Black Friday deals are already live, so why not consider a new laptop? Here's what I'd buy as an expert

It's hard to believe that Black Friday deals are already live at several retailers in the UK, but it's true. Currys, Argos, and John Lewis are just a few of the big names that have launched early seasonal sales this week - and naturally, that includes thousands of laptops.

Where to start? Well, luckily, I've been looking through thousands of listings this week, and I've already found great prices on laptops we'd recommend at TechRadar.

You can see my editor's picks just down below, including everything from super-cheap Chromebooks to high-end gaming laptops and Apple MacBooks. For ease of use, I've split my choices out into cheap, premium, and gaming laptops, so please feel free to scroll through based on what you're looking for.

Highlights include a huge £400 discount on this Snapdragon-equipped Microsoft Surface laptop at Currys, a MacBook Air M2 for just £699 at Argos, and this budget-friendly £599 gaming laptop at Very. Read more about these choices, and others, just down below.

While you're here, make sure you check out our ongoing Black Friday deals live blog for even more coverage of early retailer sales this weekend. Also see our main Black Friday page for other spotlights, roundups, and recommendations.

Early Black Friday laptop sales - quick links

• Argos: starting at just £129
• Currys: cheap MacBooks, gaming laptops
• John Lewis: £200 off Chromebooks and more
• Laptops Direct: 40% off all types of laptops
• Very: cheap laptops from £199

Early Black Friday laptop deals: cheap laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook: was £279 now £179 at Currys

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Processor: Intel Celeron
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB

<p>This version of the Lenovo Chromebook Slim 3 offers an impressive amount of power for the price. It includes a very basic Intel Celeron processor and only 128GB of storage, but you do get 8GB of RAM to boost performance, boot times and load times. Battery life is solid at up to 10 hours on a single charge, which is more than enough to last a full working day. At under £200, it's a bargain for school or college, or just as a home laptop that you use for light use and everyday tasks.

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Asus CM14 Flip Chromebook: was £349 now £228 at Currys

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Processor: MediaTek Kompanio 520
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB

<p>If you like a proper laptop setup, but would also appreciate the flexibility of a tablet, this Asus Chromebook gives you the best of both at a reasonable price. It's a very basic machine with only 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but that's fine for light use, schoolwork and everyday tasks, thanks to the simplistic and efficient ChromeOS. You also get the added versatility to flip the 14-inch display around to tablet mode at any time to make web browsing or watching videos even more comfortable. There's an impressive 14 hours of battery life, too.

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Acer Aspire Go laptop: £399 at Argos

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Processor: AMD Ryzen 5
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

<p>If I were shopping for a cheaper Windows 11 laptop in the Argos Black Friday sale, I'd go for this Acer Aspire Go. It's a decently sized 15.6-inch model with a respectable Ryzen 5 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. These are really great specs for everyday use - and should last you a few good years, too. It's not a super high-end machine, but it's much better than the cheaper options at the retailer today.

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Asus Vivobook: was £449 now £279 at very.co.uk

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Processor: Intel Core i3
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

<p>If you want a good value Windows laptop, then this configuration of the Asus Vivobook Go is a solid buy. It features an entry-level Intel i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a large 512GB SSD to ensure good performance for general use and a surprisingly large amount of speedy storage for the price. It's a top buy right now if you're on a budget and need a basic laptop for everyday use, admin tasks and light work.

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Early Black Friday laptop deals: premium laptops

Microsoft Surface Laptop: was £899 now £499 at Currys

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Processor: Snapdragon X Plus
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB

<p>Microsoft knocked it out of the park with its latest range of Surface Laptops – and now you can pick one up for a fantastic low price at Currys, following this £400 saving when you use the code 'Copilot100' at checkout. It's a powerful mid-range version of the device, too, with the super-efficient Snapdragon X Plus processor and 16GB of RAM ensuring speedy performance and amazing battery life of up to 23 hours. Storage is a bit pathetic at 256GB, but that's enough for essential files and applications, especially if you rely on a lot of web services such as Google Docs.

