I’m a laptop reviewer, and these are the Black Friday deals I’d shop—many are over $400 off

Aside from TVs, Black Friday is the best opportunity to save on one of the biggest tech purchases we’re all likely to make: a new laptop. A new generation of laptops is always around the corner at CES in January, but they’re still months away from release. In the here and now, you can get big discounts on excellent current-gen Windows laptops, MacBooks, and Chromebooks.

There are hundreds of dollars to be saved on laptops from Apple, Microsoft, HP, Lenovo, Asus, and more. And there’s a mix of options, whether you prefer a thin-and-light for work and easy travel, a workstation for content creation, or a gaming laptop for graphical performance above all else. There are even some Chromebook deals if you’re shopping for a student or someone who wants a minimal-fuss solution for mostly browsing the web.

We’re also compiling some worthwhile deals on laptop peripherals and accessories, like cases, cables, and hubs we like. Here are our top picks among laptop and laptop-related deals for this Black Friday.

The best MacBook deals

• The 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 is $949 ($250 off) at Best Buy and Amazon — the same discount as the 13-inch. It’s much the same excellent computer as the 13-inch version, just with a bigger screen, more battery life, and better speakers. Read our review.

• If you need to sizable step up in power for a Mac laptop, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro processor is $1,749 ($250 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. It has a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, 512GB SSD like the base M5 model, but 24GB of RAM and faster Thunderbolt 5 ports. You can also step up to a bigger and beefier 16-inch version with a 14-core / 20-core M4 Pro chip, 48GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD for around $2,535 ($360 off) at Best Buy and Amazon.
• At the top of Apple’s MacBook range, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max chip, 36GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD is $3,059 (around $440 off) at Amazon. It’s a lot of computer for those who need a laptop with about as much power and speed as you can get. Read our review.
• The Mac Mini isn’t a laptop, but it’s one of the best bargains for a lot of computing power in a wildly small desktop. The base M4 model is $479 ($120 off) at Best Buy and Amazon, while the more powerful M4 Pro version is $1,199.99 ($200 off) at Amazon. If you already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, there’s no better deal for this kind of power.

The best Windows laptop deals

• In addition to the base-model 13-inch Surface Laptop hitting a new low of $549.99 ($350 off) at Best Buy, Amazon, and direct from Microsoft, the same model with 512GB storage is $749.99 ($250 off) at Amazon.
• If you want a Surface with a slightly bigger, nicer display and a higher-end Snapdragon X Elite processor, the Surface Laptop 7th Edition (13.8-inch) from 2024 is on sale for $899.99 ($500 off) at Best Buy and Amazon. It’s still a great machine if you prioritize battery life on Windows and want a nice screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2304 x 1536 resolution. Read our review.

• Microsoft’s flagship 13-inch Surface Pro is also on a big discount, selling for as low as $749.99 ($450 off) at Microsoft with a 10-core Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. It’s quite a deal, though the keyboard and stylus are sold separately. The convertible tablet has great battery life and solid performance. It’s much more useful as a full 2-in-1 laptop once you get the keyboard and stylus, which are available on Amazon (via a third party) for $307.89 (about $92 off). The Flex version of the keyboard with Bluetooth is particularly handy, especially if you use the Surface Pro with an external monitor.
• The Asus Zenbook A14 is selling for an all-time low of $549.99 ($450 off) at Best Buy. If you want a super-light laptop with an Arm-based Snapdragon chip for long battery life, the Zenbook is an impressive offering — especially since it has an OLED display to boot. I first handled this thing at CES, and the combination of its lightweight 2.4-pound chassis, unique finish with earthy colors, port selection, and OLED screen was really impressive. Now, at this price? It’s quite compelling.
• I’m currently testing the 14-inch HP OmniBook 5 and liking it, especially for the value it offers. It’s very affordable for a laptop with an OLED display and marathon battery life, and it’s just $529.99 ($170 off MSRP) at Amazon or $499.99 ($200 off) direct from HP. Its base Snapdragon X1 Plus chip isn’t very speedy, but it’s manageable if you’re not going too wild on multitasking. But the star of the show is this nice 1920 x 1200 OLED panel for such a low, low price.
• The Acer Swift 16 AI is once again available for a steal of $749.99 ($500 off) at Best Buy. Much like the Swift 14 AI that I reviewed, t’s got lots of ports and a great Intel Lunar Lake CPU that’s both powerful and power-efficient. But instead of the Swift 14’s meager 1920 x 1200 IPS display it’s got a bigger 16-inch OLED with 2880 x 1800 resolution and 120Hz refresh.

The best gaming laptop deals

• The larger Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H processor and RTX 5070 Ti GPU is $2,179.99 ($450 off) at Best Buy. The 16-inch, like its smaller counterpart, offers a lovely OLED display, good graphics performance for its size and thickness, and battery life that gets you through most of a busy day. All this, in a gaming laptop with a large display that travels quite easily.
• The base Asus ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop with a last-gen Intel Raptor Lake 14650HX CPU, RTX 5060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD is $1,199.99 ($300 off) at Amazon. For a higher-end model that doesn’t skyrocket in price, the Strix G16 with AMD Ryzen 9 8940HX and RTX 5070 Ti is $1,599.99 ($400 off) at Best Buy. Strix models are much chunkier than their ROG Zephyrus cousins, but they’re a better deal if you prioritize performance over portability.

