Windows Central's highest-rated laptops are already on sale ahead of Black Friday — save up to $640 with my shopping advice

Black Friday Windows laptop deals
Some of our favorite laptops, including PCs from Dell, Lenovo, ASUS, and Razer, are on sale. (Image credit: Lenovo | Razer | Dell | ASUS | Future)

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just a few weeks away, everything from the latest Copilot+ PCs to everyday bargain laptops are already seeing discounts. I know many of our readers take our buying advice to heart, so I've put together this collection of top deals on all of our favorite Windows laptops in 2024.

No sale on your favorite PC? No problem; check out the suggested alternatives to land a discount and still get a great PC. I'm keeping this guide up-to-date as Black Friday approaches, so check back if you don't see your desired laptop on sale.

Black Friday 2024: Best deals on our highest-rated Windows laptops

Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9)Was: $1,649.99Now: $1,349.99 at Best Buy
Best overall

Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9)
Was:
$1,649.99
Now:
$1,349.99 at Best Buy

"There's no way to simplify this: Of all the laptops I've used recently, I think the Yoga 9i is the best of the bunch (assuming you're not a gamer or need a mobile workstation). The 14-inch 90Hz OLED display is fantastic, the quad audio with speaker bar is very functional, typing is excellent, and the design is simply A+." — Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Anyone who wants the best premium convertible PC, including creators and TV watchers.

❌Avoid if: You're primarily a gamer, don't want a convertible design, or you need 5G connectivity.

Display: 14 inches, 4K, OLED, touch, 400 nits Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H Graphics: Intel Arc (integrated) Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✖️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: $1,380 at Lenovo (16GB, 2.8K OLED)

🤩Alternative deal: 25% off Yoga 7i (Gen 9) at Lenovo

Dell XPS 14 (9440)Was: $1,499.99Now: $1,199.99 at Dell
Best 14-inch

Dell XPS 14 (9440)
Was:
$1,499.99
Now:
$1,199.99 at Dell

"With its compact size, beefy Intel H-series processor, NPU, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU, the Dell XPS 14 packs a punch while looking like no other laptop on the market. Dell's new full HD webcam is also excellent, and the quad speakers and OLED touch display set the bar for other laptops. Battery life is its only weakness, and even that is better than expected." — Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Those who prioritize design over raw performance; upgrade to an RTX 4050 discrete GPU for more creative power.

❌Avoid if: You prefer a more traditional design, want a convertible PC, or prioritize gaming.

Display: 14.5 inches, 1920x1200, 60Hz, 500 nits Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H Graphics: Intel Arc (integrated) Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✖️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: Dell.com

Return period: 30 days. Price match: Yes. Free shipping: Yes. Membership: Dell Rewards gets you up to 3% back in Rewards, free expedited shipping, exclusive discounts.

💰Price check: $1,619.99 at Best Buy

🤩Alternative deal: $600 off Dell XPS 16 (Ultra 9, RTX 4060)

HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)Was: $1,449.99Now: $899.99 at HP
Best convertible

HP Spectre x360 14 (2024)
Was:
$1,449.99
Now:
$899.99 at HP

"HP's Spectre x360 14 isn't the most exciting premium Windows laptop on the market, but the latest version is powerful, quiet, easily lasts a full day of work, and is supremely comfortable to use. It's a near-perfect laptop for anyone who wants a straightforward, premium 2-in-1 Ultrabook." — Zachary Boddy, Staff Writer

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Anyone who wants a powerful and versatile laptop with long battery life; also boasts an incredible touchpad and keyboard.

❌Avoid if: You want something with a discrete GPU for gaming or prefer a non-convertible design.

Display: 14 inches, 2880x1800, OLED, touch, 500 nits Processor: Intel Core Ultra 5 125H Graphics: Intel Arc (integrated) Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✖️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: HP.com

Return period: 30 days. Price match? Yes. Free shipping: Yes. Membership: HP Rewards earns you points, free shipping, and more.

💰Price check: $500 off at Best Buy (Ultra 7, 32GB, 2TB, 2.8K OLED)

🤩Alternative deal: $550 off Spectre x360 16 (2024) at HP

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)Was: $1,999.99Now: $1,749.99 at Best Buy
Best gaming

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
Was:
$1,999.99
Now:
$1,749.99 at Best Buy

"ASUS has redesigned its Zephyrus G14 with a beautiful, slim, light aluminum chassis. It's ridiculously portable and doesn't skimp on the power, so it can play any modern game without breaking a sweat. There's an absurd level of quality and polish here for an ASUS ROG machine, but such a thin chassis leads to more heat, meaning the Zephyrus G14 can't push its hardware to the max." — Zachary Boddy, Staff Writer

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Gamers who want an ultraportable design with premium features throughout.

