If you’re looking for a cheap laptop or a deeply discounted premium machine, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve scoured the web for savings and rounded up all the genuine deals in one neat place.
This week, the best laptop sales comes courtesy of Amazon, which currently has a back to school sale on a range of Dell laptops. You’ll find we’ve covered everything from budget browsing machines to high-performance powerhouses, so you’ll no doubt find something here to match your needs.
We’ve highlighted a selection of the latest deals that we’ve sniffed out, and if you scroll further down, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite laptops in a dedicated buying guide.
Best laptop deals this week
Laptops & ultrabooks
Apple MacBook Air M1 | 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD | AU$1,499 AU$1,349 on Apple (save AU$150)
We think the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is the best laptop in Australia. It’s worthy of this spot thanks to Apple’s own M1 chip, which has greatly improved both performance and battery life for the laptop. It’s carrying a price tag that’s decently competitive with Windows rivals too (finally). This price is available from Apple’s Education Store, where you’ll get a discount on the laptop and AU$219 off a pair of AirPods.
Dell XPS 13 OLED (9310) | i7 / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD | AU$2,999 AU$2,399.20 on Amazon (save AU$599.80)
The premium Dell XPS 13 just got a little more luxurious with this 3.5K OLED display. An OLED screen is likely overkill for most users, but if you’ll be using it for photo or video editing, you’ll appreciate the value. And with 20% off the RRP, it’s a much more tempting purchase. Buy from Amazon and save AU$599.
Dell XPS 13 (9305) | i5 / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD | AU$1,899 AU$1,557.20 on Amazon (save AU$341.80)
This Dell XPS 13 matches an 11th-gen Intel i5 processor with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, so you can expect a decently powerful machine. It manages to have an excellent battery life too, but our review found this laptop’s audio output is a little lacklustre. If that’s not a dealbreaker for you though, this model is now AU$341 off on Amazon.
Dell Inspiron 14 (5410) | i7 / 8GB RAM / 512GB SSD | AU$1,749 AU$1,359.15 on Amazon (save AU$389.85)
For a more affordable machine than the XPS above, you could turn to Dell’s Inspiron lineup. It’s slightly bigger with a 14-inch screen, which keeps it at a nice size if you want portability. Under the hood you’ll find an 11th-gen Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Keep in mind, 8GB of RAM means it won’t be as snappy as you switch through applications.
HP Pavilion 13 | i3 / 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD | AU$1,149 AU$919.20 on Amazon (save AU$229.80)
There’s nothing flashy about this HP laptop, but if you’re a student who needs something for writing up assignments and searching the web, it’ll do the job admirably. For a discounted price of AU$919, you’re getting a laptop with an 11th-gen Intel i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. This 20% discount is available from Amazon.
Acer Chromebook 311 | Celeron N4100 / 4GB RAM / 64GB eMMC | AU$449 AU$381.65 on Amazon (save AU$67.35)
Chromebook’s aren’t particularly slick or stylish, but they are very affordable machines. This Acer Chromebook is now just AU$381, and it comes with an Intel Celeron N4100 processor, paired with 4GB of RAM and a 64GB eMMC. As a Chromebook, it puts all of Google’s apps right at your fingertips, so it’d make a good laptop for a student who does most of their work online.
2-in-1s
HP Spectre x360 | i7 / 16GB RAM / 1TB SSD | AU$2,899 AU$2,174 on HP (save AU$725)
This is the 2021 update to HP’s flagship 2-in-1, and it’s more feature rich than ever. You’ll find Intel’s 11th-gen i7 CPU under the hood, 16GB of RAM to boost performance and a whopping 1TB SSD. We found the fans can get noisy, and it’s still quite a dear laptop – which makes this 25% discount all the more appealing. Other configs are also on sale.
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 (5410) | i7 / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD | AU$2,049 AU$1,439.30 on Amazon (save AU$609.70)
This Inspiron machine has a touchscreen, so it can go into full tablet mode, stay perched in tent mode or be used as a standard laptop, giving you plenty of versatility. It comes with excellent specs too, including an Intel i7-1195G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and considering the price, it’s great value. Now 30% off on Amazon.
- Find great bargains and compare Australian prices on the latest tech at Getprice
The best deals on our favourite laptops
Over the years we’ve reviewed plenty of laptops, and as a result, we’ve seen what to avoid and what to jump on when there’s savings to be had. Check out the prices on some of our favourite laptops below and see if anything has dropped enough to spark your interest.
Our favourite Windows laptop: Dell XPS 13 (9310)
Return of the king
CPU: 11th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 13.4-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) – 4K (3840 x 2160) | Storage: 512GB – 1TB SSD
Gorgeous designBig CPU and GPU boostExcellent battery lifeLacklustre audio
To say that we’re big fans of the Dell XPS 13 is a huge understatement. This 13-inch Ultrabook has appeared in our list of the best laptops for several years running, and there’s good reason why.
This iteration came out in late 2020 and it’s known as the Dell XPS 13 9310. It’s equipped with Intel’s latest 11th generation processors while the Intel Iris Xe handles the integrated graphics (and almost doubles the graphical prowess from the previous model). Both work together to bring a decent amount of power to these gorgeous laptops, and some light gaming is also possible thanks to the specs.
