This week's 12 best laptop deals in the US and the UK — my top picks from Lenovo, Apple, Microsoft, Asus, and Acer

Display - 14 inches
Processor - MediaTek Kompanio 540
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB

Here's a fairly basic and well-priced Chromebook that comes with a welcome bump up to 8GB of RAM to help boost performance. It's still best-suited to general use because of the entry-level processor and limited storage space, but it's up to the job of web browsing, light work, writing documents, and streaming media. Plus, you get the superior battery life of up to 18 hours with this Chromebook, compared to similarly priced Windows machines.

Display - 15.3 inches
Processor - Intel Core 3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB

This Lenovo Chromebook Plus is great value for money if you need a basic everyday device but don't want to compromise too heavily on performance like you would with a sub-$200 laptop. An Intel Core 3 processor and 8GB of RAM are a decent pairing with the lightweight ChromeOS, so it's capable of general tasks and light use, such as web browsing, sending emails, word processing and watching videos. Just be aware that it's missing some advanced features of a Windows machine and has limited storage, but benefits include better performance with cheaper components and excellent battery life.

Display - 15.3 inches
Processor - Snapdragon X
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB

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. I think the storage is a little stingy at 256GB, but if you can cope with that and make use of cloud storage for everything else, this is an impressive laptop for the price.

Display: 13 inches
Processor: A18 Pro
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB

The MacBook Neo just got a price bump, but students can get it cheaper again thanks to Apple's education discount. The latest MacBook packs a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, an A18 Pro chip, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and up to 16 hours of battery life, all for under $600, which is fantastic value. Discounts have been better in the past, but I think these will be rarer to see over the coming months and this price likely won't be beaten over Black Friday.

Display - 13.4 inches
Processor - Intel Core 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB

The Dell XPS 13 has regularly been one of our favorite laptops here at TechRadar, and this brand-new version continues that trend. With an Intel Core 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it has everything you need for solid all-around performance at work or college. Students can also save an extra $100, bringing the price down to $699.99.

Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

Here's one of the best deals on a modern, all-purpose, and well-rated laptop in Dell's latest sale. You can now get $400 off this machine that features a powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, a healthy 16GB of RAM and a reasonable 512GB SSD for storage. With all of those components, you'll have no issues with all of your everyday computing and work needs. And at 14 inches, it's an easily portable device, too. Altogether, it's an excellent value all-around option and a laptop we scored 4.5/5 in our recent review.

Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel i3 N305
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB

This version of the Lenovo Chromebook offers an impressive amount of power for the price. It includes a basic Intel i3 N305 processor, but you do get 8GB of RAM to boost performance, boot times, and load times. There's also 256GB of storage and battery life is excellent at 11 hours on a single charge. That's more than enough to last a full working day. At around £250, it's a bargain for school or college, or just as a home laptop that you use for light use and everyday tasks.

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

If you want a good value Windows laptop, then this configuration of the Asus Vivobook 14 is a strong buy. It features an Intel Core 3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD to ensure good performance for general use, although I would've preferred to see more storage for the price. Still, it's a top buy right now if you're on a budget and need a basic laptop for everyday use, college, admin tasks and light work.

Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - AMD Ryzen 5
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB

Here's a solid and affordable Windows laptop available at Currys. It's an older machine, but there's no denying it's a solid mid-range choice for the price, including an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for storage. It's a great buy if you want a good laptop with decent battery life for everyday use, work, or school.

Display - 13.4 inches
Processor - Intel Core 5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB

The Dell XPS 13 has regularly been one of our favourite laptops here at TechRadar, and this brand-new version continues that trend. With an Intel Core 5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, it has everything you need for solid all-around performance at work or college. Students can also save an extra £220, bringing the price down to a ridiculously low £699.

Display: 16 inch OLED
Processor: AMD Ryzen AI 7
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

If display quality matters as much as power, strongly consider this Asus Vivobook deal at Amazon. It comes with a top-end OLED screen that offers a clear and sharp image – whether you're working on documents or streaming your favourite TV shows. Specs are solid elsewhere, too, including a capable Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU and 16GB of RAM that ensure good overall performance.

Display: 13.8 inches
Processor: Snapdragon X Plus
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

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. It's a powerful high-end version of the device, too, with the super-efficient Snapdragon X Plus processor and 16GB of RAM ensuring speedy performance and a lengthy battery life of up to 20 hours. Storage is a little disappointing at 512GB, where 1TB would have been nice, but there's still lots for essential files and applications, especially if you rely on a lot of web services such as Google Docs.