We’ve been busy rounding up the best Black Friday deals, and this time of year is always fruitful if you’re looking to buy a new laptop. Retailers are slashing prices across almost every brand, from affordable Chromebooks to high-end Dells. That means you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to scoring Black Friday laptop deals with a deep discount.
And with the global microchip shortage still raging around us, the likelihood is these deals won’t hang around for long. We’d expect many of the best deals to sell out quickly, so if you see a great laptop deal and you know it’s right for you, you should go for it.
5 laptop deals under $500 for Black Friday 2021
- Gateway 15.6-inch Ultra Slim Notebook — <strong>$179</strong>, was $249
- HP 14-inch Chromebook — $179, was $279
- Dell Inspiron 15 3000 — $200, was $389
- Asus VivoBook 15 — $280, was $450
- HP 17Z-CP000 — $315, was $500
Gateway 15.6-inch Ultra Slim Notebook
Why Buy:
- Great display for the price
- Lots of port variety
- Good specs for lightweight work
- Comes in four colors
Looking to pick up a robust laptop for school or light work? This Gateway is an ideal choice, not only for its superb price but for the great value it offers in terms of features. It’s the perfect laptop to get if your needs are modest and you want to save a bundle of cash this Black Friday.
One of the things that makes it such an outstanding deal is its display. It’s rare to get a roomy 15.6-inch screen at this price, and even rarer to find one that comes with a 1080p resolution, yet that’s exactly what you get here. It’ll be sharp and crisp in every scenario, which is a steal at well under $200.
It impresses elsewhere, too. You get a wide array of ports, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and microSD, so there’s no shortage of options here. The internal specs are fairly entry-level — an Intel Pentium Silver N5030 processor, 4GB of memory, and 128GB of eMMC storage — but they’ll be just right for casual work like writing documents and sending emails. You’ll even get a one-year Microsoft 365 Personal membership thrown in for free, too.
HP 14-inch Chromebook
Why Buy:
- 2-in-1 laptop that can also be used as a tablet
- Impressive battery life that lasts over 13 hours
- ChromeOS is lightweight and easy to use
- Attractive silver and black color scheme
2-in-1 laptops are very popular these days, and it’s easy to see why. They can go from standard desktop work, like typing up your documents, to a tablet in a flash. HP’s 14-inch Chromebook is no different, and its dual-use capability makes it just as good for enjoying your favorite movies and playing games as it is for your everyday work tasks. And because its touchscreen works in both laptop and tablet configurations, you get an extra degree of control no matter how you use it. If you’re looking for a Black Friday Chromebook deal, this is one of the best.
Being a Chromebook, this laptop naturally runs on Google’s ChromeOS operating system. This is fast, lightweight, and stores your files in the cloud so you can access them on any device. That helps make it speedy and lightweight, and it’s lightweight in other ways too — this laptop clocks in at just over 3 pounds. And with 13.5 hours of battery life, it’ll last all day (and then some) if you want to work on the go.
Its internal specs are modest: You get an Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 605, 4GB of memory, and 64GB of eMMC storage. That’s not going to break any records, but it’s ideal if you’re in the market for a portable laptop for casual work and studying.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000
Why Buy:
- Spacious 15.6-inch screen
- Speedy NVMe storage
- Plenty of useful ports
- High-class, premium look and feel
Dell makes some of the best laptops for work and study, with premium offerings that go the distance and last for years. If you’re looking to get a new laptop for casual work, like writing documents, managing projects, or watching movies, this Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is a no-brainer. It’s one of the best Dell laptop Black Friday deals available right now.
Its generous 15.6-inch display gives you plenty of room for watching content in your downtime, and its HDMI port means you can plug in an external monitor if you need a little extra screen real estate. There’s also an SD card reader and three USB-A ports, so you shouldn’t be short of options if you need to plug something in.
On the inside, you get an Intel Celeron N4020 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 600, 4GB of memory, and a 128GB NVMe SSD. Those are fairly modest specs but should be more than enough for lightweight work and studying. In fact, the SSD uses NVMe tech, meaning it’s far speedier than your standard drive. That’ll be perfect for transferring files and quickly loading Windows. So if you’re after a big-name laptop that won’t break the bank, the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 makes for a great choice.
Asus VivoBook 15
Why Buy:
- Large 15.6-inch display with 1080p resolution
- Intel i3 processor is great for lightweight work
- Thin screen bezels look classy and modern
- Lots of port options
The laptops in Asus’s VivoBook range all look fantastic, with slimline display bezels and attractive silver-and-black color schemes, yet they’re surprisingly affordable for the look. The Asus VivoBook 15 is a prime example of that, and it’s one device you’ll be proud to be seen using.
It’s full of great little conveniences. For instance, its large 15.6-inch screen boasts a sharp 1080p resolution that’s great to work on, giving you plenty of space for content consumption or working on multiple documents side by side. There’s a full keyboard with numpad, plus a fingerprint sensor button built into the trackpad for easy logging in with Windows Hello. And the keyboard props itself up at a comfy, ergonomic angle that makes typing an absolute breeze.
Down the sides, you’re not short of port options, with USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and Ethernet all on offer. It’s powered by an Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor that’ll handle most lightweight tasks with ease, Intel UHD Graphics, 4GB of RAM, and a blazing fast 128GB NVMe SSD. It’s no gaming laptop, but it’s an excellent all-rounder for work and leisure time.
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HP 17Z-CP000
Why Buy:
- Huge 17.3-inch display
- 8GB of memory as standard
- Comes with Windows 11
- Fast-charge battery juices up rapidly
It’s not every day you see a large, 17-inch laptop get such a great discount, but this HP laptop Black Friday deal is likely to be one of the best you will see all year. The HP 17Z-CP000 boasts a massive 17.3-inch display and pairs it with razor-thin bezels, with the result being an immersive experience whether you’re watching movies or playing games.
On the inside is an AMD Athlon Gold 3150U processor with AMD Radeon Graphics, a 128GB NVMe SSD, and 8GB of memory as standard. Each of those parts can be upgraded, all the way up to a beefy AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a massive 1TB NVMe SSD. That means this laptop can adapt to whatever use case you have in mind, with each configuration still enjoying an excellent Black Friday discount.
With the potential for so much power, this is an excellent workhorse laptop that’s ideally suited to more demanding workloads. Throw in a fast-charging battery (which powers up to 50% within 45 minutes) and you’re never going to be short on performance, even on the go.
Should you shop these laptop deals under $500 on Black Friday or wait for Cyber Monday?
Nowadays, November deals aren’t just restricted to Black Friday — there’s Cyber Monday to consider as well. You might be wondering if it’s better to wait for Cyber Monday to see if prices fall even further. But in truth, there’s really no need to do that. It could even backfire.
That’s because we’re in the middle of a global microchip shortage, meaning retailer supplies are likely more constrained than usual. Add in the popularity of Black Friday sales and you could find the affordable laptop you’ve been eyeing up gets sold out if you wait too long. That would be a disappointment.
You can always return your purchase if you find a cheaper deal on Cyber Monday that delivers in time for the holidays. But there’s not really any need to wait — most of the best deals will likely fall on Black Friday, and if you see the right deal for you, you should feel confident to pull the trigger.
We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.