Short answer: Yes, if a particular laptop meets your needs and budget, Prime Day is a good time to buy. However, you might not find the exact model and configuration you’re after at a discount. Also, laptops available at the deepest Prime Day discounts can and do sell out quickly.
Should you buy a laptop on Prime Day?
Amazon’s July Prime Day event is officially July 11 and 12, but some deals are already available. If you’re shopping for a laptop, it’ll be a lot like hunting for a bargain on Black Friday. There are many laptops available at reduced prices.
However, just like with Black Friday, you’re likely to find only a handful of truly awesome deals mixed in with a lot of OK ones and some you should skip regardless of how low the price goes. Also, you’re at the mercy of what’s available for sale, too. You might have to compromise on getting your ideal laptop to save some money or spend a little more than you were expecting to ultimately get a better laptop for your money.
Also, many of the best Prime Day laptop deals can be had only while supplies last. If you think the laptop you’re considering is the bargain you’ve been waiting for, don’t sleep on it. Before you rush into a purchase, though, check to see the return policy. For laptops sold by Amazon, it’s usually a full refund or replacement within 30 days if returned in its original condition.
Which laptop should I buy on Prime Day?
In past years, Prime Day laptop sales were a mix of old and new models, and I would expect that to be the same for 2023. PC makers have largely updated last year’s models with new processors from Intel and AMD, specifically laptops running 12th-gen Intel Core-series and AMD Ryzen 6000-series chips.
New laptops that feature 13th-gen Intel Core-series and AMD Ryzen 7000-series processors will be available, too. Going by our benchmark tests, the performance increase from the last-gen laptops is more noticeable with the higher-end processors. For budget-conscious buyers, a slightly older laptop will be the best bargain and likely won’t disappoint for everyday use. I expect to see Prime Day discounts on laptops with Intel’s 11th-gen Core-series and AMD’s Ryzen 5000-series chips, too.
Also, remember that just because something is a great deal, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be cheap. For example, Acer will have its Nitro 17-41-R7G3 gaming laptop on sale for Prime Day with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, a strong midrange Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics chip, a 17.3-inch display with a 165Hz refresh rate, 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB solid-state drive. It’s normally about $1,400, but it’ll likely be much closer to $1,000 for Prime Day: not cheap but a deal for what you get.
On the other hand, Acer is also expected to have its Aspire 5 on sale, featuring a 15.6-inch full-HD IPS display, an 11th-gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, 16GB RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD. It’s regularly $640, which is already a great price, so if it’s reduced by more than $100, it’ll be an absolute steal.
Regardless of price, I recommend buying only laptops that are listed as sold by Amazon and that ship from Amazon. There are plenty of reputable third-party sellers on Amazon, but if you’re unfamiliar with the seller, it’s safer to buy directly from Amazon. It also typically means you’re getting the best price for Prime Day.
