopping for a new device for the year ahead.
I've taken a variety of budgets and needs into consideration: whether you want a cheap Chromebook for basic schoolwork and light use, or a powerful machine for more demanding needs.
One of the standouts has to be this Dell XPS 13 that drops to $599.99 with a student discount. That's a fantastic price for a brand-new version of one of our favorite laptops here at Tech Radar, which boasts excellent all-around performance and a stylish design.
Apple fans will also want to check out the manufacturer's Education Store, which has just launched its college offer for the year. As well as special pricing on several devices, including the much-loved and impressive value Mac Book Neo, you can also get gift cards of up to $150 on select Macs and i Pads.
As someone who finds the best laptop deals regularly for Tech Radar, you can browse all of my top picks below, and stick with Tech Radar over the next few weeks for even more of our back-to-school coverage, featuring top tech recommendations and the best offers on must-have products.
Display - 15.6 inches Processor - Intel Core i 3 RAM - 8GB Storage - 128GB
If you want a cheap Windows laptop, then I think this Lenovo Idea Pad Slim 3i is a good value-for-money option for basic needs. I like it as a simple and effective device for school or college, with enough power for browsing, word processing, and other general admin tasks.
Display - 17.3 inches Processor - AMD Ryzen 3 RAM - 8GB Storage - 512GB
If storage is important to you, then I think this HP Omni Book 3 could be worth the price, as it features a 512GB SSD — something I don't regularly see at this price. Of course, that means some compromises have been made elsewhere, with a slightly weaker Ryzen 3 CPU and only 8GB of RAM. Still, that's perfectly fine for light use. Just be aware that the larger 17-inch form factor makes it a less portable option, too.
Display - 14 inches Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5 RAM - 8GB Storage - 256GB
If you want a flexible device that's just as easy to use for work and admin jobs as well as casual web browsing and streaming media, then this Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 14 is an excellent buy. It mainly features entry-to-mid-level components, but there's enough power to keep up with light daily use. Plus, you get the added benefit of a versatile 14-inch touchscreen, effectively giving you a laptop and tablet in one.
Display: 13 inches Processor: A18 Pro RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB
The Mac Book Neo just got a price bump, but students can get it cheaper again thanks to Apple's education discount. The latest Mac Book packs a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and up to 16 hours of battery life, all for under $600, which is fantastic value. Discounts have been better in the past, but I think these will be rarer to see over the coming months and this price likely won't be beaten over Black Friday.
Display - 14 inches Processor - Snapdragon X RAM - 16GB Storage - 512GB
This is a solid discount on a modern laptop powered by one of the efficient Snapdragon X CPUs. As well as excellent levels of all-around performance, this device boasts a huge all-day battery life, so you won't need to worry about being attached to a charger at all times. There's even 512GB of SSD storage, which you don't often see in combination with those other strong performance components at this price point. This is an all-around excellent laptop for everyday, college and business use.
Display - 13.4 inches Processor - Intel Core 5 RAM - 8GB Storage - 512GB
The Dell XPS 13 has regularly been one of our favorite laptops here at Tech Radar, and this brand-new version continues that trend. With an Intel Core 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it has everything you need for solid all-around performance at work or college. Students can also save an extra
Display - 14 inches Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5 RAM - 16GB Storage - 512GB
Here's one of the best deals on a modern, all-purpose, and well-rated laptop in Dell's latest sale. You can now get $550 off this machine, which features a powerful Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, a healthy 16GB of RAM, and a decent 512GB SSD. With all of those components, you'll have no issues with all of your everyday computing and work needs. And at 14 inches, it's an easily portable device, too. Altogether, it's an excellent value all-around option and a laptop we scored 4.5/5 in our review.
Display - 16 inches Processor - Intel Core Ultra 7 RAM - 16GB Storage - 512GB
One of Samsung's latest premium laptops just got its biggest discount yet at Best Buy. While similarly powered devices can be picked up for less, you do get a gorgeous 16-inch LED screen with smooth and responsive 120 Hz support with this Galaxy Book 6. It's powerful elsewhere, too, with an excellent battery life of up to 24 hours, making it a great pick for college, work, and productivity needs.
James Pickard is a Deals Editor at Tech Radar. After many years of scouring the net for the cheapest games and tech for his personal use, he decided to make it his job to share all the best bargains and coupon codes with you. James also has almost a decade of experience covering some of the biggest sales events of the year at Eurogamer and VG247, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Amazon Prime Day. When not deals hunting or stacking coupon codes to get the biggest savings, James can be found on the PS5, watching a classic film noir or cheering on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
