Huzzah! Black Friday is here. If you’re looking to scoop up a powerful laptop for work or play, now is the time to take the plunge. And if you’re not sure where to begin your shopping journey, don’t sweat it, we curated a list for you. As of this writing, we’re seeing lots of juicy discounts at Best Buy and Lenovo.
Whether you’re on the hunt for a lightweight convertible for marking up documents or an everyday machine for surfing the web, we’ve got something for every type of person. We’ve also got a robust gaming laptop deals section. If you’re looking for more tech deals in different categories, check out PCWorld’s complete Black Friday deals coverage.
Best Black Friday mainstream laptop deals
Sometimes all you need is a barebones machine for web surfing and checking e-mail. Personally, for writing and editing I use a low-powered Chromebook (like the Chromebook deals here!) and I couldn’t be happier. I dig the simplicity of it. But if you’re looking for a straightforward Windows laptop for productivity of personal use, check out these deals.
The HP Pavilion Aero is plenty fast for general-use tasks, and the silver exterior is both swanky and eye-catching. It also weighs a little over two pounds, making it travel-friendly.
Best Black Friday content-creation laptop deals
If power is a top priority, you should consider getting a content-creation laptop. These machines are typically paired with roomy, high-resolution displays and powerful internal components. In other words, they’re designed to chew through most resource-intensive tasks like video and photo editing.
- Dell XPS 17, Intel Core i7/RTX 3050 GPU/16GB RAM/17.3-inch 2400p display, $2,099 (13% off at Amazon)
The Dell XPS 17 is a fantastic pick for creative professionals, as the 17.3-inch display is spacious and ultra-sharp.
Best Black Friday 2-in-1 laptop deals
2-in-1 laptops are a great option for those who travel often. You can prop these machines up like a painter’s easel for watching movies or rotate the screen all the way around and use it like a tablet (perfect for note taking). The picks below are powerful, versatile, and lightweight.
- HP Envy x360, Intel Core i7/Intel Iris Xe graphics/16GB RAM/15.6-inch 1080p touchscreen, $799.99 (32% at Best Buy)
- Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, Intel Core i7/Intel Iris Xe graphics/16GB RAM/15.6-inch 1080p AMOLED touchscreen, $1,149.99 (34% off at Best Buy)
- Lenovo Yoga 9i, Intel Core i7/Intel Iris Xe graphics/16GB RAM/14-inch 1800p OLED touchscreen, $1,309.99 (27% off at Lenovo)
In our review of the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360, we loved the long battery life and superb AMOLED screen. This is a killer deal, especially for a convertible laptop with an AMOLED screen. You better scoop it up now before it’s gone.
Looking for more 2-in-1 options? Check out our roundup of the best 2-in-1 laptops.
Best Black Friday gaming laptop deals
Listen up, gamers. There’s no better time to score a screaming fast rig for those late night gaming sessions. The laptops below are both powerful and reasonably priced, and should be able to run most games on high graphics. The ones with higher-end GPUs can even handle more demanding titles on ultra graphics.
- HP Omen, AMD Ryzen 5/RTX 3050/16GB RAM/16.1-inch 1080p display, $929.99 (29% off at HP)
- Gigabyte Aorus, Intel Core i7/RTX 3070 GPU/16GB RAM/15.6-inch 1080p display, $1,099.99 (33% off at eBay)
- Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, AMD Ryzen 7/RTX 3060/16GB RAM/16-inch 1600p display, $1,099 (30% off at Walmart)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, AMD Ryzen 5/RTX 3050/8GB RAM/15.6-inch 1080p display, $549.99 (39% off at Amazon)
- Acer Predator Helios, Intel Core i7/RTX 3050/16GB RAM/15.6-inch 1080p display, $1,164 (10% off at Amazon)
- Acer Nitro 5, AMD Ryzen 5/RTX 3060/8GB RAM/15.6-inch 1080p display, $649 (23% off at Walmart)
The Gigabyte Aorus is a real standout, as the combination of an RTX 3070 GPU and an Intel Core i7 CPU is fantastic for the price.
If you want to see which gaming laptops PCWorld rate the highest, see our top picks of 2022.
FAQ
Are Black Friday laptop deals lower quality?
No, there’s nothing about the laptops themselves that should suggest you’re buying a poorer quality machine. In fact, we’ve seen some really high-end laptops go on sale this year. That said, when it comes to more “commodity” tech gear—lets say wireless earbuds—you may find so-called “deals” on low-quality no-name brands rather than the earbud models you’d really be interested in. But when it comes to laptops, we’re only recommending models from the big names, like HP, Lenovo, Dell, etc.
Are Black Friday laptop deals really worth it?
Yes, Black Friday sales do include some great laptops at legitimate discounts. Of course, some retailers will tag a laptop as a “deal,” when in fact the selling price is no different than what the machine sold for most of the the year. But at PCWorld, we do our best to look at pricing histories, and highlight the deals that have reached or dropped below all-time-low pricing.
Which retailers have the best Black Friday laptop deals?
You should definitely scope out Lenovo, HP, Dell, and other laptop manufacturers’ websites. Online retailers like Amazon, Newegg, and Best Buy will also have solid deals, no doubt, but probably not as wide a variety as you’ll find from the manufacturers themselves.
Which laptops does PCWorld recommend, the deals notwithstanding?
Hey, the site is called PCWorld, so we test and review an insane amount of laptops. To see our top picks, you can check out our master list of the best laptops of 2022. We also have more granular selections for the best laptops under $1,000, the best laptops under $500, and the best laptops for students. Come Black Friday, there’s a good chance that many of our picks will be discounted, so if you’re looking for something specific, check out the best pick articles.
When is Black Friday?
Black Friday 2022 is on Friday, November 25, the day after Thanksgiving. If you’re an eager deals hunter, you’ll definitely want to mark this date on your calendar. While you’ll see some good deals throughout the day and over the weekend, we recommend logging on as early as possible, as availability changes at a breakneck pace during this time.
When is Cyber Monday?
Cyber Monday 2022 is on Monday, November 28. To take advantage of the best deals, we suggest logging on at midnight. This gives you the best chance to snag a deal on something you want before stock runs out.