• The Lenovo Legion 7i above is one of my preferred gaming laptops if you like a beefy boy with high-end RTX 5080 graphics, but a solid alternative for less is the similarly-specced HP Omen Max 16. The Omen Max 16 with RTX 5080 graphics, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD is just $1,899.99 ($1,400 off) direct from HP. It’s also at Best Buy with a 2TB SSD for $2,599.99 ($560 off), but the one at HP is the screaming deal that you should nab before it’s gone (you can always do your own SSD upgrade later).

The best Chromebook deals

• The closest competitor to the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which is on sale for a new low of $599.99 ($50 off) direct from Lenovo. It’s the base model with a non-touch OLED display, 12GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and the power-sipping MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 processor. The higher-end $749 model with a touchscreen that I tested in my review is slightly better, but these kinds of Chromebooks rarely go on sale.
• The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus is selling for $549.99 ($200 off) at Best Buy. I prefer the above Lenovo and Acer above, but the Samsung is still a solid Chromebook with a lovely OLED display and a number pad (if that’s important to you). But its display is an outdated 16:9 aspect ratio that’s better for consuming video content than viewing more on screen as you get work done.

The best deals on laptop accessories

• Keychron is discounting various models of its keyboards on its site and on Amazon, and if you spend $300 or more at Keychron’s site you get an additional $30 off. There are myriad options of mechanical keyboards from Keychron, including different layouts and switch types. For a good starter board filled with features, check out the Keychron V1 Max that’s currently $91.99 ($23 off) at Amazon and direct from Keychron. Read our buying guide on affordable mechanical keyboards.
• For an absolute steal of a mechanical keyboard with a hefty metal chassis, check out the Epomaker P75 with Wisteria linear switches for just $63.99 ($12 off) at Amazon. It’s got a bold, crisp, and slightly loud typing sound but it can be music to the ears of someone who likes a louder clack to their keys. Plus, it supports wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz wireless modes, complete with a little magnetic garage to house the USB dongle when not in use.
• The Epomaker x Aula F75 mechanical keyboard with Leobog Reaper switches is just $53.59 (around $26 off) at Amazon. This is a banger of a budget keyboard that sounds satisfyingly creamy with every key stroke. There’s a reason TikTok is kind of obsessed with it.
• One of my favorite mice, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2, is $129.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. It’s the perfect mouse if you want something lightweight and sensitive enough for competitive gaming while still being comfy and low-key looking for even long hours at the office. It also has a satisfying and unique click sound that’s slightly deeper than most mice. Read our hands-on.
• For a comfy ergonomic mouse, check out the Logitech MX Vertical that’s on sale for $97.49 ($22 off) at Amazon or for $99.99 at Best Buy. It supports both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless via an included USB receiver, and its upright 57 degree angle keeps your wrist at a comfy handshake-like position. Read our impressions.
• For a much more affordable mouse that handles great and goes a little harder on the gamer aesthetic, the wired Razer Basilisk V3 is just $29.44 (about $41 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. Even at that price, you get 11 programmable buttons, a 26,000 DPI sensor, and loads of RGB lighting.
• Pluggable’s 16-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 dock is $215.96 ($64 off) at Amazon. The chunky hub has a plethora of ports and support for dual 4K displays (HDMI and DisplayPort) as well as 100W USB-C charging.
• The Shure MV7 Plus is a popular plug-and-play mic for high quality live streaming and podcasting, and it’s $269.99 ($50 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. It shares a lot in common with the legendary SM7b it’s based on, but it’s got both XLR and simple USB connections for a no-fuss setup.
• Peak Design is running a Black Friday sale with up to 30 percent off everything it makes, and that includes its Everyday Backpack (now $223.96 instead of $279.95) and Everyday Messenger bags (now $199.96 instead of $249.95). They’re some of my favorite laptop / commuter bags if you’re the type to carry photo or video equipment. I use and alternate between the original 30L Everyday Backpack and smaller 15L Everyday Backpack Zip (now $159.96 instead of $199.95) — depending on what I need to carry.
• If you’re in need of DeleteMe’s services for cleaning up your past digital footprint, you can save 30 percent now through December 5th with the coupon code BFCM30OFF25 — dropping an annual plan for one user to $90.30 ($38.70 off). I know it’s not laptop hardware, but DeleteMe relates to a lot of things we do on the internet via our laptops, and it’s a useful service for scrubbing old personal data from the web.
• The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are $149.99 ($50 off) at Amazon. If you’re a laptop gamer, these noise-canceling earbuds are excellent for their ability to quickly switch between your laptop (via low-latency USB-C receiver) and your phone (via Bluetooth). Read our review.
• Moft is offering a variety of discounts on Amazon, covering much of its line of origami-style folding accessories for phones, tablets, and laptops. This includes the Moft 2-in-1 Laptop Carry Sleeve, selling for $51.96 ($12.99 off). It’s a sleek case for protecting your laptop as you tote it around, and it opens to an impromptu angled laptop stand for comfier ergonomics. It comes in larger sizes to hold up to a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and in various color options.