Don’t waste your time and money; I handpicked the best Black Friday deals on laptops, PCs, and Xbox gaming accessories

Black Friday deals at Windows Central
The best Black Friday deals handpicked by Windows Central (Image credit: Windows Central)

I might as well call this Black Friday month because that's the all-encompassing event that usually delivers the savings we've been waiting for. Black Friday officially starts on Friday, November 29, 2024, with Cyber Monday following on December 2 to further encroach on the excitement of the holidays. Still, it's the best time to grab a bargain on the usually-expensive tech on the wishlists of your favorite people (or yourself if you're craving some self-care.)

Most retailers aren't willing to wait until Black Friday to launch deals, as usual, and plenty of price-crunching discounts are already live. My colleagues highlight their favorite deals under individual spotlights with breakdowns and explanations of what makes them great, but I'm hand-picking the biggest and best for a curated list here — let's get right to the point.

Recent updates

November 19, 2024: I've added new deals from Geekom, Dell, and MSI, plus I updated the other great deals that are still going strong. — Cale Hunt

🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃

Black Friday deals on mini Windows PCs

Geekom AE8Was: $799Now: $639 at Geekom (with code)20% discount code:
Exclusive discount

Geekom AE8
Was:
$799
Now:
$639 at Geekom (with code)
20% discount code: WINDOWSAE8

Customer reviews: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ @ Amazon

✅Perfect for: Those who want strong Ryzen 9 performance, lots of memory, and 1TB of storage in a small chassis with lots of ports.

❌Avoid if: You're a gamer who wants a discrete GPU for gaming, or you want a full-size PC that's easier to upgrade in the future.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS. GPU: AMD Radeon 780M. RAM: 32GB DDR5. Storage: 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe. Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. Warranty: 3-Year. Launch date: 2024

👉See at: Geekom.com

Return period: 30 days. Free shipping: Yes. Warranty: 3 years

💰Price check: $749 at Amazon

🤩Alternative deal: $50 off Geekom AE8 (Ryzen 7) at Amazon

Black Friday deals on handheld PC gaming

ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1, 512GB)Was: $499.99Now: $399.99 at Walmart
The best Windows handheld 🪟

ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1, 512GB)
Was:
$499.99
Now:
$399.99 at Walmart

"I personally like the ROG Ally quite a lot and find myself wanting to play with it every day. It gives me plenty of freedom to get the Ally doing exactly what I want and access any gaming service I want. I love how light and balanced it feels in my hands, and the fact that it's the only modern gaming handheld that doesn't make my hands cramp up is enormous. Plus, it can run my best PC games rather easily."

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Anyone who wants an affordable, well-balanced gaming handheld that runs Windows for access to plenty of games.

❌Avoid if: You want as much power as possible, as this version has the Ryzen Z1 chipset instead of the Z1 Extreme.

Display: 7-inch IPS LCD, 16:9 aspect ratio, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 500nits brightness, multi-touch support. Processor: AMD Ryzen Z1 w/ Radeon graphics. Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM. Storage: 512GB M.2 2230 PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD. OS: Windows 11 w/ ASUS Armoury Crate. Weight: 608g (1.34lbs). Included freebies: Crunchyroll Premium (60-days). Warranty: 2-year Standard. Launch date: 2023.

👉See at: Walmart.com

Return period: 90 days (Walmart) / 30-days (Marketplace). Price match? Yes (Only in-store, only for Walmart online pricing). Free shipping: $35 minimum. Membership: Walmart Plus w/ free shipping & deliveries, exclusive deals & deal early access, & more.