❌Avoid if: You want the most power possible and don't mind a larger and heavier laptop.

Display: 14 inches, 2880x1800, 120Hz Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✖️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: $1,900 at Newegg

🤩Alternative deal: $400 off Zephyrus G16 (Ultra 9, RTX 4070) at Best Buy

HP Dragonfly G4Was: $1,989Now: $1,347.50 at Amazon
Best business

HP Dragonfly G4
Was:
$1,989
Now:
$1,347.50 at Amazon

"The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is the best business-class 13-inch laptop we have used. With optional 5G, a very good display, an excellent keyboard, touchpad, and speakers, it checks all the right boxes for the mobile professional who demands the best (and lightest at 2.2lbs) laptop around." — Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: XX

❌Avoid if: XX

Display: 13.5 inches, 1920x1280, IPS, 400 nits Processor: Intel Core i7-1355U Graphics: Intel Graphics (integrated) Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✖️ AI PC: ✖️ Launch date: 2023

👉See at: Amazon.com

Return period: 30 days. Price match? No. Free shipping: $25-35 minimum. Membership: Amazon Prime w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, music, video, ebook, & audiobook access, & more.

💰Price check: $1,499 (Core i5, 16GB, 512GB) at HP

🤩Alternative deal: $1,777 off EliteBook 1040 G11 at HP

Surface Laptop 7 (15")Was: $1,699.99Now: $1,394.99 at Best Buy (Plus members only)
Best Copilot+ PC

Surface Laptop 7 (15")
Was:
$1,699.99
Now:
$1,394.99 at Best Buy (Plus members only)

"Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7 is the clamshell form factor perfected. With a gorgeous new design, incredible keyboard and trackpad, smooth 120Hz display, good all-day battery life, and excellent Snapdragon X Elite processor under the hood, this is the laptop to beat in 2024." — Zac Bowden, Senior Editor

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Anyone who wants the best Copilot+ PC on the market, with all-day battery life, amazing keyboard, and strong performance.

❌Avoid if: You play AAA games or don't want to deal with ARM64 emulation or incompatibility with some apps.

Display: 15 inches, 2496x1664, 120Hz, 600 nits, touch Processor: Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-80) Graphics: Adreno (integrated) Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✔️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: $1,394.14 at Microsoft

🤩Alternative deal: $162 off Surface Laptop 7 (13") at Walmart

Razer Blade 18Was: $3,099.99Now: $2,799.99 at Best Buy
Premium gaming

Razer Blade 18
Was:
$3,099.99
Now:
$2,799.99 at Best Buy

"Razer sticks to its plans with the monstrous Blade 18 and doesn't change the fundamental design for its 2024 refresh. Instead, it makes incremental improvements and delivers an ultra-powerful 14th Gen Intel HX processor with the latest Wi-Fi 7 tech and Thunderbolt 5 USB-C standard. The RTX 4090 inside is still the most powerful GPU you can get in a laptop, and it performs best in the Blade 18 (2024) with zero issues running any game you can think of. It'll cost you a fortune, but Razer isn't ripping you off — it's still the best gaming laptop in the world." — Ben Wilson, Senior Editor

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Anyone who wants the best performance hardware possible in a laptop, as well as a huge and high-performance display.

❌Avoid if: You prefer something that's portable and that runs less hot.

Display: 18 inches, 2560x1600, 300Hz Processor: Intel Core i9-14900HX Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Laptop Memory: 32GB DDR5 Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✖️ AI PC: ✖️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: $2,799.99 at Razer

🤩Alternative deal: $500 off Alienware m18 (Core i9, RTX 4070) at Dell

Surface Pro 11Was: $999.99Now: $882.99 at Best Buy (Plus members only)
Best 2-in-1

Surface Pro 11
Was:
$999.99
Now:
$882.99 at Best Buy (Plus members only)

"Powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X processor and now with a stunning 120Hz OLED display and flexible Flex Keyboard, Microsoft's new Surface Pro 11 is the most exciting version since the original Surface Pro. Excellent performance and battery life make this Copilot+ PC a must-recommend." — Daniel Rubino, Editor-in-Chief

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Those who want the best of Windows 11/Copilot+ in the 2-in-1 form factor perfected.

❌Avoid if: You want to game a lot, you're a video editor, or you prefer a more traditional form factor.

Display: 13 inches, 2880x1920, touch, HDR, 120Hz Processor: Snapdragon X Plus Graphics: Adreno (integrated) Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x Storage: 256GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✔️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: From $999.99 at Microsoft

🤩Alternative deal: $1,090 (9% off) at Amazon

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 9)Was: $1,199.99Now: $899.99 at Best Buy
Best ARM convertible

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x (Gen 9)
Was:
$1,199.99
Now:
$899.99 at Best Buy

"With the Yoga Slim 7x, Lenovo has made a laptop so effortlessly easy to recommend it has instantly made my job as the "tech person" in the family significantly easier. This new-generation Windows on ARM device is sleek, beautiful, rocks an incredible OLED display, boasts amazing performance and long-lasting endurance, and does everything you need it to for hundreds less than you'd expect. It's the highest rated laptop I have ever reviewed." — Zachary Boddy, Staff Writer

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Those who want all-day battery life, a slightly larger display than usual, and a versatile convertible design.

