When it comes to PC hardware, Amazon Prime Day is one of the best times to grab yourself some new equipment at knock-down prices. A new machine can do wonders for your productivity and your day-to-day working life, but stumping up the best part of a grand to buy a new device isn't always a palatable prospect, so with discounts of up to 60%, Prime Day is an excellent opportunity to grab a bargain.
There’s deals here to suit all needs and budgets, including affordable desktop towers, entry-level Chromebooks, high-performance workhorses and capable daily drivers. We haven’t fully reviewed all the models below, but we have hand-picked the best discounts from known and trusted manufacturers, and all of them represent solid options at their respective price-points.
Looking for a beast of a PC with plenty of headroom for upgrades? Look no further than the Dell XPS Desktop, which is currently available for £500 off its normal price. True, at £2,049 it’s still not exactly what you’d call pocket change. But it does justify the cost with its 12th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD drive and Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card. Yes, it’s expensive — and you’ll need to bring your own screen — but it’s a computer that’s built for serious work and play.
If a full-sized desktop PC is a bit too much for you, Dell’s OptiPlex 3000 Micro offers a whole lot of power in a small, unassuming box — and it’s currently available for £320 less than RRP. Dell packs a whole lot into this 182x178x36mm package. A 12th-generation Intel Core i3 is backed by 8GB RAM and 256GB of fast NVMe storage. If space is at a premium, or you just need to take your computer on the move regularly, then this is a great alternative to a full-sized desktop at an appealing price.
Want a desktop with fewer cables and less mess? An all-in-one PC is a good choice, but you’ll usually pay a premium for convenience. That’s why the 33% discount on the Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3 is very welcome indeed. For your money, you get a well-specced mid-range PC with a built-in 23.8in display. An AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB of solid state storage also means this is a PC which will comfortably handle Windows 11 — which happens to be preinstalled.
For some, the joy of getting a PC is in the building, but if that doesn’t apply to you, then this premade tower from Lenovo is very well priced for what you get, thanks to a generous £170 Prime Day discount. It comes with a Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB RAM, 512GB of solid state storage and Windows 10 Home Edition preinstalled. Lenovo even throws in a wired mouse and keyboard, though we can’t vouch for the quality - and if you fancy an alternative, there are plenty of Prime Day deals on wireless keyboards and mice.
If you’re a gamer looking to upgrade your desktop PC, this could be the standout deal of Prime Day — especially if you’re a veteran of the great Covid GPU shortage. The Asus TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 Ti normally retails for £1,449, but Amazon has given it a 28% discount bringing it down to £1,040. It’s such a good deal, in fact, that it may no longer be available by the time you read this. But if it is, get it in your basket right away.
Acer’s getting in on the Prime Day act with a wide range of its laptops heavily reduced in price - first of all, the Chromebook 311 is available at a huge 30% discount, down from £229 to just £159. This nifty 11.6in laptop features a MediaTek MT8183 processor with 4GB of RAM, while it’s also packing 64GB of internal storage. With Chrome OS, you’re all set for Google account synchronisation, and at sub-1KG it offers excellent portability for working on the go.
Moving up the Acer Chromebook stakes, the 317 is available for 25% less than its usual retail price this Prime Day. Amazon’s original retail price of £399 has fallen to £299 until it’s gone: a great deal for this more advanced Chromebook, packed with an Intel Pentium N6000 and 4GB of RAM, and an increased 164GB storage capacity. Its Full HD 17.3in screen offers a wider screen and workspace, while other top features include two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and a microSD slot for extra storage if you need it.
Earlier this year, we reviewed the Aspire 5, finding that it’s a top option for those looking for laptops on a budget, maintaining solid performance above the high-level elements more expensive devices might include. For Prime Day only, you can get the Aspire 5 for nearly 30% less than its £699 RRP, at only £499 - the 15.6in machine comes equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD for super-quick, comprehensive storage.
Another Acer machine designed for mobile working and operation, the Swift 1 has a somewhat modest spec thanks to its Pentium N6000 Silver CPU and 4GB RAM, but this should be plenty for basic productivity tasks, while a 128GB SSD means it should feel fast enough in day-to-day operations. Just for Prime Day, Amazon is offering the device with a 12-month Microsoft 365 Personal subscription for 30% less than usual, allowing you to get your hands on the Swift 1 for £279 instead of its £399 RRP.
