Black Friday gaming laptop deals are often the highlights of the holiday sales. One of the perks of gaming laptops is their portability, but that means a higher price tag, especially as the components become higher-end. That’s where the Black Friday savings come to the rescue, and why they’re so important.
Some Black Friday gaming laptop deals have already started, but you’ll see prices continue to drop on some of the best gaming laptops as the actual November 29 date gets closer. Chances are you’ll find some sort of RTX 20-series and Intel combo you’ve had your eye on for a while, or maybe a GTX 16-series fits your needs better. We’re regularly seeing 1660 Ti builds for less than $1000 at the moment. If you’re really on a budget, retailers are still looking to off-load gaming laptops with GTX 10-series cards, so we’ll most likely see huge discounts on anything with last-gen components. Some may even break that magic sub-$500 barrier.
Currently, we’re seeing discounts as high as $400 off gaming laptops, and even rare $950-off mega-discounts like this Alienware laptop from Dell. That deal is no longer active, but it goes to show you how far some manufactures are willing to go to slash prices.
Of course, if you’re looking to snag a Black Friday gaming laptop deal for under $800, you’ll most likely only find ones with last-gen components. There’s nothing wrong with that, though; they’re still respectable machines if you’re more concerned with FPS than perfectly pristine graphics, especially if you’ve managed to resist the lure of ray tracing.
A high-end gaming laptop can cost as much as $2,500 when it’s not on sale—depending on if its an 8th or 9th-gen Intel processor, what RTX graphics card is inside, and other things like refresh rate and screen resolution. You’re paying a portability premium too, but that’s the reality of gaming laptop prices.
Best gaming laptop deals right now
But you need a laptop right now? That’s okay. We’ve got you covered. Here are our top picks for the best gaming laptop deals right now. Some might be cheaper during Black Friday, and some may not, but that’s the gamble you take for buying ahead of the biggest retail holiday of the year.
Black Friday gaming laptops—When do they go on sale?
Sales will be in full swing from November 29 until after Cyber Monday, December 2, but they usually start popping up a week or two before, so start researching around that time, even if you are only on the fence about getting a new laptop. You might find a good deal that you can’t pass up. Generally speaking though, most of the best deals are reserved for Black Friday weekend, so you might want to wait—but sometimes those deals are limited in quantity, so timing is everything.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t shop for something else, like a nice gaming mouse to go with your new future laptop.
How to save money on gaming laptops during Black Friday
With the deluge of deals that ooze out of every major retailer every Black Friday, narrowing down your choice of laptop to a single one can seem like an overwhelming task. But there are a few ways you can prepare ahead of time so you can cut through the noise and find exactly, or close to, what you are looking for.
1. Figure out what’s important
What are your must-haves when shopping for your next gaming laptop? What are some components or features that you are willing to compromise on so you don’t spend as much money? You can write out a list if you think that will help, but knowing what matters the most to you in a gaming laptop can help you figure out the right price point in advance and hone in on getting something you won’t regret spending your money on. Does a better GPU matter more than a display greater than 1080p? Only you will know what will make you happy. Read some reviews if that helps, too.
2. Bookmark price comparison websites
We work around the clock from Black Friday to Cyber Monday to post the best possible deals we can find, but sometimes it’s helpful to bookmark sites like CamelCamelCamel to know if you are really getting the best deal possible. CamelCamelCamel will show you price histories of any item on Amazon, so you can see if you are getting the possible deal for what’s listed on the product page. The price may not ever reach its ‘lowest price ever’ ever again, but could still be a screamin’ deal if it’s within $10 or $20 of that lowest price.
3. Look out for bundle deals and other extras
Retailers bring out all sorts of bundle deals during Black Friday, especially when it comes to PC hardware. They may be few and far between for gaming laptops, but it’s not unheard of to have a laptop come with a game code or two, or with peripherals like gaming mice. Other extras can include mail-in rebates, which can save you some extra cash if one retailer is offering rebates and another one isn’t for the same item.
Black Friday gaming laptop deals from 2018 (Expired)
While these deals are from last year, they’ll give you a good idea of what to expect in the coming months from a few retailers. Of course, there are newer models than these available now, but you can still get a good idea of what will most likely be available for various budgets.