Best gaming laptop deals for back to school — 11 deals I recommend right now
Snag a gaming laptop before school starts for as little as $599
![Alienware m18 R2](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ehtXBzFzHmF9FmMHzpesyJ-320-80.jpg)
Many students have already gone back to school, and others won't start until later this month. Regardless of which camp you fall in, back to school deals are still in full swing. If you've been on the hunt for a gaming laptop, now is a great time to buy.
To be fair, a gaming laptop might not be the first thing on your back-to-school checklist. But many gaming laptops pack incredibly powerful specs that make multitasking a breeze and can easily tackle graphics-intensive tasks, like video editing and machine learning. Being able to hunker down with your favorite games as a reward for studying hard is just an awesome bonus.
And believe it or not, a gaming laptop doesn't have to break the bank. Sure, you can splurge on a premium gaming laptop, like the Alienware m18 R2 slashed to $2,999 at Dell. Or, you can grab the budget-friendly HP Victus for just $599 at Walmart or the Asus TUF Gaming A16 for only $749 at Best Buy.
Shop the best gaming laptop deals at Best Buy, Walmart, Dell, and Lenovo, or read on to see the 11 best gaming laptop deals I'd recommend.
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- shop the best gaming laptop deals at Best Buy, Walmart, Dell, and Lenovo
- 15.6” HP Victus: was $979 now $599
- 16” Asus TUF Gaming A16: was $1,099 now $749
- 15.6” MSI Bravo: was $999 now $774
- 16” HP Omen: was $1,399 now $999
- 13.4” Asus ROG Flow: was $1,649 now $1,199
- 16” Alienware m16 R2: was $1,849 now $1,449
- 16” Lenovo Slim 5 Gen 9: was $1,769 now $1,499
- 16” Alienware x16: was $2,699 now $1,999
- 16” Razer Blade 16: was $2,999 now $2,199
- 16” Lenovo Pro 7 Gen 8: was $2,989 now $2,399
- 18” Alienware m18 R2: was $3,599 now $2,999
Best gaming laptop deals
15.6” HP Victus: was $979 now $599 @ Walmart
Save $380 on this already budget-friendly gaming laptop, and you'll be set to play entry-level games with ease in between studying sessions. It's equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5-8645HS CPU, 8GB of RAM, a Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of VRAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display with a smooth 144Hz refresh rate.
16” Asus TUF Gaming A16: was $1,099 now $749 @ Best Buy
This deal slashes the powerful TUF Gaming A16 by $350, making it way more affordable for those with a tight budget for college. Games will look great at high settings with the laptop's 16-inch, WUXGA (1920 x 1200), 165Hz display, and run smoothly with its AMD Ryzen 7-7735HS CPU, 16GB of RAM, and AMD Radeon RX 7700S GPU with 8GB of VRAM. With 512GB of SSD storage, it also offers plenty of space to download all your favorite games. Plus, you'll get one month free of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with your purchase.
15.6” MSI Bravo: was $999 now $774 @ Best Buy
Save $225 on the MSI Bravo, a gaming laptop that's well-equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5-7535HS CPU, 16GB of RAM, a Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of VRAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and a 15.6-inch, 1920- x 1080-pixel IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate. By day, you can write papers and work on class presentations. And by night, you can play your favorite games from anywhere, either downloaded from Steam or streamed via the one-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription included with your purchase.
16” HP Omen: was $1,399 now $999 @ Best Buy
If you'd prefer an Intel-based gaming laptop, the HP Omen is a great pick. For just $999, you'll get one month free of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a large 16-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display with a high 165Hz refresh rate. Inside, it's packing an Intel Core i9-13900HX CPU, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, and a whopping 1TB of storage space.
13.4” Asus ROG Flow: was $1,649 now $1,199 @ Best Buy
With a smaller 13.4-inch (2560 x 1600, 165Hz) display, the Asus ROG Flow is perfect for those who need a lightweight laptop to cart around between classes or to and from home. Its impressive AMD Ryzen 9-7940HS CPU and 16GB of RAM will easily handle any school assignments and multitasking, and the Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU with 8GB of VRAM will help your games look and feel smooth when it's time to unwind. With a 1TB SSD and one month free of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you won't run out of storage space for a while.
16" Alienware m16 R2: was $1,849 now $1,449 @ Dell
The popular m16 R2 is $400 off right now, and this particular configuration is packing powerful specs. It features a new Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, 16GB of RAM, and a Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM. With 1TB of SSD storage, it'll be difficult to run out of space for your games, and they'll look and feel great on the laptop's 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600), 240Hz display.
16” Lenovo Slim 5 Gen 9: was $1,769 now $1,499 @ Lenovo
This doorbuster deal knocks $280 off Lenovo's Slim 5 gaming laptop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7-8845HS CPU, 16GB of RAM, Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Its 16-inch display offers a step above your typical 1080p resolution; instead, it features WQXGA (2560 x 1600) resolution along with a 165Hz refresh rate. Plus, you'll get three months of Xbox Game Pass for free with your purchase.
16” Alienware x16: was $2,699 now $1,999 @ Best Buy
Save a staggering $700 on this powerhouse 2024 gaming laptop, featuring a new Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU, 32GB of RAM, Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, and 1TB of storage. On top of specs that could run games at max settings easily, the display is nothing to sneeze at either. This laptop boasts a 16-inch, 2560- x 1600-pixel display with an incredibly smooth 240Hz refresh rate. And like other gaming laptops from Best Buy, you'll get one month free of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with your purchase.
16” Razer Blade 16: was $2,999 now $2,199 @ Amazon
Typically $2,999, this epic deal knocks $800 off the stunning Razer Blade 16. Your favorite games will look fantastic on this laptop's 16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600), 240Hz display. Inside, you'll find an Intel Core i9-13950HX CPU, 16GB of RAM, a Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU with 8GB of VRAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. Despite its large 16-inch display, the laptop's chassis matches dimensions of a 15-inch gaming laptop, perfect for portability.
16” Lenovo Pro 7 Gen 8: was $2,989 now $2,399 @ Lenovo
This beast of a gaming laptop will probably last a full four years of school, and then some. At just $2,399, it's an absolute steal, especially with the three months free of Xbox Game Pass stacked on. It's equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9-7945HX CPU, 32GB of RAM, a powerful Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU with 12GB of VRAM, and a whopping 2TB of storage. All those specs paired with a 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600), 240Hz display makes for a beautiful, stutter-free gaming setup.
18” Alienware m18 R2: was $3,599 now $2,999 @ Dell
If you're looking to splurge on a premium gaming laptop to unwind with between studying sessions and homework, definitely check out the m18 R2, slashed by $600. It features an Intel Core i9 14900HX CPU, 32GB of RAM, a Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU with 16GB of VRAM, 2TB of SSD storage, and an impressive 18-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600), 165Hz display. You'll be able to multitask like crazy for school, and play your favorite games at max settings to decompress.
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Sarah Chaney is a freelance tech writer with 4 years of experience across multiple outlets, including How-To Geek, MakeUseOf, SlashGear, Laptop Mag, and of course, Tom's Guide. She loves reviewing the latest gadgets, from inventive robot vacuums to new laptops, wearables, and anything PC-related. When she's not writing, she's probably playing a video game, exploring the outdoors, or listening to her current favorite song or album on repeat.