Last but certainly not least, Acer’s Swift 3 offers an upgrade on the aforementioned Swift 1, with an Intel Core i5 CPU and a comprehensive 16GB of RAM. This higher-level laptop offers a 512GB SSD and a Full HD display to boot, with Windows 11 pre-installed. Our review found it to offer the speed its name promises, and for Prime Day it’s available at 22% less for £699, down from £899.
The Dell XPS series has routinely been near the top of our list of the best laptops, and the XPS 13 on offer here is every bit as appealing as its siblings. It comes with an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and a generous 256GB of fast NVMe solid state storage. But it’s the build quality where XPS machines really shine. There’s next to no bezel, with the 13in screen boasting a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio, and it only weighs a bag-friendly 1.2kg too. The £165 saving may not be the biggest on Prime Day, but it’s a great price all the same.
If you’re after big savings and big flexibility in your Prime Day laptop deals, then you’ll want to check out Dell’s site, where the Latitude 5320 is available starting at just £995 — a £850 saving on its regular price. It’s available as either a laptop or 2-in-1 convertible, if you like the flexibility of being able to switch to tablet mode at the drop of a hat. And with an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB of NVMe solid state storage, it’s no slouch in performance terms either.
This laptop is another cheap and cheerful offering, this time from GeoFlex. And, as the name suggests, this one is distinctly flexible, offering both a tablet and laptop form for those that need the best of both worlds. It was fairly priced at its £380 RRP, but at £189 it’s something of a steal. Granted, it won’t be the fastest 2-in-1 around, but the specs are certainly robust for the price. The 14.1in computer packs an Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB of internal SSD storage. That’ll be more than enough to keep the included Windows 10 installation buzzing along.
In our Honor MagicBook 14 review, we described it as “budget brilliance” at its original price point. The model on offer here is newer, and now comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and a massive 512GB of solid state storage, making it an extremely powerful choice for the modest £400 asking price. All of that power is offered in a package which looks almost implausibly compact, measuring just 15.9mm thick and tipping the scales at 1.38kg. If you’re someone who needs a lightweight laptop that won’t break the bank, this could well be for you.
Of course, HP doesn’t just make high-end laptops, and if you’re looking for something more affordable, then the catchily titled HP 15s-fq2039na looks like it’ll fit the bill nicely — especially with £150 off its usual £400 price tag. For that, you’re looking at a 4.1GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB of solid state storage. Yes, it ships with Windows 10 in S mode, but getting the full unlocked experience is pretty trivial.
We called the 2020 Huawei Matebook D15 a “fabulous bargain” when we reviewed it, and the next-generation model is even better. Now, it’s also even cheaper than the laptop we were so full of praise for, dropping £350 to hit a very tempting £400 price point. All the strong design points remain, but the specs are appealingly refreshed. To that end, you get an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB of solid state storage. Oh, and it comes with Windows 11 right out of the box, with no upgrade required.
Stop! Before you pull the trigger on the Huawei Matebook above, consider this, which may be an even bigger bargain: the 2021 Huawei Matebook 14 for £500, instead of its usual £950. As the name suggests, it’s a more compact 14 inches, but it also offers a stunning 2K display and a more premium feel. The specs, otherwise, are essentially identical with an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 processor paired with 8GB RAM and 512GB of solid state storage.
The Surface 8 Pro should need no introduction. Microsoft’s long running 2-in-1 series may be looking a little samey in its eighth generation, but it still offers one of the best convertible experiences out there. It’s typically very expensive, too, but with a 35% saving for Prime Day, it’s certainly worth a look. Now £649, the Intel Core i5 model comes with 8GB RAM, 128GB of solid state storage and Windows 11 preinstalled. Just bear in mind that you’ll also need a TypeCover Keyboard (and maybe a Surface Pen) to unlock its full potential.
No, the price isn’t a typo. But with Razer products, you’re not just getting a workhorse, but a gaming laptop that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. Indeed, the presence of the Nvidia RTX 3080 alongside an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB of solid state storage and 165Hz screen should tell you this isn’t an ordinary laptop. £1,799 is still pricey, but for what you’re getting it’s a very tempting proposition indeed.
This is less impressive a saving than the above Razer, but if you want a gaming laptop with a 15.6in screen, then you’ll have to settle for a lesser discount, and slightly less performance bang for your buck. Not much, however: the Razer Blade 15 Advanced still packs an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 165Hz display, 1TB SSD and Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU, meaning it should be good for top-tier tasks for years to come.
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