The best laptop deals for October: Shop Dell, MSI, HP, Asus, and more

Highlights include a $500 gaming laptop and a new record low on Mashable's favorite dual-screener.
By Haley Henschel  on 
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
the hp omnibook x 14 on an office desk
Mashable's beloved HP Omnibook X 14 has a new record-low price at Best Buy. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Table of Contents

UPDATE: Oct. 18, 2024, 5:00 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with new laptop deals, plus current pricing and availability.

The very best laptop deals at a glance:

Best laptop deal under $300
the Dell Inspiron 15 3520


Best laptop deal under $900
the HP OmniBook X 14-fe0013dx

Best laptop deal under $1,200
the Asus Zenbook Duo with a stylus

A new laptop is almost certainly a splurge, but keeping your eyes peeled for deals can make it much easier to take the leap on an upgrade. The good news is that you've got options at a variety of price points via Best Buy, Amazon, and beyond, whether you're looking for an everyday workhorse, a cheap Chromebook for homework, a 2-in-1 Windows PC for drawing, or a powerful premium gaming laptop.

As a Senior Shopping Reporter here at Mashable, I've been scouting and vetting the best laptop deals across major retailers and OEMs for nearly two years. Read on for my top picks as of Oct. 18. (If you don't see any models that check all the boxes on your spec wish list, bookmark this page and come back soon: I add new picks every other week.)

Note: Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart occasionally list incorrect MSRPs for laptops, making deals appear better or worse than they really are. If an MSRP you see below differs from the one shown on the laptop's product page, it's because I cross-checked it with the machine's manufacturer and corrected it.

Best laptop deal under $300

Why we like it

This entry-level Dell laptop features a 12th-generation (2022) Intel Core i3 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch non-touch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It's nothing spectacular and a little outdated, but this is a spec sheet I rarely see at this price point. (Hell, even some nicer laptops don't have 120Hz refresh rates — M3 Apple MacBook Air included!)

It's marked down to $279.99 on Dell's website, which is 26% off and $10 away from last month's all-time low. For comparison's sake, the 256GB model is currently $50 pricier.

More laptop deals under $300

Best laptop deal under $600

Why we like it

Put simply, this is a remarkably cheap gaming laptop with not-terrible specs. (I haven't seen a gaming PC from a recognizable, big-name brand go on sale for under $500 since... maybe last Black Friday?) Its CPU and GPU are two generations removed and it only has 8GB of memory, but those are workable for games that aren't super graphically demanding. Its 144Hz display and 1TB of storage are both unexpectedly nice touches.

At $499.99, Best Buy takes 29% off its usual sticker price of $699.99. A steal, TBH.

More laptop deals under $600

Best laptop deal under $900

Why we like it

Read Mashable's full review of the HP OmniBook X 14.

This Mashable Choice Award-winning Copilot+ PC is one of the best Windows laptops we've tested all year — it's "a serious MacBook competitor" that's faster and longer-lasting than Apple's 15-inch M3 Air, said Mashable Tech Editor Kim Gedeon. (She gave it a score of 4.5/5.) Its satisfyingly snappy keyboard and touchscreen capabilities were also highlights.

Mashable Deals
Want more hand-picked deals from our shopping experts?
Sign up for the Mashable Deals newsletter.
By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!

Gedeon tested a Meteor Silver variant with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite CPU, 16GB of memory, and 1TB of storage, and that exact configuration is currently on sale at Best Buy for $849.99. (That's 29% off its $1,199.99 MSRP and the lowest price I've ever seen it hit.) A model with the exact same internals is $50 more on HP's website at the time of writing.

More laptop deals under $900

Best laptop deal under $1,200

Why we like it

Read Mashable's full review of the Asus Zenbook Duo (2024).

Another Mashable Choice Award winner, the Zenbook Duo is a 14-inch hybrid laptop with two pretty OLED displays and a relatively good battery life despite them. (It comes with a detachable keyboard and a stylus to boot.) This particular configuration has an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, and it rivaled the performance of the M2 MacBook Air in our testing. It got a 4.8/5 from Gedeon, who declared that "single-display laptops are now cancelled" after using it.

B&H Photo just put it on sale for $1,199.99, which is $300 off its MSRP, a new record low, and $75 better than its price during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale earlier this month.

More laptop deals under $1,200

Frequently Asked Questions


There are several times throughout the year when we see extra-low prices on laptops:

  • Around Amazon Prime Day and its fall counterpart (which typically happen in July and October, respectively)

  • During back-to-school sales in July and August (which come to a head over Labor Day weekend)

  • When retailers' Black Friday and holiday deals are in full swing from late October to December

  • Whenever manufacturers unveil next-generation models


The same timing applies to Macs and MacBooks, said Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, who tracks Apple deals year-round: She recommends timing your purchase with Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday to nab the best deal. Shoppers should also keep an eye out for discounts during back-to-school season and right after new models are announced, Allard said.


Best Buy tends to be the best major retailer for laptop deals, followed by Amazon and Walmart. That said, all three sell a lot of discontinued models and often inflate original list prices, making their deals look better than they actually are. (Amazon and Walmart are also rife with sketchy listings from third-party sellers outside of major shopping holidays like Black Friday.) As such, we always cross-check model numbers and prices with manufacturers' direct websites, and we look for deals there, too.


We're partial to Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft, MSI, Razer, and Samsung. They're reputable brands that typically tick most of the right boxes when it comes to innovative features, durable build quality, performance, power efficiency, and overall value.

Mashable Image
Haley Henschel
Senior Shopping Reporter

Haley Henschel is a Chicago-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable who reviews and finds deals on popular tech, from laptops to gaming consoles and VPNs. She has years of experience covering shopping holidays and can tell you what’s actually worth buying on Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. Her work has also explored the driving forces behind digital trends within the shopping sphere, from dupes to 12-foot skeletons.

Haley received a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and honed her sifting and winnowing skills at The Daily Cardinal. She previously covered politics for The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, investigated exotic pet ownership for Wisconsin Watch, and blogged for some of your favorite reality stars.

In her free time, Haley enjoys playing video games, drawing, taking walks on Lake Michigan, and spending time with her parrot (Melon) and dog (Pierogi). She really, really wants to get back into horseback riding. You can follow her on X at @haleyhenschel or reach her via email at [email protected].


Recommended For You

More in Tech
How to watch Australia vs. India 2nd Test online for free
Virat Kohli of India celebrates scoring a century

How to watch New Zealand vs. England 2nd Test online for free
England's Brydon Carse celebrates

How to watch the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix online for free
Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the Oracle Red Bull Racing

Amazon is giving two free Kindle books to Prime members in December
three book covers on a dark blue and purple background

How to watch Packers vs. Lions online for free
By Trisha Easto
Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 6, 2024
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'

Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 6
a phone displaying Wordle

At 2 a.m., an unexpected event led to a surprise planet discovery
A NASA conception of what the exoplanet Kepler-51e might look like.

Tesla suspends Cybertruck production. Who could have predicted this?
Tesla vehicles, including Cybertrucks, loaded on a transport that seems to be going nowhere.

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 6
A phone displaying the New York Times game 'Connections.'
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!