Best back to school laptop deals: Apple, HP, Acer, and more


With the back-to-school season starting and a lot of great laptop deals floating about, now is the perfect time to snag a new laptop. Luckily, there is a huge selection out there, from gaming laptops to business laptops, that you can pick from across a huge range of budgets. That’s why we’ve gone out and collected some of our favorite deals below from pretty much all the best laptop brands on the market, from expensive options like Apple deals to cheaper options like Acer and HP. That said, if you don’t quite find what you’re looking for here, be sure to check out our roundup of the best gaming laptop deals and student laptop deals.

Acer Chromebook 315 — $149, was $199

Acer 315 Chromebook on a white background.
Acer

Chromebooks are a great option if you don’t want to spend a ton of money and just need something that’s relatively simple and not powerful. This Acer Chromebook 315 is a great example of that since it comes with an Intel Celeron N4020, which is relatively underpowered, but it’s still enough to handle ChromeOS, and the same goes for the 4GB of RAM. The only big downside is the 64Gb of internal storage, which means you may want to supplement it with one of these external hard drive deals. Besides that, you get a larger 15.6-inch screen running a  1366 x 768 resolution, which is not too bad, while the batter should last you around 10-12 hours or so depending on your usage and brightness levels.

Lenovo Ideapad 1i 15 — $330, was $500

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1i against a white background.
Lenovo

Of course, one of the downsides of using a Chromebook is that you don’t get access to Windows, so if you really need that for your applications, then the Lenovo Ideapad 1i is a good alternative that’s also pretty budget-friendly. It comes with an entry-level Intel Core i3-1215U under the hood, which should be powerful enough for most basic tasks, while the 256GB of storage is solid, especially if you mostly rely on cloud storage. That said, you only get 8GB of RAM, which is the bare minimum, and you may run into issues with having too many apps and tabs open. Luckily, you get a pretty large 15.6-inch screen that runs FHD, so it’s good for streaming and other entertainment when you’re home.

HP Envy 2-in-1 — $700, was $1,100

The HP ENVY x360 14-Inch 2-in-1 with a menu open.
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If you like the idea of a tablet, then snagging yourself a 2-in-1 laptop is a good idea, and the HP Envy 2-in-1 is a budget-friendly option that you can grab that won’t break the bank. The Intel Core Ultra 7 under the hood is pretty powerful, so it can handle both productivity and creativity tasks, while the 16GB of DDR5 RAM should give you a smooth experience. As for storage, you get a generous 1TB SSD to work with, while the massive 16-inch touchscreen will give you a superb tablet experience.

Apple M2 MacBook Air 13 — $799, was $999

The rear of Apple's 15-inch MacBook Air.
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends / Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

The MacBook Air is one of the thinnest and lightest laptops on the market while still being relatively powerful. A lot of that is due to the M2 chip that sits under the hood, which is not only powerful but runs relatively cool, enough so that the MacBook Air doesn’t have any fans, making it whisper quiet. It has a 13.6-inch screen with a 2560 x 1664 on the gorgeous Retina Display and is probably one of the best you’ll find at this price point, while the battery is easily something that will last you between 15-20 hours, depending on your usage. That said, you’re only get 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, both of which are a bit on the lower side, but to be expected for the MacBook.

LG gram 17 — $1,000, was $1,400

LG Gram 17 Pro 2023 rear view showing lid and logo.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends / Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

A lot of folks value having a very thin laptop, but if you’re also the type of person who prefers having a larger screen, then you may want to consider the LG gram 17. You see, even though it has a 17-inch screen, it’s only 0.7 inches thick, which is absolutely tiny for something like that. It also has surprisingly powerful specs under the hood, with an Intel Core i7-1360P CPU and 16GB of DDR5 RAM, both of which will give you an excellent day-to-day experience for both work and home use. Its only big downside is that it’s a bit on the flimsier side, which makes sense given its size and thinness, but that’s not a dealbreaker, especially if you’re generally careful with your things.

ASUS TUF 15 — $1,050, was $1,400

An angled shot of the Asus TUF Gaming A15 Laptop.
Asus

There are a lot of gaming laptops out there, and quite a few are surprisingly expensive, but this TUF lineup from Asus aims to bring down the price quite significantly while still offering a quality product. For example, this Asus TUF 15 comes with an RTX 4070 under the hood, which is a powerful GPU, and should let you handle 1080p gaming with relative ease. That’s great because it has a 15.6-inch screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and an impressive 144Hz refresh rate, which should be relatively easy to hit without too many graphical compromises. It also comes with an Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM, so you’ll also get a pretty smooth experience, although don’t expect a super-long battery life.

ASUS Vivobook Pro 16 — $1,300, was $1,800

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED sitting on a table top.
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

The Asus Vivobook Pro 16 is actually quite impressive since it does a little bit of everything. For example, it’s pretty small and lightweight, and yet still runs a strong RTX 4060 under the hood, as well as an incredibly powerful Intel Core i9-13980HX, so you can game, work, do creative stuff, and pretty much anything else you can think of. On top of that, it has an absolutely gorgeous 16-inch OLED screen that runs a 3200 x 2000 resolution, so it’s very high-quality, and it can even hit a 120Hz refresh rate. As such, this is easily one of the most versatile laptops on the list and well worth the price, even without the discount.

AppleM3 MacBook Pro 14 — $1,699, was $1,999

The closed MacBook Pro on a table.
Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

We don’t want to exclude those who are in the Apple ecosystem and need a more powerful laptop, which is why we’re happy to see this M3 MacBook Pro 14 on sale for such a solid price. In fact, this configuration has the upgraded M3 Pro chip, so it’s the even more powerful version of Apple’s latest chip. As for the screen, it’s 14.2-inch and has a 3024 x 1964 resolution on the same excellent-quality Retina Display you’re familiar with, and the 120Hz refresh rate will give you a smooth day-to-day experience. You’ll also be happy to know that you get a much more respectable 18GB of RAM, although the storage is still on the lower end at 512GB, although that’s fixed with an external hard drive.

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 16 — $1,700, was $1,900

The Lenovo Legion 5i Pro sitting at an angle.
Mark Coppock/Digital Trends / Digital Trends

If you want a solid mid-range gaming laptop that’s very versatile, then the Legion Pro 5i is easy to recommend. A lot of that has to do with the RTX 4070 under the hood, as well as the 16-inch with a 2560 x 1600 and a 165Hz refresh rate. While the RTX 4070 won’t be able to push the graphics, resolution, and refresh to the laptop’s limits, it does give you the option to adjust things based on what you need, such as more refresh with action and competitive games, but better graphics with slower-paced stuff. Luckily, you also get a very powerful Intel Core i9-14900HX, as well as a whopping 32GB of RAM, so you’re going to have smooth sailing whenever using this laptop.

Apple M3 MacBook Pro 16 — $1,999, was $2,499

Apple MacBook Pro 16 front angled view showing display and keyboard.
Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

If you want one of the best laptops that Apple has to offer, then this configuration of the M3 Pro MacBook Pro 16 is the way to go, and it even has a substantial discount on it. It’s a great option for those who want to do graphics design and need a larger screen to do it, and luckily, you still get a solid 18GB of RAM. Storage is on the lower side, which is a shame, but that’s not a dealbreaker, especially since the 16.2-inch screen size with a 3456 x 2234 resolution is pretty excellent all-around for graphical work.








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