By Sage Anderson
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Let’s face it, buying a new laptop is hard. Brand-new tech is expensive, and you don’t want to waste your money on the wrong machine. When you’re shopping, there’s also more to consider than just the base price of the laptop — how new the hardware is, the added cost and speed of shipping, and finding customer service with a long warranty period and a great return window. (Trust us. If there’s a problem with shipping or if, god forbid, your laptop arrives broken? You’ll want good customer service.)
When looking for the best place to buy a laptop online, you’ll want a retailer with a wide variety of models, all suited for different purposes. Whether you’re a hardcore gamer looking for a highly-powered laptop that can handle ray-tracing, or a college student looking for a solid deal, we’ve made a list comprising of the best places to shop online for laptops.
If you’d rather just search for the best laptop deals at the moment, we also have you covered. But if you’re in this for the long game, stick with us here. You can thank us later by sending an email with your brand-new laptop.
If we’re talking about online shopping, we have to address the behemoth itself. Amazon is famous for its low prices and consistent deals on major holidays as well as during their exclusive Prime Day. There’s hardly anyone faster in the shipping business than Amazon, especially if you’re an Amazon Prime member. Their 30-day return policy is also one of the most generous that we’ve seen.
Amazon has a pretty wide laptop computer selection, but there’s a downside to that, too. A lot of the laptops available are put up for sale by resellers, inflating the price. If you want to buy from a reseller on Amazon, make sure you do your research and aren’t taken advantage of, but if you need a new laptop fast, Amazon is your best bet.
Alongside very fast shipping (sometimes even same day if you live near a warehouse), Amazon offers a smart garage system called Amazon Key. With Amazon Key, delivery drivers can safely store your package inside your garage. That’s a great way to ensure your expensive tech isn’t stolen right on your own doorstep.
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Years ago, Newegg was the only game in town when it came to purchasing a new laptop online. Now, major retailers have overtaken this aged veteran, but we wouldn’t count Newegg out of the race just yet. What really still sets Newegg apart is its very well-made search function. With most of the online retailers on this list, it’s better to have an idea of what you want before you go looking. Newegg is the best online tech store to visit if you only have a vague idea of what brand to go for, but still want a few specific specs, like a certain price point, or a certain level of graphics ability or data storage.
Interestingly enough, Newegg also as a lot of unique payment options, including bitcoin. Buying a new laptop on Newegg could be a great way to use that stack of dogecoins you bought as a joke a few years back (or not).
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While I have fond memories of playing around on the laptop displays at the Best Buy store as a child, today, it’s much easier to browse Best Buy’s laptop selection online anyway. Best Buy has a great search engine, making it easy to find the ideal laptop within your search parameters. They also have a wide variety of brands to choose from, including new releases from Apple, Lenovo, and HP, and performance gaming laptops like from Alienware. And you can even save with exclusive deals and in-store pick-up options.
Unfortunately, the best service only comes if you pay for at least one of Best Buy’s subscription services. Totaltech and Geek Squad Protection net you longer warranties at the cost of a much lighter wallet. Better shipping and longer return policies also come with their own memberships. If you’re rough on your laptop, or don’t have many computer skills, it might be worth it, but if you’re tech-savvy this is just a lot of extra money to add onto the bill.
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Everyone knows that Walmart reigns supreme when it comes to having excellent prices, including on laptops. Most of the time you’ll have to wait to find lower prices on laptops at other retailers until they have a major sale or promotion (like Prime Day), or it’s a major shopping holiday like Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but Walmart really does, in fact, have everyday low prices.
If you’re buying a laptop online, Walmart has a fantastic selection of budget-friendly and lower-cost models, like Gateway and Asus Chromebook laptops that are priced much lower than you’d expect. That being said, this isn’t the place to go if you’re looking for high-powered gaming models, or anything graphic-intensive, but if you’re just searching for a laptop for basic schoolwork, they do a good job.
Walmart also has a variety of solid pickup and delivery options, with three-day, two-day, and one-day shipping available depending on what you’re buying. You can also purchase your new laptop online and pick up at a store nearby, or have it shipped from another store if it’s not in stock at your local Walmart.
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We’ll be the first to admit that eBay has its issues. Its customer service isn’t as robust as other major retailers, and the amount of resellers on the site means sometimes sorting through page after page of junk. But! If you’re looking for a low price on a new laptop, or even a decent refurbished piece, eBay is your best bet. The search options are pretty good, and if you get lucky you can find some amazing steals on newer laptop models. There are also no centralized sellers on eBay, which means that it really is a gamble on prices, and on what’s available. But again — when you get lucky, you get really lucky.
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