12 of the best Memorial Day laptop deals — my top picks from Dell, Best Buy, Apple, HP, and Lenovo from $179

Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Celeron
RAM - 4GB
Storage - 64GB

This HP Chromebook 14 is a basic device, but it's cheap, making it a great buy for light use such as general browsing and schoolwork. It also boasts full-day battery life thanks to the lean but perfectly functional Chrome OS from Google, meaning it's best suited for students or those always on the move. If you have around $200 to spend and need a cheap laptop, then you won't find a better option right now.

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel Core 3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB

If you want a cheap Windows laptop, then this configuration of the Dell 15 Laptop is an excellent buy and terrific value for money. You get an Intel Core 3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a large 512GB SSD to ensure good overall performance and enough essential speedy storage for the price. It's a top buy right now if you're on a budget and need a laptop for general everyday use, admin tasks, light work, or schoolwork.

Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core 3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB

This version of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus offers an impressive amount of power for the price. It includes 8GB of RAM and an Intel Core 3 processor, boosting performance, boot times and load times. Storage of 128GB is a bit underwhelming, but you do get a 2-in-1 touchscreen and solid battery life of up to 17 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough to last a full working day. At a little under $400, it's a smart buy for school or college, or just as a home laptop for light use and everyday tasks.

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel i5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB

If you want a Windows machine then this configuration of the Dell Inspiron 15 is an excellent buy and terrific value for money. You get an Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD to ensure excellent overall performance and enough essential speedy storage for the price. It's a top buy right now if you have a reasonable budget and need a strong mid-range laptop for general everyday use, admin tasks, light work, or schoolwork.

Display - 14 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

This is a solid discount on a modern laptop powered by one of the efficient Snapdragon X CPUs. As well as excellent levels of all-around performance, this device boasts a huge all-day battery life, so you won't need to worry about being attached to a charger at all times. There's even 512GB of SSD storage, which you don't often see in combination with those other strong performance components at this price point. This is an all-around excellent laptop for everyday, college and business use.

Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

This powerful and versatile HP OmniBook Flip offers impressive performance for the price, with powerful components such as a modern Intel Core Ultra 5 processor, a healthy 16GB of RAM to boost performance, and a decent 512GB SSD for storage. You can comfortably handle everyday tasks, demanding work, video calls, media streaming and more with this laptop, all with the option to flip it around to a 14inch touchscreen tablet when needed, too.

Display - 16 inches
Processor - AMD Ryzen AI 9
RAM - 32GB
Storage - 1TB

There's a massive $600 price cut on this powerful high-end laptop, which boasts an AMD Ryzen AI 9, a performance-boosting 32GB of RAM and a large 1TB SSD. This is a great pick for business and productivity needs, with enough power to multitask with ease and battery life that lasts a full day.

Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) is the newest version of Apple's powerful and popular laptop. While not a substantial upgrade over the last-generation M4 model, there is a solid performance bump thanks to the improved and more efficient M5 chip. The biggest gain, though, is the inclusion of 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage as standard, making it ideal for creative, productivity and business tasks. And, better still, it's now available for a record-low price.

Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 1TB

It's difficult to believe that Dell has slashed the price of the highly rated Dell 16 Plus laptop by $530. This is not a deal you see every day. If you or your child is off to college this September, then get ahead of the curve with this outstanding deal. Or if you need a high-performing Dell laptop for business use, then this device represents an absolute bargain.

Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 5
Graphics: RTX 5050
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 1TB

The HP Omen 16 is a budget-friendly gaming laptop and one of the best cheap gaming laptops available this Memorial Day. For under $900, you can get it close to its Black Friday price with an RTX 5050 and an Intel Core Ultra 5. Its 16-inch FHD+ display with a 165Hz refresh rate also meets the minimum I'd recommend for seamless gaming at 1080p. The 8GB RAM and 1TB SSD are average, but are enough for beginner PC gaming or anyone looking for no frills, low-price gaming on the go.

Display - 15 inches
Processor - Apple M5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

The newest MacBook Air M5 is here, and the larger 15-inch model is now on sale for a record-low price at Amazon. Our reviewer called the smaller 13-inch version "the best ultraportable I've ever used" and awarded it 4.5-stars, so these devices are every bit as good as the already excellent predecessors. As well as the powerful and efficient M5 chip, the latest MacBook Air boasts a slick 15-inch Liquid Retina display, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD as standard. Those are solid overall specs for all-around use, productivity, and creative tasks.

Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel Core 7
Graphics: RTX 5060
RAM - 32GB
Storage - 1TB

Alienware is one of the pricier brands when it comes to gaming laptops, but this is a good price for a mid-range option in Dell's latest sale. The spec boasts a responsive 16-inch 120Hz display and components that are suitable for running most games in 1080p at medium to high settings. Some tweaks may be needed depending on the game, but it should comfortably handle almost anything you want to run. It's perhaps best, though, for less demanding titles such as Fortnite, Roblox, League of Legends and indies.