💰Price check: $499 at Amazon

🤩Alternative deal: ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 512GB) for $649.99 $549.99 at antonline

Lenovo Legion Go (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 512GB)Was: $699.99Now: $619 at Amazon
Still a great deal🥳

Lenovo Legion Go (Ryzen Z1 Extreme, 512GB)
Was:
$699.99
Now:
$619 at Amazon

"Thanks to its large 8.8-inch display, built-in kickstand, and detachable controllers, the Lenovo Legion Go stands out as one of the most versatile Windows gaming handhelds available. The casing is a bit thick and might be hard for some to hold. Additionally, battery life isn't ideal, the setting software is limited, and sometimes gameplay can be choppy. However, the graphics render beautifully, and the combined effect of the gorgeous color gamut and crisp resolution of the display makes for a great visual experience." — Rebecca Spear

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Those who want the most versatile Windows-powered gaming handheld with detachable controllers, an FPS mouse mode, built-in kickstand, and a massive (and beautiful) display.

❌Avoid if: You want a more compact gaming handheld that's better for travel.

Display: 8.8-inch IPS LCD, 16:10 aspect ratio, QHD+ (2,560 x 1,600) resolution, 144Hz refresh rate. Processor: AMD Z1 Extreme w/ Radeon graphics. Memory: 16GB RAM. Storage: 512GB SSD. OS: Windows 11. Weight: 854g (1.88lbs). Included freebies: Crunchyroll Premium (60-days). Warranty: 1-year Limited. Launch date: 2023.

👉See at: Amazon.com

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

💰Price check: $699.99 at Best Buy

Black Friday deals on Xbox gaming

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months)Was: $49.99Now: $29.29 at CDKeys
Best value in gaming

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-months)
Was:
$49.99
Now:
$29.29 at CDKeys

Simply the cheapest way to play the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and a huge library of first and third-party games including Diablo 4, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 , the upcoming Indiana Jones and more.

👀 Full list of Xbox Game Pass games

✅Perfect for: Gamers who want access to a huge library of titles across Xbox and PC and to Xbox Cloud Gaming.

❌Avoid if: You only play free-to-play games like Fortnite and Call of Duty Warzone as you only need Xbox Game Pass Standard or Core.

👉Also available: 1-month Game Pass Ultimate was $16.99 now $11.49 at CDKeys

💰Price check: $49.99 at Best Buy

Seagate 2TB Xbox Series X|S SSDWas: $359.99Now: $199.99 at Best Buy
Best Xbox expansion

Seagate 2TB Xbox Series X|S SSD
Was:
$359.99
Now:
$199.99 at Best Buy

"Microsoft and Seagate partnered up on a slick memory card-style SSD expansion for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, filling demand where standard hard drives simply don't cut it. It's an almost-perfect solution that seamlessly expands your Xbox console, though it's hard to justify that high price tag." — Matt Brown, Jez Corden

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Adding 2TB to your Xbox with no fuss.

❌Avoid if: You'd rather use USB externals or want more than 2TB or storage.

👉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: $199.99 at Amazon

🤩Alternative deal: 1TB Seagate Expansion for $150 at Best Buy

Black Friday deals on laptops

Dell Inspiron 16 (7640)Was: $1,499.99Now: $999.99 at Best Buy
Mini-LED display

Dell Inspiron 16 (7640)
Was:
$1,499.99
Now:
$999.99 at Best Buy

"Anyone looking for a powerful laptop that can handle a mixture of day-to-day office work, more intensive rendering programs, and even some gaming will benefit from the Inspiron 16 Plus. Depending on the configuration, it can be a bit costly, but it's also well-priced, given the impressive performance of the hardware." — Rebecca Spear

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✅Perfect for: Getting a beautiful mini-LED display for less than normal. The Core Ultra 7 CPU and 32GB of RAM provide plenty of performance potential.

❌Avoid if: You don't mind working with an IPS display (which is always cheaper), or if you want a laptop made for gaming.

Display: 16 inches, 2560x1600, 165Hz, 300 nits, mini-LED. CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. GPU: Intel Arc (integrated). RAM: 32GB LPDDR5x. SSD: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe. AI PC: ✔️ Copilot+ 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: $900 at Dell (IPS display)

🤩Alternative deal: $200 off HP OmniBook X Copilot+ PC at Best Buy

ASUS Vivobook S 15Was: $899.99Now: $549.99 at Best Buy
Affordable Copilot+ PC

ASUS Vivobook S 15
Was:
$899.99
Now:
$549.99 at Best Buy

"Windows PCs finally have an answer to Apple Silicon in the form of Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X Elite, which elevates this laptop from a good one to a great one. With great performance, good battery life, an incredible screen, and an enjoyable keyboard and touchpad to boot." — Zac Bowden

Windows Central review ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

✅Perfect for: Those who want a powerful Copilot+ PC with a beautiful OLED display at a 2.8K resolution.

