The best laptop deals in the UK for October 2024

There are savings to be had on Asus and Apple models

Steve Hogarty
Tech writer
Friday 04 October 2024 04:25 EDT
We only recommend budget-friendly laptops and brands we’ve tested, so we know they’re not rubbish
We only recommend budget-friendly laptops and brands we’ve tested, so we know they’re not rubbish (The Independent)

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Laptop slowing down? It might be time to upgrade. Thankfully, some of the best laptops of 2024 won’t break the bank. We’ve rounded up the best laptop deals in the UK right now, to help you grab a portable PC or MacBook at a great price.

The latest trend in the market is the two-in-one, or foldable, laptop. The device can be used as a traditional laptop but also folded over to form a touchscreen tablet. The extra versatility has captured the imagination of PC users, with most major brands now producing multiple two-in-one models.

It’s also important to know how to spot a good budget option. Chromebooks, for instance, started out life as cheap, less-powerful alternatives to traditional laptops, but some have developed into genuine rivals to Windows and Apple products. The price has remained impressively low for many Chromebooks, meaning they’re a solid choice for most people’s personal and professional lives.

So, which laptop should you buy? From lightweight notebooks to the two-in-one Swiss Army knives of the market to dedicated gaming setups, we’ve scoured the internet for the best laptop deals the UK has to offer.

The best laptop deals for October 2024 in the UK are:

  • Asus Vivobook 15: Was £749, now £319, Amazon.co.uk
  • Asus Chromebook plus CX403CBA: Was £399.99, now £249.99, Amazon.co.uk
  • Apple MacBook Pro (M3, 2023): Was £1,699, now £1,499.99, Amazon.co.uk

Best Windows laptop deals in October 2024:

Asus Vivobook 15: Was £749, now £319, Amazon.co.uk

Asus Vivobook 15
Asus Vivobook 15 (Asus)

Here’s a £430 saving on the Asus Vivobook 15, a high-performance Windows laptop running on a powerful mid-range Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM. The star of the show here is the super high-definition 2.8K OLED screen – a quality display that’s rare on a laptop costing less than £350.

Asus Chromebook plus CX403CBA: Was £399.99, now £249.99, Amazon.co.uk

(Asus)

A Chromebook designed by trusted brand Asus, this basic model runs on the lightweight Chrome operating system, meaning it can’t run regular Windows software but boots up almost instantly and doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary software as time goes on. The Intel i3 processor is powerful enough to handle plenty of open apps, while the slim design and large 14in display is spacious enough for work and watching entertainment on the go.

Best Apple MacBook deals in October 2024

Apple MacBook Pro (M3, 2023): Was £1,699, now £1,499.99, Amazon.co.uk

(Apple)

Here’s a £129 saving on the newest baseline MacBook Pro. The 14in laptop runs on the entry-level edition of Apple’s latest M3 processor, giving it a huge performance boost over older MacBooks.

Apple MacBook Air with M2 chip: Was £1,149, now £899, Amazon.co.uk

(Apple)

The M2-powered MacBook Air gives you top-tier MacBook performance in a thinner and lighter form factor. The more powerful Pro model benefits from bigger and stronger fans, meaning it can really push the boat out when it comes to performance, while the smaller MacBook Air dials performance back a little, in favour of comfort and portability. Right now, there’s a discount to be found at Amazon.

How we choose the best laptop deals

We’re constantly scouring the internet for discounts on the best laptops we’ve tried and tested from brands we know and trust. Our deals include the best available prices on the most popular laptops, such as the MacBook Air, as well as discounts on laptops to suit a range of users.

We won’t recommend a laptop simply because it’s cheap. We factor in things such as quality, durability, reliability and security when collating the top laptop deals, so you can be sure you’re getting a good deal on a great device.

How to know if a laptop deal is worth it

Because most laptops can be configured with extra RAM, bigger hard drives and better displays, it can sometimes be hard to tell if a discount is actually worthwhile.

Our team of IndyBest experts have decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops. We track prices over time and know how much you should expect to spend on the latest tech, and we know a misleading discount when we see one.

Are there any key specs you should look for in a laptop?

Start by looking at the processor (or CPU) – specifically the generation it belongs to. There are two major CPU brands. Intel’s latest processors are 13th and 14th generation, while AMD recently launched its 9000-series processors. The best deals tend to be found on laptops using last-generation CPUs, which are still speedy enough for most users.

Generally speaking, the rest of the laptop specs will be designed around the CPU. RAM is the next most important specification to look for. 16GB is ideal, but expensive, while 8GB is fine for everyday purposes.

Hard drive capacity isn’t as important as it used to be, thanks to cloud-based storage and entertainment streaming. For the average user, 512GB will be plenty and 256GB will do in a pinch.

Your specific needs will determine which specs you should look for after that. For gaming and multimedia work such as video editing, a discrete GPU (a separate graphics processing unit, usually made by Nvidia or AMD) will give you an enormous performance boost.

If you don’t plan on using your laptop for demanding tasks, you’ll save a lot of money by sticking with the standard option of an integrated GPU.

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For the latest offers on tech, gadgets and more, try the links below:

Want to know which laptop to buy? Check out our list of the best laptops of 2024

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