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Repeal The Windows Tax: Get Windows 10 Pro for $18
- Windows 10 Pro OEM Key: now $18 at Kinguin (opens in new tab) with coupon code KINGWIN16 ($179 from Microsoft)
- Windows 10 Pro OEM Key with online activation: now $28 at Kinguin (opens in new tab) with coupon code KINGWIN16 ($179 from Microsoft)
- Windows 10 Home OEM Key: now $19 at Kinguin (opens in new tab) with coupon code KINGWIN16 ($129 from Microsoft)
- Windows 10 Home OEM Online Activation Key: now $22 at Kinguin (opens in new tab) with coupon code KINGWIN16 ($129 from Microsoft)
- Windows 11 Pro OEM Key: now $32 at Kinguin (opens in new tab) with coupon code KINGWIN16 ($199 from Microsoft)
If you’re building your own PC, Microsoft would you to pay it at least $129 for Windows. Nevermind that you might only be spending $500 on one of the best PC builds, the Redmond software giant wants to collect a Windows tax in the form of a massively overpriced Windows license, where Windows 10 or 11 Home cost $129 and Windows Pro costs $199.
The Windows licensing situation is profoundly unfair, because we know that OEMs such as Dell, Lenovo and HP don’t pay anything close to $129 when they install Windows on the prebuilt laptops and desktops they sell. The exact amount OEMs pay for licenses is a tightly-guarded secret but it could be only a few dollars a unit.
So what’s a PC builder to do? As we explain in our article on how to get Windows 10 or 11 for free or cheap, you have a few options. If you can move a license you already have to your PC (see how to transfer a Windows license), that’s free (but OEM licenses that come on a prebuilt can’t be transferred) . Or you could just choose not to enter a product key and have some an ugly watermark on your PC saying that Windows isn’t activated.
Another option: buy an OEM key from a key reseller such as Kinguin . These marketplaces have grey market sellers who probably bought the keys from an OEM that paid very little for them and will pass on the savings to you. Today, because of Black Friday / Cyber Monday, Kinguin has a Windows 10 Pro OEM key for as little as $18 (opens in new tab) , Windows 10 Home for $19 (opens in new tab) or a Windows 11 Pro OEM key for $32 (opens in new tab) all with the code KINGWIN16.
While buying a Windows license from a third-party marketplace may seem shady, it is legal and it works. We’ve used Kinguin a number of times successfully. We do, however, recommend paying a few dollars extra for a key that offers online activation (see list of links above). If you use one that doesn’t provide online activation, you may have to call Microsoft’s phone activation line, wait on hold and deal with a person to activate the OS.
We also recommend buying a Windows key over a Windows 11 one, because Windows 10 keys are cheaper and you can just upgrade the OS for free to Windows 11 after installing.
Black Friday is Over, But Black Friday Deals Continue
If you’re looking at the calendar, you may notice that today is Saturday which means that, logically speaking, Black Friday is over. However, please don’t tell Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy, Dell, Lenovo or other key tech retailers, because most of them still have the same great deals today that were valid yesterday. And, with Cyber Monday coming in a couple of days, there may be even more new sales coming up.
We’ve gone through all the posts in this blog and deleted any listings of products that were no longer on sale as of Saturday morning. So you can scroll this page with confidence today.
Also, we wanted to point out some of the absolutely best Black Friday deals that are still going on and should not be missed!
This $799 OLED ZenBook Pro Is Pretty, Powerful and Ready for Light Gaming
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still valid.
We haven’t tested the ZenBook Pro OLED that’s currently on sale at Newegg for $799, but it’s hard to argue with its specs at that price. You get a last-gen Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, RTX 3050 Ti graphics, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 1080p OLED touch display rated to 400 nits. It’s probably been a long time since this laptop sold for its $1,399 original price, but $800 bucks for all those features (plus the ZenBook’s trademark spun-metal lid and premium slim shell) is a pretty sweet deal.
With its 3050 Ti graphics, this isn’t exactly a gaming PC, but it should be powerful enough to play most games at medium-to-low settings. And anything more than a few years old should run quite well at higher settings. Port selection covers the basics, with a single USB-A port, HDMI, and an SD card reader on one side and USB-C, audio, and the power jack on the other.
At 4.4 pounds, this isn’t exactly an ultraportable, but it also isn’t gaming-laptop heavy. If you’re looking for a new daily driver laptop with the muscle to excel at productivity and content creation, with a little gaming muscle to help you enjoy your downtime, this is one of the best laptop deals we’ve seen so far this Black Friday season.
HyperX Keyboards on Sale for $59 and $69
Update (Saturday, 11/26): These deals are still valid.
Looking for a new keyboard? All three sizes of HyperX’s Alloy Origins mechanical gaming keyboards are currently on sale for just $59 — that’s right, you can grab an ultra-compact 60 percent keyboard, a slightly-less compact TKL keyboard, or a full-size keyboard for that price.
- HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL ABS (Red): now $59 at Amazon (was $89)
- HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL PBT (Red): now $69 (was $99)
- HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL ABS (Aqua): now $52 (was $89)
- HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL PBT (Aqua): now $69 (was $99)
- HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL PBT (Blue): now $69 (was $99)
The HyperX Alloy Origins line is solidly constructed: the keyboards feature plastic chassis with aluminum top plates, and detachable, braided USB-C cables. The HyperX Alloy Origins 60 comes with double-shot PBT keycaps, while the TKL and full-size keyboards come in both ABS and PBT models — both versions are currently on sale. The $59 models feature HyperX’s linear red mechanical switches, but you can also pick up versions with HyperX’s tactile aqua or clicky blue switches for slightly more.