❌Avoid if: You're a gamer or you use software that doesn't work with Windows on ARM.

Display: 15.6 inches, 2880x1800, 120Hz, 600 nits, OLED. CPU: Snapdragon X Plus (X1P-42). GPU: Adreno (integrated). RAM: 16GB LPDDR5x. SSD: 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe. AI PC: ✔️ Copilot+ 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: $999.99 at Amazon (X Elite, 1TB SSD)

🤩Alternative deal: $550 off Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge at Best Buy

MSI Vector GP66HXWas: $2,249.99Now: $1,299.99 at Newegg
$950 off! 🔥

MSI Vector GP66HX
Was:
$2,249.99
Now:
$1,299.99 at Newegg

"Packed with a 12th Gen Intel Core CPU and an Nvidia RTX 30-series GPU, the MSI Vector GP66 makes short work of virtually any AAA game even at max settings." — Ilyas Kanapyanov (TechRadar)

TechRadar review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Display: 15.6 inches, 2560x1440, 165Hz, 2.5ms, 100% DCI-P3 CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12800HX GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3070 Ti Laptop RAM: 32GB DDR4 Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD AI PC: ✖️ Launch date: 2022

See at: Newegg.com

Perfect for: PC gamers who want a ton of performance for nearly half price only because it's using last-gen hardware.

❌Avoid if: You want a 40-series NVIDIA laptop GPU or prefer a more compact design.

Return period: 30-day free returns. Price match? Select items (noted). Membership: Newegg+ is a free membership with free shipping, exclusive sales and discounts, and dedicated customer service.

🤩Alternative deal: $400 off ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (Ryzen 7, RX 7700S) at Best Buy

Quick links to Black Friday events

When does Black Friday 2024 start?

Black Friday deals at Windows Central

Black Friday deals at Windows Central (Image credit: Windows Central)

Black Friday starts on November 29, 2024, the last Friday of the month, and immediately follows Thanksgiving. It's not a strictly timed event, and retailers practically never wait until the official date to launch their lowest-ever price discounts. Similarly, deals often run past Black Friday and can remain live for an entire week or more, depending on stock levels, but the hottest discounts usually sell out fast.

Retail memberships explained

We'll check every deal to see if it's a historically low price, but other savings will still be listed if they're a great deal. Again, not every deal will place a product at an all-time low, but hardware that sees more infrequent discounts will always be shared here.

Although some storefronts label their deals with tags like 'Black Friday,' it's not guaranteed that the price won't drop again. Unfortunately, it's impossible to say whether a hot item will fall further in price.

Still, some third-party stores like Newegg offer a price drop guarantee that will reimburse you if you purchase within this window, and many retailers offer membership programs that can expand your returns window, so check our explainers for more information before buying.

When does Cyber Monday start?

Cyber Monday always follows Black Friday and lands on December 2, 2024, this time. It primarily focuses on digital storefronts rather than physical stores, with discounts typically expiring as the Monday ends. However, I've seen some persist until stock sells out, just like Black Friday.

Some deals often show the same Black Friday discount, while others enjoy a further reduction or even a unique deal that never appeared on the earlier event. I'll share the best Cyber Monday deals with you as soon as retailers switch, publish their hottest listings, and check for any record-breaking savings.

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Ben Wilson
Senior Editor

Ben is a Senior Editor at Windows Central, covering everything related to technology hardware and software. He regularly goes hands-on with the latest Windows laptops, components inside custom gaming desktops, and any accessory compatible with PC and Xbox. His lifelong obsession with dismantling gadgets to see how they work led him to pursue a career in tech-centric journalism after a decade of experience in electronics retail and tech support.

With contributions from