I write about all things laptops here at Mashable, and after spending hours digging through every major retailer's sales this year, the absolute best discounts are lingering right into Wednesday. While the frenzy of Cyber Monday is over, the good news is that retailers are still sitting on a few record-low prices that are just too good to put back on the shelf.
I've cut through the thousands of lingering deals on OLEDs, gaming rigs, and dual-screen notebooks to bring you the final three laptop recommendations I'd happily add to my own cart right now. These models (my top picks for everyday users and the most valuable niche options) have all been tested and vetted by the Mashable team.
Best MacBook deal
$999 Save $251
Why we like it
Apple's latest MacBook Air is lightweight, quiet, and faster than 83% of the laptops in our entire testing database — it's a really impressive ultraportable. The 15-inch model is my top pick for most people, but the 13-inch model is great for college students and other users who want something a little cheaper and more portable. Both sizes were regularly on sale on Amazon for $200 off earlier this fall, and I really didn't think they'd get any cheaper at this point in their life cycles (considering they're still well under a year old). Shockingly, they're still on sale at various retailers. Right now, the Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) can be found at P.C. Richard & Son for just $748. (It's "temporarily out of stock" at Amazon.)
Best gaming laptop deal
$1,999.99 Save $350
Why we like it
The Alienware 16X Aurora is my favorite gaming laptop for most people. It's an excellent mid-ranger featuring a 2.5K 240Hz matte display, a satisfying keyboard with one-zone RGB backlighting, and an attractive, port-packed design. The variant I tested has a high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, an RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB of memory, and 1TB of storage, and you can still get it for $1,649.99 from Dell (normally $1,999.99). Lesser configurations start at just $1,299.
Best budget laptop deal
$479 Save $200
Why we like it
This 16-incher is my favorite Chromebook under $500. Compared to other models in its price range, it offers peppier performance, a nicer 1200p display, and a longer battery life. (It lasted just over 14 hours in our testing; most of the other budget Chromebooks we've tried tap out well before the 13-hour mark.) It's also pretty sleek for a laptop of its size: Other 16-inch Windows laptops we've reviewed are a quarter of a pound heavier. Best Buy still has it on sale for just $279 or 42% off, which is the biggest discount I've personally ever seen it get.