Best cheap laptop deals and sales for March 2021
You’ll find plenty of cheap laptop deals up for grabs this week, with savings ranging all the way from budget machines under £200 to big discounts on premium models. We’re seeing cheap Chromebooks, some excellent midrange prices welcoming spacious SSDs, and some stunning 11th generation Intel processors up for grabs right now – and we’ve brought them all straight here to you.
We’ve found all the best cheap laptop deals available this week and we’re rounding them all up here so you can save some serious cash on everything from budget laptops to powerful machines running the latest specs.
Cheap laptop deals by budget
If you’re shopping for cheap laptops, it can be difficult to know whether you’re actually getting a good deal or just paying a low price. It can be the difference between buying an excellent machine and saving some cash in the process and wasting money on an old computer that can barely run its own operating system. We’ve weeded out all the offers that won’t be worth your time, so you can be sure you’re picking up the best laptop deals out there this week.
We’ve brought all your favourite retailers together for the very best cheap laptop deals available right now, and listed each machine by price. So, keep checking in, as we’ll update it whenever a great deal reaches our desk.
For you Apple fans, you might be interested in our MacBook prices and deals page too, or if you’re just looking for the cheapest web surfer you can find, check out the best cheap Chromebook prices and sales going right now.
Cheap laptop deal of the week
Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6-inch laptop: £468.99 £399 at Dell
With 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD, this Dell Inspiron is storming past its competition in the £300 price range this week. Those are excellent specs for this price, and with a Ryzen 3 processor pulling it all together you’re not skimping too much on raw power to get there either.
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Cheap laptop deals under £200
Acer 311 11.6-inch Chromebook: £199.99 at Argos
This Acer 311 laptop runs on ChromeOS which means you’re getting a leaner operating system that will run primarily from cloud-based storage. That 32GB of storage space will work fine for everyday use, then, with 4GB RAM and an AMD A4 processor keeping everything running as well.
HP Stream 11.6-inch laptop: £198.98 at Currys
You’re only paying £199 for this 11.6-inch laptop, which is a great price if you’re sticking to a super strict budget this week. That Intel Celeron N4020 processor is a nice touch, but with 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage under the hood, this one might struggle a little with Windows.
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Cheap laptop deals from £200 to £300
Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 11.6-inch Chromebook: £229 £219 at Currys
This already-cheap Chromebook offers an excellent 64GB of storage space and 4GB RAM at a price usually reserved for 32GB configurations. Add a 10 hour battery life and Intel Celeron N4020 processor and you’ve got a lightweight, streamlined machine ready for lengthier web browsing sessions.
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Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 14-inch Chromebook: £299 £249 at Currys
This super cheap Lenovo IdeaPad is dropping further into the £200 price range this week, with an extra £50 off at Currys. You’re getting the Intel Celeron N4020 processor in here, with 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage space – all in a super lightweight machine capable of up to 10 hours of battery life.
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Asus C523 15.6-inch Chromebook: £329 £269 at Currys
If you’re looking for a larger display, however, this Asus C523 Chromebook is looking particularly well priced at just under £300 this week. You’re getting a full 15.6-inch screen here, though dropping down to an Intel Celeron N3350 processor to achieve it. With 4GB RAM, 64GB of storage and a 9 hour battery life, though, you’re still getting excellent performance.
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Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6-inch laptop: £318.99 £279 at Dell
We rarely see Windows machines worth running sitting in the £200 price range, however this Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is available for just £279 this week. You’re getting an Intel N4020 processor, with 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD – excellent specs for everyday use.
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HP 14-inch Chromebook: £349 £299 at Currys
With a £50 discount, this 14-inch HP Chromebook is sitting just under £300 in Currys latest laptop deals. That’s an excellent price for an Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage space.
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Cheap laptop deals from £300 to £400
Asus C523NA 15.6-inch touchscreen Chromebook: £414 £348.97 at Laptops Direct
This is a strange build, but definitely one that keen cloud users will want to take note of. There’s only 32GB of storage under the hood, but with 8GB RAM there’s plenty of scope for multi-tasking between browser work. The Intel Celeron N3350 will do its part to keep things zippy as well.
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Lenovo IdeaPad 3i 14-inch laptop: £399 £375 at Currys
You can save £24 on this Lenovo IdeaPad 3i at Currys this week. That’s a great price for an everyday machine with an i3 processor and 128GB SSD. However, you won’t be multi-tasking through too many heavier programs with that 4GB RAM.
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Dell Inspiron 15 3000 15.6-inch laptop: £468.99 £399 at Dell
With 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD, this Dell Inspiron is storming past its competition in the £300 price range this week. Those are excellent specs for this price, and with a Ryzen 3 processor pulling it all together you’re not skimping too much on raw power to get there either.
