Best early Prime Day laptop deals to shop in October 2024

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale kicks off next month, and that means big deals on laptops are on the horizon. We've taken a look at all the best early deals from the top manufacturers, including Apple, Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and more for the best deals on machines for every budget that you can shop now. 

Also: The best October Prime Day deals live now

From Apple's industry-leading MacBook Pro to light and accessible Chromebooks, these are the most impactful early deals we've seen. Although Prime Day doesn't officially kick off until Oct. 8-9, some solid deals are live now so you can get ahead of the crowds.

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Our favorite early Amazon October Prime Day laptop deals

Apple MacBook Pro M3 14-inch for $1,299 (19% off): Apple's M3 MacBook Pro is our tested pick for the best laptop out there in terms of performance and hardware. At just $1,299, this is one of the lowest price points we've seen.
Apple MacBook Air M3 13-inch for $929 (15% off): The MacBook Air with the M3 chip remains one of the thinnest, lightest laptops available. With Apple's powerful M3 chip on board, this is a laptop that can multitask demanding tasks with ease.  Apple MacBook Air M2 13-inch for $849 (15% off): The previous version of Apple's MacBook Air with the M2 processor is no slouch. The MacBook Air with 2022's M2 chip allows for some additional savings.  Acer Nitro 16 Gaming Laptop for $957 (25% off): This staple from Acer's gaming series features a 16-inch display with a blazing 165Hz refresh rate along with 1TB of storage.
Asus Zenbook Duo Laptop for $1,504 (11% off): Asus' Duo is a game-changing machine with its dual 14-inch OLED displays and powerful hardware, allowing for a wide range of configurations that creatives will love.

More October Prime Day 2024 laptop deals

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET ASUS ROG Strix G16 for $1,277 (9% off): As one of the most respected lines of gaming laptops, Asus' ROG Strix G16 offers commendable hardware (an Intel Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU) on a 16-inch, FHD 165Hz display. Lenovo IdeaPad 1 for $399 (save $50): Lenovo's IdeaPads are designed to be accessible, well-rounded laptops for a diverse range of users, and the IdeaPad 1 is a solid option. The 8GB of RAM and 512 GB of memory on board are an accessible configuration for a machine that's well-equipped for the basics at a price that you can't argue with. Asus Chromebook CM14 Laptop for $168 (40% off) - Asus' CM14 is a sleek and lightweight Chromebook that comes loaded with the streamlined ChromeOS for getting the basics done on an efficient machine. And for this price, you can't ask for a more affordable device.   

FAQs

When is Amazon's October Prime Day 2024? 

Amazon Prime Day event lasts from Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Wednesday, Oct. 9, but there are noteworthy deals both before and after those days.

Are laptops really cheaper on Prime Day? 

Amazon hasn't historically been the premiere destination for laptop deals, but the ones it lists for Prime Day have been too good to ignore. The MacBook deals, for example, were pretty major when they first dropped, since Apple is notorious for being restrictive about sales. The deals on Prime Day have gotten better each year, with more and more manufacturers participating with a broader range of devices. 

How did we choose these October Prime Day deals?

We searched for laptop deals on Amazon that are significant markdowns from their regular prices, and on products that we have either gone hands-on ourselves or can vouch for as solid laptops worth consideration. We also used various price trackers to ensure that a claimed deal wasn't spurious.

We have concentrated on quality products from leading vendors, as discounts on these laptops are likely to be most sought-after by potential buyers.

When compiling the list of the best deals, we considered the following:

Price: Naturally, the price point of our recommended laptops has to include a worthwhile discount. While some discounts are small in relation to an overall price tag - for example, $30 off a $150 device - and other discounts are in the hundreds of dollars, we wanted to ensure that in any case, it's value for money. Features: We included a range of laptops with features sure to appeal to you, including different screen sizes, processors, memory options, and storage. Furthermore, these laptops include varying levels of security, parental lock options, and display resolutions. Use cases: At ZDNET, we also took into account different use cases. You might be in the market for a budget-friendly, basic laptop for a child, for example, or you may need a future-proof laptop suitable for work. Or, it might be a gaming device you're after. So, we have compiled a set of recommendations based on different purposes.