5 of the best laptop deals available this week from Dell, Walmart and Best Buy

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - AMD Ryzen 5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB

I rarely see a laptop with these specs for under $300 – especially the 16GB of RAM that'll give it a huge performance boost – so this tops my list of the best laptop deals available now. The rest of the components are about as expected for the price, so this device is ideal for general everyday use and light work tasks. Battery life is decent, too, at up to 12 hours.

Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB

This Asus Chromebook Plus is great value for money if you need a basic everyday device but don't want to compromise too heavily on performance like you would with a sub-$200 laptop. An Intel i3 processor and 8GB of RAM is a decent pairing with the lightweight ChromeOS, so it's capable of general tasks and light use, such as web browsing, sending emails, word processing and watching videos. Just be aware it's missing some advanced features of a Windows machine and has limited storage, but benefits include better performance with cheaper components and excellent battery life.

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel i7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

If you want a Windows machine then this configuration of the Dell Inspiron 15 is an excellent buy and terrific value for money. You get an Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD to ensure excellent overall performance and enough essential speedy storage for the price. It's a top buy right now if you have a reasonable budget and need a strong mid-range laptop for general everyday use, admin tasks, light work, or schoolwork.

Display - 13 inches
Processor - Apple M1
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB

It blows my mind that Walmart still has stock of the MacBook Air M1 after dropping it to a new lowest-ever price of $599 over Black Friday. Newer M2 and M3 models are available, but you won't find anything with better value for money than this if you're shopping for a powerful all-around laptop, so grab it before it's gone for good – even though it's now $50 more expensive. Our MacBook Air M1 review awarded the device 4.5 stars out of five, praising Apple's premium device for its speed, responsiveness, beautiful design and long-lasting battery life.

Display - 13.4 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X Plus
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB

This is the lowest price I've seen for one of the new Dell XPS 13 models. It comes with one of the latest Snapdragon processors that boast fantastic all-around performance and exceptional battery life of around 17 hours. We called these out as the main positives in our Dell XPS 13 review, alongside the gorgeous 13.4-inch display and sleek overall design. The miserly amount of storage is a little disappointing, but this is still a high-end premium device if you need speed, performance, and responsiveness for coding, multitasking, and creative tasks.