While Prime Day was causing a fuss, the best laptop deal was quietly at Dell the entire time

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-7730U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB SSD

This Dell 15 Laptop gets the nod from me if you're on a budget but want a reliable work-from-home laptop or school laptop. Not only is it comfortably under $500, but you're also getting a decently sized 1TB SSD and a Ryzen 7 chipset that will easily cruise through most tasks. Aside from gaming, there actually isn't much that this basic laptop can't handle. It's nothing fancy, but it's a great buy for $450 for sure.

Processor: Intel Core 3-100U
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB SSD

The Intel Core 3-100U chip in the Dell 15 laptop isn't the most powerful you can get, but it's more than enough for basic computing work, and for less than $250, you're going to be hard pressed to find a 15-inch, full Windows 11 Home laptop with these kinds of specs.

Processor: Intel Core 7-150U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB SSD

If you want a relatively small laptop on a budget, the Dell Inspiron 14 is a fantastic choice. While it's a little pricier than some options, the combination of an Intel Core 7 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD makes this one great for even relatively demanding applications. At 14-inches, it's also much more portable than some 16-inch and bigger options.

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7-258V
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD

The Dell 14 Plus is one of our favorite mid-range Windows laptops thanks to its excellent design and competitive specs. This particular configuration is a bit on the pricey end, but you do get an Ultra 7 chipset, 32GB of RAM, and a 2.5K display, meaning it's absolutely stacked with features. If I were looking for a decent everyday laptop for everything from work to demanding productivity applications, then I'd be very tempted by this deal.

Processor: Snapdragon X Elite
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB SSD

Dell's XPS 13 laptops are always worth keeping an eye out for during Prime Day, as we often see big price cuts for what are some of the best laptops you can currently buy. Right now, one of the biggest discounts you'll find is for this Snapdragon-equipped model, which also features an impressive 32GB of RAM. With a Snapdragon chipset, you'll get great performance and almost unbeatable battery life out of this model, although it does lack the Thunderbolt 4 ports that are exclusive to Intel versions. This deal has already dropped by a further $50 since the start of Prime Day!

Save $400 on the Alienware Aurora 16 gaming laptop when you shop at Best Buy. This system strikes a sensible balance between gaming proficiency and affordability, featuring a GeForce RTX 5060, Intel Core 7 240H, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Those specs offer a sweet spot for high-paced, competitive gaming in titles like Rocket League or Counter-Strike 2 and just about any indie title you like.