Best Prime Day Laptop Deals to Shop for October 2024

The second day of Amazon’s Prime Day sale is in full swing. In addition to hundreds of bargains on everything from robot vacuums and kitchen appliances to 3D printers, you can save big on laptops, too. Serious discounts are available on models from top brands like Apple, HP, Samsung and more, with some price tags slashed by over $400. 

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

Amazon’s October Prime Day is only a two-day event, which finishes at the end of today. Many offers are set to expire at 11:59 p.m. PT today. To help you make the most of these bargains before they’re gone, we’ve rounded up the best Prime Day laptop deals you can shop right now. Note that some Amazon deals may be exclusive to Prime members, but you can also find plenty of offers at competing retailers like Best Buy and Walmart.

Want to save even more this Prime Day? You could earn a $150 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval of the Prime Visa card.

Our favorite Amazon Prime Day laptop deals

Get the lowest price to date on Apple’s M1 MacBook Air. Although it’s a few years old now, this Air is still plenty powerful for most folks and a super affordable way to put an Apple silicon-powered machine in your bag. In our roundup of the best laptops of 2024, our editors selected this model as the best laptop for students.

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Although not the most recent model, this 2022 version still has a powerful M2 chip and gives you many of the great specs the M3 has at a lower price. Plus, this is the lowest price this Macbook Air has been listed at on Amazon in 30 days.

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This 13-inch MacBook Air has an M3 chip, 8GB of memory and a 256GB solid-state drive. The MacBook Air M3 was chosen as the best overall laptop in our roundup of the best laptops of 2024. It’s currently listed on Amazon for $894, a $205 discount exclusive to Prime members. Multiple colors are available at this price. 

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With the ultrafast M3 chip and Liquid Retina XDR display, an HD camera and battery life of up to 18 hours, this is a top-tier laptop enjoying a rare discount of $200 right now if you opt for the silver variant.

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In their roundup of the best laptops for college, our CNET reviews team experts Matt Elliott and Joshua Goldman dubbed the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 the “best Chromebook that will last for years.” It’s versatile, with a touchscreen and hinge, and durable. And right now Best Buy has taken $270 off the price.

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More Prime Day laptop deals:

• Microsoft Surface Pro 11: $1,200 (save $300). Our editors’ pick for the best detachable 2-in-1 laptop of 2024.
• HP Envy 2-in-1 16-inch laptop: $680 (save $420). A powerful and versatile touchscreen laptop.
• Acer Aspire A315 slim 15-inch laptop: $300 (save $22). The thinnest, lightest laptop in the Acer Aspire lineup, the A315 offers a 1080p display and an improved thermal system.
• LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 16-inch: $1,100 (save $436). A super lightweight 16-inch laptop packed with Intel’s powerful Core Ultra 7 processor.
• Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: $717 (save $83). At under 3 pounds, this 12-inch touchscreen laptop can go anywhere.
• HP Stream 14-inch laptop: $199 (save $30). Score a basic laptop with decent specs for under $200. It comes with a free 12-month subscription to Microsoft 365. Rose and royal blue models are on sale for $199, while silver is currently just $185. 
• Samsung 14-inch Galaxy Book 4 Pro: $1,170 (save $280). A high-end laptop with a portable feel and Apple-inspired looks.
• HP Spectre x360: $1,299 (save $181). Our editors’ pick for the best convertible laptop of 2024.
• LG Gram 14-inch laptop: $697 (save $403). A lightweight laptop focused on productivity. 
• HP Pavillion Plus 14-inch laptop: $1,097 (save $203). Specs designed for multitasking. 
• Acer Predator Triton Neo 16 gaming laptop: $1,500 (save $399). High-performance graphics for creator and gaming types.
• HP 17.3-inch FHD laptop: $548 (save $52). A generously sized screen with basic specs that makes it easier to ditch the monitor.
• Asus ROG Strix G16 16-inch gaming laptop: $1,100 (save $300). Beefed-up storage makes this a fast laptop for gaming and other tasks.

Is Prime Day the best time to shop for a laptop?

Prime Day offers a huge array of products on sale, including laptops. However, you don’t have to limit yourself to Amazon for amazing deals. Frequently, outlets like Best Buy and Walmart will offer incredibly competitive pricing during Prime Day events.

Overall, Prime Day is a great time to grab a laptop at a discount, although Black Friday tends to offer the very lowest prices if you can hold out until later in the holiday shopping season. Supplies tend to be more limited then, so plan ahead in either case. 

Watch this: How to Hack Amazon Prime Day: Shopping and Deals Advice

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Should I buy a Chromebook or a laptop?

Chromebooks are a budget-friendly option that may appeal to students looking for a cheaper laptop for college. They work well performing basic functions like web browsing and writing essays but don’t have all of the features of a normal laptop. The biggest difference is that Chromebooks run on Google’s Chrome operating system as opposed to the Windows or MacOS systems you may be used to seeing in a laptop. This operating system is slightly more limited and many software programs are not natively compatible with it. 

Ultimately, the best choice will come down to your needs and budget. If you’re a student looking for the cheapest option to handle some homework and browsing, a Chromebook is a solid choice. If you need a device for gaming, video editing or professional use, you may be better off spending a bit more to get a standard laptop. Be sure to read more about the differences between Chromebooks and laptops before you commit to buying either.

Read more: Lenovo Duet 11 Is the Best 2-in-1 Chromebook Ever. Here’s Why

When is Amazon October Prime Day 2024?

In 2024, Amazon’s October Prime Day event, officially called Prime Big Deals Days, started on Oct. 8. The event runs through Oct. 9. at 11:59 p.m. PT. 

Are Prime Day deals just for Prime members?

Yes, Amazon’s Prime Deal Days sale requires a Prime subscription if you want to nab any of the Prime-exclusive offers. You don’t have to be a paying subscriber though, as long as the event falls within your Prime trial period. That means you can start your monthlong trial just before the event and get in on the savings for free. For more info on that, check out our guide to getting Amazon Prime perks without paying for a subscription.

How does CNET select the best October Prime Day deals?

Our team of expert shoppers has spent years helping buyers understand which major sales and deals are legitimately good and which are more routine. That includes Black Friday, Prime Day, Memorial Day and countless other shopping events. We’ve gotten very good at weeding out scams and superficial deals on tech of every kind, so you see only the best offers on laptops, tablets and other devices. 

At CNET, we look for real discounts, quality reviews and remaining sale time when choosing a deal to show you. 

• Real discounts mean exactly that. We look at the price history for that product to make sure no manufacturers are inflating prices to make the discount seem more substantial than it is.
• Quality reviews are important for any product, but especially for deeply discounted items. If you don’t get enough mileage out of the device you’re buying, the discount wasn’t worthwhile. 
• Remaining sale time is a huge part of our vetting process. If a deal is likely to be short-lived or limited to remaining stock, we’ll let you know upfront — so you’re not disappointed if you check back later and find it’s gone.