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Cheap laptop deals between £400 and £600
Medion Akoya E15301 15.6-inch laptop: £549.99 £499.98 at Ebuyer
Medion laptops can pack some serious specs into a budget laptop price tag. That means you can pick up a 512GB SSD with 8GB RAM for just £499 this week at Ebuyer, with a Ryzen 5 processor and AMD Radeon Vega graphics holding it all together as well.
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Dell Inspiron 14 5000 2-in-1 14-inch laptop: £579 £529 at Currys
If you’re looking for a great laptop deal on a 2-in-1 Windows machine that can easily convert into a tablet, this Dell Inspiron is looking like a good contender this week. However, you are making sacrifices to get that extra functionality. You’re dropping down to 4GB RAM here, which may struggle with more demanding workflows and only picking up an i3 processor where others in this price region are offering i5s (though it is still 11th generation). There’s still 256GB of SSD storage in here, but it’s worth considering whether you need a little more power under the hood.
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Dell Inspiron 14 5000 14-inch laptop: £668.99 £549 at Dell
Save £119 on this new Dell Inspiron 14 5000. The 14-inch laptop is packing the very latest 11th generation i5 processor for a serious performance boost, and you’ll also find a 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM under the hood as well.
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Asus Vivobook 15.6-inch laptop: £629.99 £579.99 at Ebuyer
With a Ryzen 7 processor and a 512GB SSD you’re getting some excellent specs for £50 off at Ebuyer right now. The slimline 15.6-inch laptop also offers 8GB RAM to keep everything zipping along as well.
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Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14-inch laptop: £699.99 £599.99 at Very
If you’d prefer a more portable 14-inch machine, though, Very is taking £100 off this 512GB configuration of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. That means you’re getting a spacious 512GB SSD here, as well as a powerful Ryzen 7 processor and 8GB RAM.
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Asus Vivobook 14-inch laptop: £749 £599 at Currys
This Asus Vivobook laptop deal from Currys is trading power for smart memory slightly. You’re dropping down to a 10th generation i5 processor, but grabbing 32GB of Intel Optane memory to compliment your 8GB RAM. Of course, there’s still 512GB of SSD storage space to play with as well.
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Best laptop deals over £600
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 15.6-inch laptop: £718.99 £619 at Dell
Save £99.99 on this boosted 15.6-inch Dell laptop. Not only are you picking up a massive 512GB SSD in here, but Nvidia GeForce MX230 graphics will keep everything looking smooth as well. There’s a 10th generation i5 processor powering everything, with 8GB RAM as well.
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Acer Aspire 3 15.6-inch laptop: £749.97 £649.97 at Laptops Direct
You’re saving £100 on this excellent value Acer Aspire 3. If you’re looking for more power than the i5 processor we’re seeing a lot of this week can provide, this model boosts you up to a 10th generation i7 CPU, with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD to play with as well. That’s means fantastic performance without breaking past that £700 price point.
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HP Envy 13.3-inch laptop: £899 £699 at Currys
There’s a massive £200 saving on this 13.3-inch HP Envy laptop right now, and with 8GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, 32GB of speedy Intel Optane memory and Nvidia GeForce MX350 graphics there’s plenty of value packed into that price as well.
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Acer Swift 3 13.5-inch laptop: £799.99 £699 at Amazon
If you’re looking for the latest 11th generation of Intel processors, this £100 discount on the Acer Swift 3 will get you there for less cash in Amazon’s latest laptop deals. There’s an i5 CPU under the hood here, with 8GB RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.
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Acer Spin 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop: £749 £699 at Currys
Save £50 on this 14-inch 2-in-1 Acer Spin laptop. There’s plenty of power inside – with a 10th gen i5 processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB of SSD storage – but you’re also getting some excellent functionality here with a touchscreen that easily flips around to form a tablet.
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Dell XPS 13 13.3-inch laptop: £1,349 £899 at Currys
This is a fantastic price on the premium Dell XPS 13. You’re grabbing a 10th generation i7 processor and 512GB SSD here – excellent specs to sit inside this luxury chassis.
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We’ll continue adding the best cheap laptop deals in the latest sales as we find them. Up next, you’ll find the latest prices on some of the most popular laptops around along with a list of retailers who often have a great selection of laptop sales if nothing else takes your fancy here.
Which stores have decent cheap laptop sales?
- Amazon: retail giant is often the cheapest in the UK.
- John Lewis: models come with at least two-year guarantee.
- Very: Often surprises with cheap prices on electronics.
- Laptops Direct: specialist UK store has a huge selection of laptop deals.