There are barely any bezels to speak of on these laptops, and it can be configured with a Full HD+ or a 4K HDR screen (OLED panels are also available). The sleekness of the XPS 13 comes at the expense of ports, and the speakers are a little lacklustre, but these are small exceptions in an otherwise premium laptop.
Read our full Dell XPS 13 (Late 2020) review
Our favourite Apple laptop: Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
The best MacBook Air ever
CPU: Apple M1 | Graphics: Apple M1 GPU | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (2560 x 1600) LED | Storage: 256GB – 512GB SSD
Battery life is greatSilent in useFanless design could impact performanceNo new design
When Apple ditched Intel’s chips for its own M1 silicon in 2020, it was a real game changer for the laptop market – Apple or otherwise. The new processor gives the MacBook Air a serious performance boost, which thankfully, has not come at the expense of battery life (our testing found it lasting an impressive 11 hours and 15 minutes in continuous movie playback).
Despite the significant power upgrade, Apple has priced this laptop at a better RRP than its predecessor, and it even gives other premium Ultrabooks such as the Dell XPS 13 a run for their money – something we never would have anticipated from Apple. You can expect to pay AU$1,499 for the model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, or AU$1,849 for the 512GB SSD version.
If you do have a couple hundred bucks to spare, we’d also suggest taking a look at the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020). That’ll get you better-sounding speakers, a more comfortable keyboard and a neat Touch Bar. The MacBook Pro also keeps its cooling fans (while the MacBook Air doesn’t) so it should be able to run more intensive tasks before performance is throttled.
Read our full Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review
Our favourite gaming laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Asus is leading AMD’s charge to dominance
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 16GB – 32GB | Screen: 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS panel, 120Hz – 14-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS panel, 60Hz | Storage: 512GB – 1TB SSD
Best battery life in a gaming laptopExcellent performanceLight and slimReasonably pricedNo webcamFans can get loud
We rate the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 as the best gaming laptop around. It’s outfitted with AMD’s Ryzen 4000 and 5000 series processors, which lend a lot of power to the Zephyrus G14. As for graphics, Asus has mixed with Nvidia to bring the latest RTX cards to the laptop.
Despite that seriously impressive power, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is reasonably priced and can be found for a fair whack less than the competition. There’ve been a few concessions to keep it that way though – the laptop is without a webcam, and it’s not as particularly good looking as the Razer laptops of the world.
With that said, the Zephyrus G14 is a thin and light laptop that also manages best-in-class battery life despite its gaming laptop status.
Read our full Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 review
Our favourite 2-in-1: Asus ZenBook Flip 13
A 2-in-1 laptop experience with little to no compromise
CPU: 11th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) | Storage: 512GB SSD
Strong build qualityExcellent battery lifeGenuinely good speakersWeak graphics performance
The Asus ZenBook Flip 13 moves easily between laptop, tent and tablet mode with its 360° hinge, and Asus promises it’s good for 20,000 cycles. It’s a solidly built, stylish piece of kit, and it comes packing Intel’s latest 11th generation chips, making it a powerful 2-in-1 laptop.
Housed within the body is a beautiful 13-inch screen with ultra-thin bezels on all four sides, so you’re able to make the most of the 1080p display. The front-facing Harman Kardon speakers sound genuinely good too, which can be rare on even the best of laptops.
With space at a premium, Asus has done something clever to keep the number pad too. It’s been integrated into the trackpad, and it appears in illuminated LED lights when you need it – pretty neat if you ask us.
Our favourite cheap student laptop: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook
A Chromebook for schoolwork, and then some
CPU: MediaTek P60T | Graphics: Mali-G72 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 10.1-inch FHD (1920 x 1200) touch | Storage: 128GB eMMC
Lightweight and portableGreat valueChrome OS is greatTiny keyboard and finicky trackpadCharger and headphones share a single port
If you’ve got the cash to spare for a MacBook Air, we’d argue that it’s the best student laptop in Australia, but if you’re just after something that’s cheap, then the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook is a great choice. It’s a 2-in-1, and for the unit itself paired with a detachable keyboard and stand cover, you’ll pay just AU$499 (and it’s often on sale too).
The internal specs aren’t anything to write home about, but what really matters here is Chrome OS, which we’ve found to be a richer experience than the equivalent Windows 10S. Google’s fantastic apps will be right at your fingertips, so it’s ideal for someone who does the majority of their schoolwork online (using Google Docs and the like).
You won’t be able to load up on Chrome tabs with reckless abandon, but for general web browsing, video streaming and basic productivity, the Duet does exactly what you want it to do. All told, this is the best value you’re going to find in a portable device of this kind.
Read our full Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook review
If you’re after some more further info on the best laptops, check out some of our other dedicated articles:
- Best laptops in Australia
- Best gaming laptops
- The best ultrabooks
- Best business laptops
- Best 2-in-1 laptops
Watch the video below for the top 7 things to consider when buying a laptop.
