The only Memorial Day laptop deals worth buying right now
Memorial Day is fast approaching, and some awesome deals mix in with the weak ones. Don’t worry, because I’ve gone through and found the most cost-effective deals in five categories: budget, portable, gaming, premium, and productivity.
Offers at a glance:
- Best budget laptop deal: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for $599.99 (now $370 off — was $969.99)
- Best laptop deal: LG gram Max 17 for $1,299.99 (now $300 off – was $1,599.99)
- Best gaming laptop deal: Alienware 16 Aurora for $1,069.97 (now $490 off – was $1,559.97)
- Best high-end laptop deal: Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for $2,599.99 (now $1,650 off – was $4,249.99)
- Best productivity laptop deal: Dell 14 Plus for $1,299.99 (now $290 off – was $1,589.99)
Best budget laptop deal: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for $599.99 ($370 off)
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Who is it for? The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x is the ideal choice for budget-conscious students and professionals who prioritize battery life, portability, and everyday responsiveness. It has 16GB of memory, which is the minimum we recommend for a good Windows 11 experience, and in our review it lasted over 16 hours on a charge thanks to its power-efficient Snapdragon X processor.
Why is this offer good? You’d be hard-pressed to find a $600 laptop with 16GB of RAM right now due to the current global RAM shortage, let alone a computer that also offers all-day Snapdragon battery life. The tradeoff here is that the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, so you won’t be able to replace or upgrade it later. The 512GB SSD is also a good deal, as you’re normally limited to just 256GB in the budget tier.
Get the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x for $599.99
Best laptop deal: LG gram Max 17 for $1,299.99 (300 off)
LG
Who is it for? The LG gram Max 17 is ideal for users on the go who need plenty of screen real estate combined with extreme portability and quiet operation. Despite a huge 17-inch 2560×1600 screen, it only weighs 3.39 pounds, so it’s easy to carry. This resolution is ideal for multitasking applications and navigating large spreadsheets: it’s spacious and comfortable, perfect for travel and portable work.
Why is this offer good? This laptop packs powerful hardware, including an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It lacks a discrete GPU, but that’s okay because this isn’t a laptop for gamers. Between the hardware and the ultra-portable screen size-to-weight ratio, the LG gram Max 17 is the kind of laptop that commands upwards of $1,500. At this great price, it’s a good deal as long as you won’t be playing difficult games.
Get the LG gram Max 17 for $1,299.99
Best gaming laptop deal: Alienware 16 Aurora for $1,069.97 ($490 off)
IDG / Chris Hoffman
Who is it for? The Alienware 16 Aurora is a great entry-level gaming laptop for the budget-conscious. It’s equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 for discrete power and DLSS features, but note that this is the entry-level option for an RTX 50-series card. If you primarily play older games, esports, or single-player games at 1080p, this laptop offers good performance at this price.
Why is this offer good? Although overpriced at retail, the 16 Aurora is a worthwhile buy at $490 off. The 16-inch 120Hz display lets you get the most out of the RTX 5050’s frame rates and features premium construction between its anodized aluminum cover and magnesium alloy inner frame. Topped off with an Intel Core 7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, it’s not every day you can snag a laptop this nice for a thousand bucks.
Get the Alienware 16 Aurora for $1,069.97
Best premium laptop deal: Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for $2,599.99 ($1,650 off)
Matt Smith / Foundry
Who is it for? The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is a complete desktop replacement. The Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and RTX 5080 GPU deliver high-end power. But it’s the 16-inch 2,560×1,600 OLED panel that really seals the deal, delivering vibrant graphics whether you’re gaming or watching movies. In our review, we called it “the new king of gaming laptops” and gave it our Editors’ Choice award.
Why is this offer good? You can finally get this massive laptop replacement at a real desktop price. No one was buying it at retail, but now that it’s $1,650 off, that’s where it should have been priced all along. That’s about as low as it gets. Get it while you know that this laptop is in no way portable – you’ll need to keep it connected to power thanks to its massive 400-watt adapter.
Get the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i for $2,599.99
Best productivity laptop deal: Dell 14 Plus for $1,299.99 ($290 off)
Michael Crider/Foundry
Who is it for? The Dell 14 Plus is what you get if you need power and portability but don’t want to settle for low-end budget options. Ideal for students and remote workers, this laptop’s Intel Core Ultra 7 processor and 32GB of RAM are faster than what you’ll find in the under $1,000 category. It’s a reliable everyday machine that’s also portable enough to take to coffee shops and libraries.
Why is this offer good? In addition to the capable hardware, you also get all-day battery life, a razor-sharp 14-inch 2560×1600 display, solid connectivity like Wi-Fi 7 and Thunderbolt 4, and an all-aluminum chassis that feels premium and provides protection while you’re on the move. While it’s not the best for gaming or resource-intensive tasks like video editing, it’s way more than you can ask for at $1,300.
Get the Dell 14 Plus for $1,299.99