- ebuyer: the UK computing specialists have some great promotions.
- Currys: the retailer that’s seemingly always having a laptop sale.
- AO: lots of cheap laptops at this growing electronics specialist.
- Argos: home delivery or pick up a cheap laptop locally today.
- Dell: get a great laptop deal direct from Dell.
- Apple: MacBooks aren’t exactly cheap, but they’re excellent workstations
The best cheap laptops
The best cheap laptop deals are often to be found on lower priced machines that edge their way into the mid-range category with higher specs further up the scale. It’s in this pocket of budget laptop shopping that you’ll find some of the most compelling offers, bringing 8GB RAM / i5 processor / 256GB SSD configurations down to entry level prices during sales seasons.
(Image credit: Acer)
1. Acer Chromebook 314
A cheap and cheerful Chromebook regularly discounted
Specifications
CPU: Intel Celeron N4000
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600
RAM: 4GB
Screen: 14-inch LED (1366 x 768) high definition
Storage: 32GB eMMC
Reasons to buy
+Excellent value for money+Strong performance+Premium look and feel
Reasons to avoid
-No touchscreen
With a 12 hour battery life, bright 14-inch display and tactile keyboard, the Acer Chromebook 314 offers everything you could ask for in a cheap laptop. While this model doesn’t quite stretch to 64GB, storage is easily expanded using a portable hard drive and there’s a full array of ports to take advantage of as well (though limited display options). What’s more, this is one of those rare cheap laptops that look and feel far more expensive than they actually are. Thin, light, and sturdy, this is an excellent machine to throw in a backpack and expect it to last all day.
Read the full Acer Chromebook 314 review.
(Image credit: HP)
2. HP Pavilion 15
The de facto learning laptop lives on
Specifications
CPU: AMD dual-core A9 APU – Intel Core i7
Graphics: AMD Radeon R5 – Nvidia GTX 1050
RAM: 4GB – 16GB
Screen: 15.6-inch HD (1,366 x 768) – FHD (1,920 x 1,080); touch optional
Storage: 128GB SSD – 1TB HDD
Reasons to buy
+Thinner and lighter+Tons of options+Regular discounts
Reasons to avoid
-Shallow, squishy keyboard
A sturdy choice for a study laptop for school/college/uni. The HP Pavilion 15 has plenty of power for the average student’s needs while keeping the costs sensible. There are plenty of configurations available in this budget laptop as well. Some favour speedy SSDs, while others go for larger regular hard drives, so it all depends on what you’re going to need more really. Faster loading or more space for storing media files and downloads.
Check out the best HP laptops
(Image credit: Asus)
3. Asus Vivobook 15
Mid-range specs for entry level prices
Specifications
CPU: Up to Intel i7
Graphics: Nvidia
RAM: Up to 16GB
Screen: FHD (1920×1080)
Storage: 128GB SSD – 1TB HDD
Reasons to buy
+Versatile and powerful+Full HD screen+Regularly discounted
The Asus Vivobook 15 can usually be found from £399 upwards, offering baseline specs that vastly outperform many of the Chromebooks usually found at this price point and ranging all the way up to incredibly powerful configurations should you need them. With an expansive Nano-Edge display, you’re even getting a full 15.6-inch sized laptop here, coming in at just 1.6kg, a fingerprint sensor and options for speedy Intel Optane memory as well.
Cheap laptops: what to look out for
Cheap laptops can often lure shoppers in with a sub-£200 price tag, but unless you’re picking up a Chromebook you’re unlikely to get your money’s worth with these particular models. Chromebooks largely run on Chrome OS, which means they rely less on more expensive components and more on cloud-based services provided by Google Chrome. That means you’ll regularly find cheap laptops under £200 that are well worth your cash – provided they were built with this functioning in mind.
These kinds of budget laptops are regularly found on sale, but every now and then we do spot savings that offer mid-range specs for entry level prices.
It’s worth looking out for cheap laptop deals that offer a Windows 10 operating system, but only 16 or 32GB of storage space. You’ll likely speed through those gigabites faster than you’d think, and storing those hefty Windows 10 updates often presents a new challenge in its own right. That means the smallest we would recommend on this page is a 64GB hard drive if you’re running a Windows 10 or 10s operating system.
Cheap laptops can also come with the caveat that they don’t offer an operating system at all. These FreeDOS laptops can sometimes be appealing (and if you’re up for installing your own copy of Windows or Linux, they often deserve to be), but it’s important to check that spec and low price before you buy. We do feature the odd freeDOS budget laptop on this roundup, as they can prove cost effective, but we’ll make sure you know when we do.
Round up of today’s best deals