❌Avoid if: You're a full-time gamer or don't want to deal with some ARM64 emulation or app incompatibility (which is shrinking).

Display: 14.5 inches, 2944x1840, 90Hz, 1000 nits, touch Processor: Snapdragon X Elite (X1E-78) Graphics: Adreno (integrated) Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x Storage: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✔️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: From $1,199 at Lenovo

🤩Alternative deal: 16% off Slim 7i 14 (Core Ultra 5) at Lenovo

ASUS ProArt P16 (2024)Now: $1,899.99 at Best Buy
Best for creators

ASUS ProArt P16 (2024)
Now:
$1,899.99 at Best Buy

"The ASUS ProArt P16 (2024) is a gorgeous and immensely powerful laptop aimed directly at creatives, artists, and engineers. It packs the latest AMD and NVIDIA hardware and AI capabilities, the 4K OLED display is wonderful, and the hardware is incredibly refined. This is an excellent laptop no matter how you look at it, but it is very expensive and still suffers from the inconsistent endurance we've come to expect from such powerful PCs." — Rebecca Spear, Editor

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Those who require a powerful PC for creative work, with plenty of premium features and a gorgeous AMOLED display.

❌Avoid if: You're a more casual user who doesn't need to pay for all of the extra creator features.

Display: 16 inches, 4K, AMOLED, 60Hz, 500 nits Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Copilot+: ✔️ AI PC: ✔️ Launch date: 2024

👉See at: BestBuy.com

Return period: 15 days. Price match? Yes (also applies within return period). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: My Best Buy w/ free shipping, exclusive deals, 60-day return period, & expanded support.

💰Price check: From $2,429 at Amazon

🤩Alternative deal: The ProArt P16 isn't currently discounted, but check out the XPS 16 (9660) that's now $600 off at Dell.

Why trust me?
Cale Hunt, Windows Central
Why trust me?
Cale Hunt

I've been personally writing about and testing laptops since 2016, with countless laptop reviews to my name. I've also been covering Black Friday and Cyber Monday events for just as long, and the combination allows me to deliver insightful buying advice anytime you need a new PC, discounted or not.

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

How to buy the right Windows laptop for you

There are a lot of great Windows laptops on the market, but only one is right for you. (Image credit: Windows Central | Zachary Boddy)

Laptops are my passion, and I can confidently say the same for most of my colleagues at Windows Central. The team spends countless hundreds of hours testing and reviewing all of the latest PCs every year, which makes it easy to create a curated selection of the top Windows laptops available in 2024.

While the list is constantly changing as we discover and test new PCs, you can rest assured that you're getting one of the best PCs possible when you take advantage of our buying advice.

All of the laptops in this collection of early Black Friday deals are highly rated and have received Windows Central Best or Recommended Awards, but not every PC works for every user.

That's where the following laptop-buying advice, coupled with the great deals listed above, can help.

What's your price range?

New Windows laptops come in a wide range of prices. You want to be careful that you don't overspend on unneeded features and performance, but you also don't want to underspend and wind up with a laptop lacking the goods you require.

Of course, major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday will seriously skew pricing, but for the better. Here's a look at the common prices for Windows laptops when not on sale.

  • $400 - $700: These can be considered "budget" Windows laptops, and while they're easier to buy, they usually have some major drawbacks. You want to keep an eye on the display resolution (make sure it's at least 1080p), battery capacity/runtime, and performance hardware.
  • $700 - $1,000: Mid-range Windows laptops will often have a mix of attractive features as well as some cut corners. At the top end of this range, you'll also start to see some feature-laden and premium laptops with lesser-performance hardware to keep prices down.
  • $1,000 - $1,500: Many of the best Windows laptops we reviewed this year fall into this price range. You can expect a well-balanced PC with strong performance, battery life, and features.
  • $1,500 - $2,000: You're now looking at the price range for specialized tasks, including gaming, creation, development, and design. You'll often see a discrete GPU and/or a high-res display.
  • $2,000+: These PCs will usually offer the best performance, display, security, and design. Laptops in this price range are usually the most tempting, but the reality is most people will find a great PC for a lot less money.

How do you use your laptop?

How you plan to use your laptop is a key ingredient in the buying process. Some people just want an affordable PC to handle video streaming, web browsing, and email, while others need something that will run the latest AAA games or demanding design software.

