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The Short Answer
Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring the steepest laptop discounts of the year, 30 to 50 percent off across every brand. Can't wait? Amazon Prime Day in July is the next-best window, and grabbing last year's model right after a new chip launches is the sleeper move that saves you the most for the least effort.
A laptop is one of the easiest big purchases to time well, and one of the easiest to overpay on. Prices swing hundreds of dollars from week to week, driven by a handful of sale events and the steady march of new chips that pushes last year's models down fast.
Buy inside one of those windows and you save real money. Buy the week before classes start and you pay full retail for no reason. Here's how the year actually breaks down, from the windows worth planning around to the ones worth skipping, plus the five laptops we'd buy today and the tricks that quietly beat even a Black Friday price.
The Laptop Deal Calendar
Every sale window, ranked by how much you save
We scored each shopping window on the size of the discount you can realistically expect on a laptop. Longer, greener bar means a better time to buy.
The steepest laptop cuts of the year, 30 to 50 percent off across every brand, with doorbusters on budget and mid-range models. If you can hold out, this is the one to wait for.
When new Intel, AMD or Apple chips ship, the previous generation gets cleared out 20 to 40 percent off. Last year's laptop is still excellent, and this is the savviest buy on the list.
The best summer deal at 20 to 40 percent off, and Best Buy and Walmart run matching sales the same days. The go-to if you don't want to wait until November.
A reliable winter sale with discounts that rival the holidays on last year's models, and far less competition for stock than Black Friday.
Student pricing plus bundled accessories, best from late July to mid-August. An always-good deal if you're a student or teacher shopping early.
Retailers shave a little here and there, but nothing close to the tentpole events. Fine in a pinch, not worth planning around.
Full retail, thin stock, and a newer model could be days away. The one window to actively steer clear of.
