This is the gaming laptop deal you should buy right now if you value portability

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE on blue background with don't miss text overlay

(Image credit: Future)

If you're searching for a gaming laptop that offers the perfect balance between power and portability then we'd highly recommend checking out the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE at just $999 (was $1,599) at Best Buy.

An absolutely huge $600 price cut brings this premium 14-inch machine down into the mid-to-upper range price brackets for gaming laptop deals, offering exceptional value for those with a bit of cash to spend.

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE 14-inch gaming laptop: was $1,599 now $999.99 at Best Buy
Processor: Intel Core i7-12700H
Graphics card: RTX 3060
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB

Here's an absolutely awesome gaming laptop deal from Best Buy on the superb Acer Predator Triton 300 SE. This particular machine is on the pricey end for an RTX 3060-equipped laptop but comes with a superb processor, 16GB of RAM, and a decent amount of storage. The biggest selling point, however, is the gorgeous 14-inch design that looks both classy and scores big on the portability side. If you want a premium machine for gaming on the go, this is a superb choice.

Deal rating: 5 / 5

Reasons to buy

Lightweight, premium design

The biggest selling point for the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is its incredibly lightweight and slick design, which doesn't immediately scream 'gamer' unlike some choices. Its fully metal chassis and understated aesthetic mean it's a laptop that's perfectly suited to blending in outside of gaming scenarios. Overall, it's more akin to a high-end Apple MacBook than one of the best gaming laptops.

Powerful (for the size)

Despite weighing in at just 1.7kg and having a relatively small 14-inch form factor, the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE still manages to pack in some fantastic specs. This particular model features a combination of a relatively high-end RTX 3060 graphics card, a decent Intel Core i7-12700H processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Overall, these are great specs and should have no problem maxing out a ton of games on the display's native 1080p resolution. We haven't tested this particular model but our Acer Predator Triton 300 SE (2021) review found the previous iteration with an 11th gen chip to be a great performer.

Reasons to avoid

Fairly expensive for an RTX 3060 gaming laptop

Even with an absolutely insane $600 off at Best Buy, this Acer Predator Triton 300 SE is still on the pricey side. We've seen RTX 3060 gaming laptop deals go for as little as $740 before, so those who are purely on a budget may want to consider waiting it out. On the plus side, these cheaper machines don't tend to feature a full kit of 16GB RAM, a Core i7 processor, or a design that's as good as this Triton.

Difficult to upgrade

The Triton 300 SE's soldered RAM means that you'll be unable to upgrade this specific component down the line – you'll essentially be locked-in to 16GB. For us, this isn't a huge deal breaker as 16GB is more than enough for gaming and the RAM is the most recent DDR5 type (very speedy at 4800Mhz).

Other great gaming laptop deals this week

Asus ROG Zephyrus 14 gaming laptop: was $1,649 now $1,099.99 at Best Buy
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9-6900HS
Graphics card: Radeon RX 6700S
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 1TB

Another superb contender if you value portability, Best Buy also has a huge price cut on this Asus Zephyrus G14 right now. This small but mighty laptop is one of our favorites here at TechRadar and this model with a Ryzen 9-6900HS, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, Radeon RX 6700S, and 1TB SSD gets the double thumbs-up from us. These are superb specs for the price and the excellent design and 1440p display make this one an easy recommendation.

Deal rating: 5/5

MSI GF65 15.6-inch gaming laptop: was $806 now $789 at Amazon
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
Graphics card: RTX 3060
RAM: 8GB
SSD: 512GB

This MSI GF65 is one of the cheapest RTX 3060 gaming laptop deals you'll find right now and it's an easy recommendation if you're looking for a nice balance of power and price. With a powerful GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD, this is a great machine for the money – slightly older processor aside. Note, we've seen this one listed for as low as $738 before but it's still a great buy at this slightly higher price.

Deal rating: 4/5

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Alex is TechRadar's deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the best bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He's a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex's expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.