Here's a look at the three common usage categories as well as what you can usually expect to pay at full price.

  • Light usage: Casual web browsing, writing emails, video streaming, and student homework don't usually require much power or a high-end display. You should be able to shop within the $400 to $700 range.
  • Standard usage: Heavier web browsing with lots of tabs, casual gaming, spreadsheets, and photo editing all benefit from a stronger CPU, more memory, more storage, and a higher-quality display. Expect to shop in the $700 to $1,500 range.
  • Heavy usage: Dedicated gaming, design and editing software, and engineering tools all work best with a powerful CPU, dedicated GPU, and quality display with a high refresh rate and accurate color reproduction. Expect to pay $1,500 or more. 👉 See our favorite gaming laptops

What form factor do you prefer?

Windows laptops typically come in one of three form factors. Sure, dual-screen laptops like the Yoga Book 9i (Gen 9) and ASUS Zenbook Duo break away from the traditional categories, but they're rare. Here's what you can expect when shopping for a Windows laptop in 2024:

  • Notebook: The most common form factor is a clamshell notebook with a lid that can open, at most, 180 degrees. Gaming laptops are usually notebooks, as there isn't much use for a convertible design.
  • Convertible: Convertible laptops are usually heavier and more expensive than notebooks due to the extra engineering that goes into 360-degree hinges and a touch display. These are great for media consumption and drawing since most have pen support.
  • 2-in-1: This is the form factor made famous by the Surface Pro. 2-in-1 PCs have a removable keyboard and touchpad, allowing you to use the main portion like a true tablet. 2-in-1s have a touch display and usually come with inking support. 👉 See our favorite 2-in-1 laptops

Do you need an AI PC?

Copilot is available in all Windows 11 PCs, but an AI PC takes things to the next level with a built-in NPU. (Image credit: Windows Central)

AI PCs have become very popular in 2024, but you might not need one. Technically, an AI PC is any laptop with a processor, or System-on-Chip (SoC) joined by a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI tasks. Intel Core Ultra, AMD Ryzen AI 300, and Snapdragon X chips all qualify.

Taking the AI PC one step further, Microsoft's Copilot+ PC program adds exclusive AI tools to Windows 11 for laptops with an NPU capable of at least 40 TOPS of power.

Do you really need to worry about all this? In my opinion, no; if you find a great laptop that fits all other requirements, I wouldn't worry about whether or not it has an NPU. The overall scope of an AI or Copilot+ laptop is still quite limited. I'd focus more on the efficiency and power provided by the latest Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD chips.

👉 See our favorite AI PCs

👉 See our favorite Copilot+ PCs

How we test and rate Windows laptops

Daniel Rubino is lead reviewer and Editor-in-Chief at Windows Central, and he spends a lot of time testing all of the latest models. (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

The laptops received by the team at Windows Central are essentially "adopted" during the review process, allowing us to get a general feel for what works and what doesn't. But our reviews go far beyond just a general vibe.

Laptops are complicated machines, so a lot is required for a full test. We check hinge strength, chassis durability, port speed, camera quality, and speaker audio for any notable strengths or weaknesses. We test fan noise with a decimeter and display quality with a colorimeter. Plus, we run various benchmarks with the latest software to check internal hardware performance.

Because we use these laptops during the review process, a Windows battery report can easily show average runtimes. However, we also run specialized battery rundown benchmarks to provide a more accurate comparison between models.

Each section, including design, keyboard, touchpad, audio, camera, performance, battery life, and more, is assigned a score, which is then tabulated for an overall grade.

All of the laptops in this collection of Black Friday deals are rated at four stars or higher. This puts them in the "above average" and "best" categories, so you know you're getting a great PC no matter what.

Be sure to check out a more detailed breakdown of how we review laptops at Windows Central for more information.

When is Black Friday 2024?

Black Friday 2024 officially begins on November 29, 2024. It coincides with Thanksgiving in the US every year, offering some intriguing savings while visiting with friends and family.

Just because Black Friday doesn't officially kick off until the end of November doesn't mean you can't find great deals already. Some major retailers are even offering Black Friday price protection on select products, as well as extended holiday returns.

When is Cyber Monday 2024?

Cyber Monday follows Black Friday by a few days; this year, it lands on December 2, 2024. It puts more of a focus on digital storefronts, with many Black Friday sales on tech items carrying over. Some see an even further discount on Cyber Monday, though in my experience since 2016, you can usually find the best prices on Black Friday.

CATEGORIES
Cale Hunt
Contributor

Cale Hunt brings to Windows Central more than eight years of experience writing about laptops, PCs, accessories, games, and beyond. If it runs Windows or in some way complements the hardware, there’s a good chance he knows about it, has written about it, or is already busy testing it.