This year's 'Back to School' laptop deals are already live — here are 9 options from Dell, Lenovo, and HP that can save you up to $530

Heading to College? These are the 9 best laptop deals from this week's sales, including options for all budgets.

Jun 30, 2026 0 0

This year's 'Back to School' laptop deals are already live — here are 9 options from Dell, Lenovo, and HP that can save you up to $530

Getting ready to head off to college later this year? A decent laptop is essential if you want a reliable, stress-free tool to help you study. Thankfully, many retailers have already started their big 'back to school' sales this week, so there are plenty of options on the market currently.

As TechRadar's retail editor, I've been scanning well-known retailers like Best Buy, Dell, and Amazon today to find the best picks for prospective students. Just below, you can see 9 options for all budgets, including some gaming laptops if you also want something that can double up as a machine for gaming.

Highlights include this excellent value Dell 14 Laptop for $699 (was $1,229) at the official Dell Store, which is one of the best bang-for-the-buck Windows 11 options I've seen in recent weeks. If you're feeling flush, there's also the Dell XPS 13 for $999 (was $1,499), which is a fantastic (albeit expensive) option if you want something a little more portable.

Best Buy's 4th of July sale also includes some great options for cheap Chromebooks right now if you're really on a budget. While these lightweight laptops aren't intended for gaming or intensive applications, they're good if you just want to browse, type out work, or answer emails. For the basics, they're a great value for sure.

Back to School laptop sales - quick links

Amazon: cheap laptops from $269
Best Buy: up to $650 off laptops and Chromebooks
Dell: up to $900 off on back to school deals
Lenovo: up to 42% off cheap laptops
HP: up to 71% off Chromebooks and laptops

9 best laptop deals this week

Processor: Intel Core N150
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 64GB

A Chromebook is a fantastic option for budget-conscious students since these lightweight laptops don't require much power to run smoothly. This 2-in-1 14-inch HP Chromebook features a decent Intel chipset and 8GB of RAM, which should be great for all the various browser-based tasks that Chromebooks are intended for, such as streaming content, writing, or emails.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core i5-1335U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB

HP's 4th of July sale has some great low-cost Windows 11 options this week, such as this heavily discounted Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i. Inside, this machine features a Core i5 chipset and 16GB of RAM, which should provide smooth performance on even relatively demanding Windows 11 applications. Annoyingly, this machine only features a 256GB SSD, so storage is a little on the short side.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core 7 150U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

Dell's standard laptop series don't tend to be the flashiest machines, but they do offer great bang for the buck. This Dell 14-inch laptop in particular manages to feature a really up-to-date chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a spacious 1TB SSD for a great price thanks to the official Dell Store's back-to-school sale this week.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

The Dell 14 Plus is one of our favorite models from Dell in the past few years. It really surprised us when we reviewed it because it offers great performance and a well-thought-out design at an excellent price. Today's best deal is on this Ryzen 7-equipped configuration, which offers plenty of power in this machine's portable 14-inch form factor. View Deal

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

MacBooks are getting pricier and pricier now, which makes this deal on the rival Dell XPS 13 at the official Dell Store even more compelling this week. The standout feature for the Dell XPS 13 is its stunning lightweight premium design, which is perfect if you need something portable. This is a great price on the Intel-based variant, which provides great battery life, excellent app support, and plenty of power.View Deal

Processor: Snapdragon X Elite
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 512GB

One of the best deals on the entire Dell site is undoubtedly this discount on the latest Snapdragon-equipped Dell XPS 13. This stylish and lightweight machine is perfect for those who want battery life and performance in a premium package. This particular configuration also includes 32GB of RAM, which is a very rare thing indeed these days at this price. Note, this is a Snapdragon chipset model, however, so make sure all your obscure apps are supported.View Deal

Graphics card: RTX 5070
Processor: Intel Core 7 Series 2
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

The above Acer Nitro V Slim 16 also comes in an Intel-based configuration, which is also a decent buy today. It's a little pricier, but you get an Intel Core 7 Series 2 chipset and 16GB of DDR5 RAM. These should, on paper at least, give you a decent boost in performance.View Deal

Graphics card: RTX 5070
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285H
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

The price cut on this HP Omen 16 at Best Buy isn't huge, but it's still one of the best value RTX 5070 gaming laptops you'll find on the market this week. Pairing up your RTX 5070 with a powerful Intel Ultra 9 chipset means plenty of headroom for all the latest titles. Annoyingly, this machine only comes with 16GB of RAM, but you do get a spacious 1TB SSD as a bonus.View Deal

Processor: Intel Core 7 (Series 2) 240H
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB

A number of Alienware gaming laptops are on sale today, but my favorite deal has to be this listing on the brand-new Alienware 15. While a little pricey for a machine with an RTX 5060 graphics card, you get 32GB of RAM and an Intel Core 7 chipset here for great out-of-the-box performance. Considering this machine features a 1200p display, you've got everything you need here for smooth performance in-game.View Deal