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Lenovo IdeaPad 5x laptop: was £899.99 now £599.99 at John Lewis

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Processor: Snapdragon X
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

<p>We haven't reviewed this iteration specifically, but we've always found the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 to be a solid and sturdy laptop for the money. It's not a high-end model, but this listing is for a surprisingly premium configuration, complete with a Snapdragon X chipset, heaps of storage, and a lavish OLED display. Because this is a Snapdragon model, though, you'll want to make sure all your favourite apps are fully supported before you jump onboard.

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Apple MacBook Air 13 (M2): was £749 now £699 at Argos

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Processor: Apple M2
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB

<p>This is an older MacBook Air (it's two generations older, in fact), but it's still a decent buy. The M2 chipset in this machine will still hold up great for the basics, and should last a few good years down the line, too. The downside with this particular model is its slightly dated design, with thicker display bezels versus the later iterations. Argos is currently listing this one as a 2024 MacBook, but note this is in fact a 2022 model with an upgraded 16GB of RAM.

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Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4): was £999 now £879 at Laptops Direct

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Processor: Apple M4
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB

<p>Speaking of newer models, the specialist retailer Laptops Direct currently has the exceptional MacBook Air M4 on sale with a deal that matches the previous record-low. I was personally hoping for a deeper price cut but this is still easily one of the best laptop deals on the market right now. We rate the latest MacBook Air as the <a href="https://stealprices.shop/news/mobile-computing/laptops/best-laptops-1304361">best laptop for most people right now thanks to its compelling mix of a high-end design, heaps of performance, and value. Today's deal further adds to the value!<p>Note, you may need to disable your adblocker for our link to work.

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Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M4): was £1,499 now £1,419.97 at Laptops Direct

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Processor: Apple M4
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

<p>Here's another superb MacBook Pro deal from Laptops Direct on the slightly older M4 Pro 14-inch model. This one has just been superseded by a new M5 variant, but it's still a wildly powerful machine that will last many good years down the line. With £80, today's deal brings this machine back down to its lowest price yet. It is a price that we've seen before on occasion, however.<p>Note, you may need to disable your adblocker for our link to work.

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Early Black Friday laptop deals: gaming laptops

MSI Cyborg 15 gaming laptop: was £799 now £599 at very.co.uk

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Graphics card: GeForce RTX 3050
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB

<p>Strictly on a budget? Very's current clearance deal on this MSI gaming laptop is a record-low. Yes, it's a little older now, but this entry-level machine is still worth checking out at £599 if you're happy with the basics. With an RTX 3050 and Core i5 chipset, you should be able to play a fair amount of games smoothly at 1080p. For demanding titles, however, I would recommend trying to spend a little more.

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Acer Nitro V15 gaming laptop: was £899 now £699.99 at Currys

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Graphics card: GeForce RTX 4050
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

<p>Another really good budget option - you're getting a decent Ryzen 7 chipset with this discounted Asus Nitro at Currys. That should pair up nicely with the RTX 4050 graphics card for decent performance at 1080p resolution if you're willing to tweak a few settings here or there. Overall, a solid pick that I could see as doubling-up as a good cheap laptop for work or university.

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MSI Cyborg 15 gaming laptop: was £1,149 now £999 at Laptops Direct

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Graphics card: GeForce RTX 5060
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB

<p>If you've got a little bit of cash to spend, you could consider picking up something a little more up-to-date (and powerful), like this MSI Cyborg 15 at Laptops Direct. Not only do you get the excellent RTX 5060 under the hood here, but you're also getting one of the latest Intel Core 7 chipsets. While this machine still only features a 1080p display, you should get plenty of performance here.<p>Note, you may have to turn off your ad blocker for this link to work.

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Medion Erazer gaming laptop: was £1,199 now £1,079 at Argos

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Graphics card: RTX 5060
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB

<p>A 10% discount makes this Medion gaming laptop more affordable in today's Argos Black Friday sale. It doesn't come cheap, of course, but you get a powerful RTX 5060 graphics card here, which is more than enough to play all the latest games smoothly at 1080p resolution. You can consider this one an investment if you just want a quick laptop that will last a few years without having to fiddle with the settings.

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