My wife asked me to find her a good laptop this Prime Day – challenge accepted

Chromebook laptops on a red background with a 'Prime Day TechRadar Deals' badge
(Image credit: Future)

Recently my wife's laptop went to the big cloud in the sky, and it wasn't OneDrive. Instead, it had refused to boot, transforming it into a big paperweight, and while she was able to rescue her files thanks to a backup, the only resort at home was to use my Gaming PC as a powerful Google Docs machine.

However, this is where she tasked me with finding a new laptop before the new school year starts later this year, in her role as a teaching assistant - one that was lower than $500 / £500, but one that could last for a few years thanks to its speedy hardware included.

With Prime Day wrapping up, I've found five deals, both in the UK and US, that could not only help me in this task but you as well. These range from Google's Chromebook offerings, which offer Chrome OS at a cheap price, or heavily-discounted Windows laptops that will not only do the tasks for her job, but for other things such as watching a video.

(Not in the US or UK? Scroll down to see the best laptop deals in your region.)

US deals

Samsung Galaxy Book Go: $349.99 $239.99 at AmazonSave £90 -

Samsung Galaxy Book Go: $349.99 $239.99 at Amazon
Save £90 - Samsung's most wallet-friendly Galaxy Book laptop has hit its lowest price ever. Weighing barely more than three pounds, this 1080p laptop is an ideal choice for straightforward office or school work and provides Samsung's tried-and-true quality without needing to break the bank.

Lenovo Chromebook S330: $195 $176 at Amazon
Save £18 -

Lenovo Chromebook S330: $195 $176 at Amazon
Save £18 -
A super-thin, super-cheap Chromebook with a 180-degree hinge, the Lenovo S330 is a great pick for students thanks to its 720p webcam and comfortable keyboard. The 14-inch FHD display is awesome, so we feel comfortable calling this one of the best budget Chromebooks ever.

Gigabyte U4 UD 14-inch: $516 $499 at AmazonSave £17 -

Gigabyte U4 UD 14-inch: $516 $499 at Amazon
Save £17 - This mid-range laptop from Gigabyte offers fast storage with a 512GB SSD, followed by 16GB of RAM and two USB 3.2 ports and one USB-C port. Combine this with a Intel Core i5-1155G7 and a great screen, you've got a great deal here for something to do work on.

UK Deals

Asus Chromebook CX1100: £230 £129 at AmazonSave £101 -

Asus Chromebook CX1100: £230 £129 at Amazon
Save £101 - One of the best budget Chromebook just got budget...er. The Asus CX1100 will work great as a sensibly-priced back-to-school laptop, with an Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of RAM powering a bright 11-inch screen and pleasingly tactile keyboard - the latter of which is spill-resistant, too!

Honor MagicBook X14: £649.99 £399.99 at Amazon
Save £250:

Honor MagicBook X14: £649.99 £399.99 at Amazon
Save £250:
The Honor MagicBook X14 proves you don't have to spend a fortune to get a gorgeous laptop, and now you can save even more cash thanks to the Prime Day sale. This capable machine is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a speedy 512GB SSD to store all your files, as well as rocking a beautiful QHD display.

Huawei Matebook D15: £749.99 £399.99 at Amazon
Save 47%:

Huawei Matebook D15: £749.99 £399.99 at Amazon
Save 47%:
The Huawei Matebook D15 is a powerhouse at a very low price as Prime Day ends for now. Packed with a 512GB SSD and 8GB of memory, you'll be able to work and play hard when the time allows. There are two USB-A ports, a USB-C port and a fingerprint reader as well, so you can securely keep your files under lock and finger.

Every one of these will be able to help her in her job each day, but also for those times when she needs to use it at the weekend, such as playing games or catching up with her friends and family through Google Meet or Skype.

But do keep in mind, that these deals will not last long as Prime Day is wrapping up, so if you're in a similar situation, do hurry.

Looking for some more Prime Day bargains? We've got you covered here with our coverage of all the best deals.

Daryl Baxter
Software & Downloads Writer

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he's written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider'. His second book, '50 Years of Boss Fights', came out in June 2024, and has a newsletter, 'Springboard'. He's usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that's about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.