In the market for a new computer? If so you don’t need to wait until back-to-school season or Black Friday, traditionally two of the best times of the year to find PCs on sale, to get a great deal. Savvy technology shoppers know to look for similar bargains in April, when new laptop models typically are released. To make room on store shelves, retailers in early spring start marking down the previous year’s models, says TechBargains.com deal specialist Jeff Lee. And unlike Black Friday sales that tend to offer deals on lower-end models, spring sales feature higher-end laptops, says FatWallet.com shopping expert Brent Shelton.
We asked deal experts to sort through the numerous sales happening now to identify some of the best laptop bargains. Here are their picks for the best values under $1,000 (available as of April 8). To score some of these deals, you need to act quickly.
Laptops under $500
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Intel Core i3-5005U ($379.99, Dell Home). Marked down from $500, this laptop is “flat out cheap” for a current generation Intel Core i3 processor, Lee says. It has 4 gigabytes of memory and comes with Windows 8.1. It’s ideal if you’re looking for a laptop for basic word processing and Web surfing, Lee says.
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Lenovo G50-80 15.6" Intel Core i5 ($399, MicrosoftStore.com). The price has dropped $200 on this notebook computer with 6GB of memory because it has a previous generation Intel processor (choose “PC only” to get the $399 price). And you can get an additional 5% off by texting MSTORE to 29502 on your phone, bringing the price down to $379. Ben’s Bargains Managing Editor Kristin Cook says this Lenovo is perfect for anyone who wants a laptop of this screen size to watch shows and videos on the Web.
Acer Notebook E5-571-7776 (NX.MLTAA.018) 15.6" Intel Core i7 ($449.99 with coupon code, eBay). This laptop sold by electronics retailer Newegg.com on eBay has been marked down to $499.99 from $699.99, but you can get another $50 off with coupon code CLC10OFF (plus 1% cash back if you buy it through FatWallet.com). The price has dropped on this model because it has a fourth generation Intel Core i7 processor – not the latest fifth generation, Shelton says. However, with 8GB of memory it’s still powerful enough to tackle nearly all applications for years to come, he says.
Laptops between $500 and $1,000
Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Touch Intel Core i5 ($549.99 with coupon code, Dell Home). Lee says that this is an incredible price for a quality machine with 6GB of memory. This premium laptop with aluminum construction has a backlit keyboard and a touchscreen display with durable Corning Gorilla Glass to survive scratches. The Inspiron 15 7000 with a fourth generation i5 processor is marked down to $599 from $925, and you can get an extra $50 off with coupon code 4S79F2CJG$974M (expires May 1).
Lenovo IdeaPad U430 14" Touch Ultrabook Intel Core i5 ($549 with coupon code, Lenovo). With coupon code SPCLU430T4298, you can save $500 on this laptop, which has a list price of $1,049.99 (plus, you can get 6% cash back through FatWallet.com). Shelton says this super-portable touchscreen laptop with 8GB of memory offers great value for the price. Although its i5 processor is not as fast as an i7, he says it uses far less power.
Acer Aspire R 13 Intel Core i5 ($699, MicrosoftStore.com). This high-definition, 13.3-inch touchscreen laptop with 8GB of memory and surround sound is geared toward heavy media users and is ultra-portable, Cook says. At $699 (select “PC only”), it’s a savings of $200.
Lenovo Yoga 3 Intel Core M 5Y10c Ultrabook ($699 with coupon code, Lenovo). If you want a tablet but need the power and space of a laptop, the Yoga 3 is a well-reviewed model that offers the best of both worlds, Lee says. Clocking in at only 2.6 pounds and 0.6-inch thick, this Lenovo with an 11.6-inch screen has 4GB of memory. With coupon code SPCLYGA311UUS (expires April 10), the price drops $350.99 from $,1049.99.
Lenovo Y50 15.6" Intel Core i7-4720HQ ($849 with coupon code, Lenovo). This high-end laptop features a dedicated video card for desktop-like performance out of a mobile computer, Shelton says. Typically machines such as this cost more than $1,000, but fierce competition in high-end laptops combined with the release of new processor generations has led to a price drop, he says. With coupon code USPY5560403, the price falls by $500.99 from $1,349.99 (plus, you can get 6% cash back if you buy through FatWallet.com).
Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" MD101LL/A Intel Core i5 ($849.99, eBay). The price has dropped from $1,199 on this MacBook (sale ends April 13). Cook says this model, with 4GB of memory, is made for Apple users who need a high-powered machine for video and music editing.
Lenovo Y70 Intel Core i7 17.3" Touchscreen ($999.99, Amazon). With the biggest screen size of the 10 laptops we recommend, Cook says that this Lenovo is ideal for anyone who plays a lot of games or needs lots for memory for multi-tasking. The price has been cut by $300 on this model with 8GB of memory.
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