Prime Day is right around the corner, and as usual, there’s slated to be a huge selection of discounted PCs and computer equipment. After suffering through a major microchip shortage for two years, the industry is finally able to offer price cuts on highly capable electronics. While prices may never go back to pre-shortage levels, we expect to see some great deals on computers and, amazingly, PC hardware.
Amazon hasn’t released the exact dates, but rumors indicate that it will take place sometime around the second full week of July. It typically doesn’t fall on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, which leaves us with July 13-16 and 20-23 as the most likely date ranges.
This is a must-do if you want to get your hands on the holiday’s best deals. You don’t have to be a longtime subscriber, nor do you have to stay subscribed after getting your deals. But you need an Amazon Prime subscription during the event to take advantage of the sales.
Asking, “Alexa, what are my deals?” will bring up a number of great discounts that you can only find when shopping via the voice assistant.
If you have one of the latest-generation Amazon Echo or Echo Show smart speakers or displays, you can activate the “Deals Recommendations” setting to receive alerts about upcoming sales. This feature scans your shopping cart, wish list and saved items and reports back when something you’ve tagged is about to see a price cut.
There was a time when even simple computers used mostly for word processing took up entire tower cases. These powerful, space-efficient and moderately priced mini PCs are proof that era is over.
While it’s not on sale right this minute, rumors are swirling that it could be replaced with an upgraded model as early as October. In the meantime, look for retailers to discount this powerful, user-friendly mini PC around mid-July. Sold by Amazon
About as efficient as they get, this full-featured PC comes in two versions, both under $300. It has plenty of RAM, storage and processing power for a smooth Windows experience with few to no hiccups or slowdowns. Sold by Amazon
It’s equipped with a surprisingly powerful central processing unit for something so small, and it can even play some relatively resource-intensive games thanks to Intel’s advanced integrated graphics processing unit. You can upgrade its dual-channel RAM to as much as 32 gigabytes, and it supports up to three simultaneous video outputs. Sold by Amazon
Buying a desktop gaming PC can, surprisingly, be more economical than buying and assembling the parts yourself.
It’s powerful enough to play many of today’s best games right out of the box, with an impressively fast AMD Ryzen processor and plenty of storage space. While its graphics card is from the previous generation, it’s still relatively powerful, and there’s plenty of room inside for an upgrade if you need the extra firepower. Sold by Amazon
This moderately priced option is perfect if you want to start gaming right now, but still want to keep your eye on the GPU market for a good deal on a high-end card. Its GTX 1660 graphics card will keep you playing until you find the right upgrade. Sold by Amazon
As long as you’re not playing at the highest resolutions and graphics settings, this is one of the best discounted gaming PCs out there. It has plenty of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2 and tons of USB ports. Sold by Amazon
Retailers often use Prime Day to unload older versions of great laptops. These premium options are either already heavily discounted, or primed to see big price cuts sometime in July.
Not only is it outfitted with high-end components, it also boasts a rare AMOLED screen that delivers a clearer image and more accurate colors than nearly all of the competition. There are a few configurations to choose from, and they all earn the Intel Evo certification for a fast, streamlined experience. Sold by Amazon
A few years ago, you wouldn’t have expected Apple to release an efficient, high-powered laptop at a reasonable price, but that’s exactly what the MacBook Air is. Since Apple’s announcement of the follow-up MacBook Air M2, you can plan on getting a good Prime Day discount on this refined, lightweight laptop. Sold by Amazon
While the Surface Pro 8 does exist, it has few significant advantages and tends to cost a lot. The previous version, the Surface Pro 7, is nearly the most refined and powerful Windows tablet money can buy. Sold by Amazon
With this one, you’ll spend about as little as you possibly can while still getting a smooth, frustration-free Windows experience. It’s the perfect example of the kind of accessible, high-value deals you’re likely to find during Prime Day. Sold by Amazon
It’s not on sale at the moment, but the Acer Aspire series typically sees a price cut during the Amazon buying holiday. This 15-inch model sports all the hardware needed for most work and education tasks, and ships with Windows 11 preloaded. Sold by Amazon
If you're busy putting together your dream gaming PC, you can't miss these impressive deals.
One year ago, a 30% discount on the most-recommended desktop CPU seemed like a fever dream. Today, this gaming-grade CPU is a better value than ever, and the perfect centerpiece to a PC that can remain effective for years. Sold by Amazon
Intel Core i7-12700K Processor
If you’re on Team Blue (Intel) rather than Team Red (AMD), you’ll appreciate this powerful yet efficient CPU. As the second-highest tier of Intel’s 12th-generation Core family, it’s one of the first to use a novel combination of 12 specialized high-efficiency and performance-oriented cores. Sold by Amazon
Gigabyte Aorus GeForce RTX 3080 Master
While $1,000 for a graphics card isn’t exactly cheap, it is considerably cheaper than this time last year, especially for this high-end card that’s perfect for 4K gaming. Sold by Amazon
Zotac GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC
The 3070 offers the best price-to-performance proposition as far as gaming enthusiasts are concerned. It isn't exactly affordable by most people’s definition, but it is closer to the 3070’s manufacturer's suggested retail price than ever before. Sold by Amazon
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
