Amazon’s latest Prime Day sale includes a handful of deals on notebooks we like, from MacBooks to Chromebooks to gaming laptops. We still recommend buying directly from your manufacturer of choice if you want to spec out your new machine, but if you’re OK with buying a pre-configured model, here are the best Prime Day laptop deals we can find. Note that you’ll need to be an Amazon Prime member to see some of the discounts.
Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)
The 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air M2 is down to $1,399 for a configuration with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. That’s a modest $50 drop from its usual price on Amazon, but the notebook only just arrived last month, and it’s $100 less than buying from Apple directly. The M2 Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave it a review score of 96 in June. It checks just about all the requisite boxes for a mainstream notebook, with a thin and light design, bright and accurate display, comfortable keyboard, long-lasting battery, and more than enough performance for everyday use. This 15-inch model has all the same benefits of the prior 13-inch model, but adds a more powerful speaker system and slightly upgraded GPU alongside the bigger screen.
Apple MacBook Air M1
The M1 MacBook Air released back in 2020, but it remains a worthy option if you want a Mac for light work and web browsing for as little cash as possible. The entry-level configuration is now on sale for $750, which is a new low. Apple sells this device for $999, though we’ve seen it go for $799 for most of the past few months. This model’s keyboard, trackpad, display and battery life continue to impress, and the quiet M1 chip is still fast enough for the essentials. This configuration is strictly for casual use, though, as it only has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You’ll have to live with a more basic 720p webcam, too, and you’ll miss out on the improved speakers and slimmer bezels of the M2 model. We gave the M1 Air a review score of 94 at launch.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is down to $469 for a version with a Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD. That’s a new low and about $150 less than usual. If you’re willing to trade some power for a more premium look and feel, the Surface Laptop Go 2’s lightweight frame is nicer than most laptops we see in this price range. Its battery life is strong, too. The specs here are only suitable for lighter use, and the 12.4-inch, 1,536 x 1,024 resolution display is short of full HD. There’s no keyboard backlight, either. But those shortcomings should be easier to accept at this price. We gave the Surface Laptop Go 2 a score of 86 last year and highlight it in our guide to the best cheap Windows laptops.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
The 15-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is down to $1,680 for a high-end model with a Core i7-1255U, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. That’s about $370 below its typical street price. We can’t say this is the best Windows laptop you can buy, as the port selection is lacking, the 720p webcam is mediocre and there are more performant notebooks in this price range. Still, the slim and tasteful design, crisp 3:2 display, and respectable battery keep this a fine general-purpose option for those who like the Surface design language. We reviewed the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 5 late last year, giving it a score of 83.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9
The Surface Pro 9 is the top Windows pick in our tablet buying guide, and a configuration that includes a Core i7-1255U processor, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD is now on sale for $1,600. Clearly, that’s not cheap, but it’s $300 off this model’s recent street price and represents the lowest price we’ve tracked for this variant. You probably know where you stand on the Surface Pro at this point: It’s still not particularly comfortable to use on your lap, but it remains the gold standard for 2-in-1s that behave and perform like a laptop more than a traditional tablet. While this version isn’t a huge shake-up, it should be a nice bump for those upgrading from a three- to five-year-old model. Just note that this deal doesn’t include a keyboard or stylus.
Acer Nitro 5
The Acer Nitro 5 is the runner up pick in our guide to the best budget gaming laptops, and right now a configuration with a Core i5-12500H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 144Hz 1080p display, 16GB of RAM and 512GB is available for $780. That’s a new low and roughly $120 off this model’s typical street price. This is a chunky plastic machine, and you’ll need to ratchet down the settings in certain games to hit a decent frame rate. But getting a 144Hz display and enough power to keep up with modern games is a plus at this price. As an affordable yet competent entry point to PC gaming, it’s a fine value.
Razer Blade 15
A configuration of the Razer Blade 15 with a Core i7-12800H processor, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU, 240Hz QHD display, 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD is down to $1,923 for Prime Day. That’s about $375 off its usual street price in recent months. We gave the Blade 15 a review score of 86 last year, and we currently recommend it as a premium pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops. This config is a 2022 model – the latest version is largely a spec bump – but it’ll still be powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings and frame rates, particularly with DLSS. The main reason to pay the premium for any Blade laptop, though, is because it packs that power in a slim and premium-feeling aluminum design. Just note that it can run hot, and that its battery life is fairly short.
If you want a larger 17-inch display, a version of the Blade 17 with similar specs is available for $2,000. The smaller Blade 14, meanwhile, is more modestly discounted at $2,300 for a 2022 config with a Ryzen 9 6900HX, RTX 3080 Ti and 165Hz display.
Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-laptop-deals-121228884.html?src=rss