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Best laptop deals and sales in August 2023: Great starter laptops starting under $300

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Don't believe you can find quality laptops on sale starting under $300? We'll challenge that with this 15-inch Acer Aspire 5 down to $299 at Amazon with a Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD. At $750, Apple's M1 MacBook Air is also an excellent find at $750, and it's not just for students but anyone looking for a no-frills do-it-all (except heavy gaming) machine. There's plenty more to consider among the best laptop deals, especially for power users.

For instance, you can save 40% on a massively powerful Gigabyte Aero laptop at Best Buy. We're always updating this guide with our latest finds for unbeatable laptop deals. Our guide covers multiple price points and usage needs for various buyers, and we compare prices across retailers to ensure we're presenting the best deals.

We understand most people don't need a super powerful piece of kit, so where we can find a solid laptop that will handle the basics for work or study for a low price point (many well under $500), we're there. Of course, some of you might need something with a little more grunt to run more demanding applications or do a little gaming, and we've got you covered there too.

Best laptop deals of the week

Whether you need a simple Chromebook for browsing or a more substantial Windows laptop for work or school, here are all the best laptop deals you can shop this week, including many quality options under $300.

Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price
Lenovo 14-inch Slim 7 Laptop
This 14-inch Lenovo Slim 7 laptop is designed for loftier workloads. It has a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The 2.8K display is touch-enabled, which can be convenient in many use cases. (Mind yoiu, this is not a convertible 2-in-1.) It's also equipped for entertainment with Dolby Vision and dual speakers. With $370 off at B&H Photo, you can have it shipped for $730 before taxes.
$729.00 from B&H Photo
Originally $1,099.00Save 34%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-347N
Acer's Aspire 5 is a solid laptop range. This model is a couple of years old now, but the 11th -gen Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD still form the makings of a solid starter laptop for students and business owners with light needs. It falls to under $300 after this $80 discount.
$299.99 from Amazon
Originally $379.99Save 21%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a sleek, high-quality laptop designed to run Windows at its best. This model has a 12th-generation Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. There's also a 13.5-inch touchscreen, WiFi 6, Thunderbolt 4, and a long 18-hour maximum battery life. You're paying more for the Surface name and build at this price, but if you just need to have a Surface laptop, this $300 discount makes the purchase bearable.
$999.99 from Best Buy
Originally $1,299.99Save 23%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Rare Find
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
The MacBook Air gets a big boost in speed and battery life over Intel models thanks to Apple's M1 chip, all while keeping the same sleek design. Snag one for $200 off its normal price ahead of Black Friday.
$749.99 from Amazon
Originally $999.00Save 25%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 13-inch with Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD (2022)
The Surface Pro 8 is a tablet/laptop hybrid with Microsoft's iconic kickstand. This model running on the Core i5 is on the basic side, but it'll handle most average workloads without a hitch. Its usual $1,099 price is a little pricey, so this $740 deal makes it an easier recommendation.
$740.00 from Amazon
Originally $1,099.99Save 33%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal
HP 2022 Pavilion x360 2-in-1 14-inch with 12th-gen Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD
The Pavilion x360 running on a 12th-gen Core i5 and 8GB RAM also includes a generous 512GB for its price. It's a mid-range workhorse that's easily capable of handling typical workloads that involve common apps like Office and web browsing. $663 for this laptop is a good deal.
$663.99 from Best Buy
Originally $829.99Save 20%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal
HP 15.6-inch Laptop (15-ef2025nr)
This budget-friendly laptop features a 15.6-inch screen with a 1366 x 768 resolution. It's powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U mobile processor and boasts 8GB of RAM. This $100 discount is close to the best price we've seen for this model.
$507.97 from Amazon
Originally $619.99Save 18%
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i

A great starter laptop for anyone, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i can handle basic browsing and productivity without breaking the bank, thanks to its Intel Core i3 processor. It has 128GB of storage and runs Windows 11 in S Mode, limiting you to apps available in the Microsoft Store. With 4GB of RAM, however, you'll want to keep your browser tabs in check.

Best MacBook deals

MacBook sales come and go like the wind, so catch a wave on these discounts (up to 25% off) while they're still available.

Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M2 (2023)
You no longer need a $2,000 MacBook Pro to get a 15-inch display. The 15-inch MacBook Air (2023) stretches your viewing real estate and offers M2 power at a budget-friendly price. Right now, you can save $100 over Apple's MSRP.
$1,099.99 from Amazon
Originally $1,299.00Save 15%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch M2 (2022)
The 13-inch MacBook Pro is more capable than ever. Supercharged by the next-generation M2 chip, it’s Apple’s most portable pro laptop, with up to 20 hours of battery life. With $200 off, this sale matches the lowest price we've ever seen, an especially good deal when you consider this new MacBook was just released in 2022.

Best gaming laptop deals

You'll pay quite a bit more for gaming laptops compared to business- and student-oriented models, but these deals can get you some serious horsepower for relatively affordable prices.

Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal
Dell 2022 XPS 15 (9520) with 12th-gen Core i7, GeForce RTX 3050Ti, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
This 2022 Dell XPS 15 has a 15-inch FHD+ display and runs on high-end specs for demanding workloads. $550 off this model is an excellent discount for this large and powerful Dell laptop, which is usually more expensive than the competition.
$1,499.99 from Best Buy
Originally $2,049.99Save 27%
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Deal
Gigabyte Aero 16-inch 12th-gen Core i7, 16GB RAM, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, 1TB SSD
The Aero from Gigabyte packs serious power, but don't expect a slim gaming laptop. This model with a 4K 60Hz display is designed to play demanding games with high graphical fidelity rather than offering super smooth gameplay. $950 off is a whopping deal for such a powerful gaming laptop.
$1,399.99 from Best Buy
Originally $2,349.99Save 40%

Want to see more laptop sales?

If you haven't found something for your needs above, peruse the laptop sales highlighted at the retailers below to see if something else catches your eye. Most have everything from budget laptops around $200 or less, plenty of mid-range picks, and even discounts on more powerful machines specializing in gaming, graphic design, or media editing.

We will also regularly update the laptop selection above with fresh deals over time, so feel free to bookmark us and check back in soon.

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@insider.com.

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