Read our full review of the HyperX Alloy Origins 60 here and our full review of the HyperX Alloy Origins full-size keyboard here.
Update (Saturday, 11/26): These deals are still valid.
Both Intel and AMD have released new chips recently, pushing performance to new heights. Still, Intel’s previous-gen Core i5-12400 remains our top pick for gaming-focused PCs due to its incredible value proposition. Now the chips are selling at even lower all-time pricing, and even though these aren’t huge price drops, they make them even more competitive.
The 12400 comes with graphics for $183, but you can opt for the graphics-less 12400F for a mere $164. The chips are otherwise identical, coming with six P-cores that support hyper-threading that operate at a 2.5 GHz base and 4.4 GHz boost speed. In addition, the 12400/F supports leading-edge connectivity with DDR4-3200 or up to DDR5-4800 memory, along with 16 lanes of PCIe 5.0 and an additional four lanes of PCIe 4.0 from the chip for M.2 SSDs.
The Core i5-12400 delivers incredible levels of gaming performance but at a much lower price point than any comparable AMD Ryzen 5000 processor, and stepping up to the new Ryzen 7000 or Raptor Lake chips starts at around $250. Additionally, the price of memory for Ryzen 7000 platforms places those chips far above the value territory we see with the 12400/F.
The Core i5-12400/F excels in gaming, but our testing shows that it serves up solid performance in all manner of threaded productivity applications, and its snappy single-threaded performance beats even the fastest Ryzen 5000 processors.
Update (Saturday, 11/26): These deals are still going and, in fact, the 16TB WD is now $273 when it was $323 yesterday.
Black Friday typically features tons of deals on storage, and this year is no exception. However, while speedy SSDs grab all the attention, the tried-and-true hard drive steps in for bulk storage on the cheap. Be warned, though — you don’t want to buy the largest drives on the market, currently the 20TB models, as they have the worst dollars-per-TB ratio.
This year finds great deals on 16TB models, like the $323 16TB WD Red Pro NAS. This drive spins at 7,200 RPM and features CMR tech, meaning it uses the fastest type of magnetic recording technology available. This drive is designed for use in multi-drive NAS environments that have tons of vibration, so it has more robust specs than most drives designed solely for use in a desktop PC. However, this drive will work just fine in any desktop PC, and at this pricing, it’s hard to pass up. With a five-year warranty and a robust 300 TB/year workload rating, this drive will stand the test of time.
If you’re looking for an even better value and are prepared to compromise on performance a bit, the 16TB Elements HDD is a steal at $239. This drive comes in an external housing, so it communicates over the USB 3.0 bus. This drive also uses the premium CMR recording tech to deliver solid performance, but it spins at a slower 5,400 RPM. That’s more than sufficient for bulk data storage, though.
Storage enthusiasts often buy these drives and “shuck” them, meaning they remove the drive from the enclosure to install it inside a standard desktop PC. This drive is “schuckable,” but be aware that this voids the warranty.
Alienware Aurora R14 Ryzen Edition Hits a New Low
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still valid.
Alienware’s Aurora R14 Ryzen Edition, with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080,, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and 2TB HDD has dropped to $2,184.99, the lowest that configuration has ever been on Amazon.
This is the same design as the R13 we tested on our best gaming PCs page, but it’s an AMD/Nvidia focused-build.
Our biggest issue with these desktops has been the 120 mm radiator for the CPU. But if you’re looking for something high-end and pre-built, this Alienware should be on your radar. It’s pretty stacked.
Cooler Master SK620 White Mechanical Keyboard Lowers to $44
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still valid.
This gaming keyboard from Cooler Master features white keys with RGB backlighting. It has a small, 60% form factor and features a brushed aluminum top plate. This is one of the best prices we’ve seen for this keyboard since it first released.
The offer applies to the edition with low-profile red switches. It’s a wired keyboard that comes with a braided USB-C to USB-A cable. Users can program custom macros and as well as lighting effects. When we reviewed this keyboard, we appreciated its performance and customization options but the layout can be a bit strange to get used to if you aren’t familiar with the form factor.
Upgrade Your Home Office With a 1080p Webcam
Update (Saturday, 11/26): These deals are still good.
Still one of the best webcams for most people — despite being launched in 2013 — the Logitech C920x HD Pro Webcam offers good, 1080p image quality with acceptable performance in both overexposed and low-light settings. It’s not dirt-cheap, but $59 is around the best price you’ll see it for (new), so it’s a good time to pick one up.
For less than $20 more than the Logitech C920, you can pick up Razer’s premium HD webcam, the Razer Kiyo Pro. Launched in 2021, the Kiyo Pro features 1080p/60fps resolution, HDR recording, and a light sensor that makes images look extra-flattering. It’s over 55% off right now for an all-time low price of just $87 at Amazon.
Read our full review of the Razer Kiyo Pro here.
It’s not quite the Elgato Facecam Pro, but the Elgato Facecam is a decent 1080p/60fps webcam with a fixed focus 24mm lens and access to Elgato’s excellent Camera Hub app. It doesn’t have HDR, nor does it boast 4K resolution, but it’s a solid streaming webcam for people who don’t want to have to worry about jumpy auto-focusing.
Read our full review of the Elgato Facecam here.
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still good.
The SSD deals are coming in hot and heavy for Black Friday. The WD Blue SN570 joins the ranks of fantastic SSD deals with its $239 price tag, a savings of $105. That’s a great deal for an SSD that scored 4.5 stars (of 5) in our review.
The SN570 is a PCIe 3.0 SSD, but it will work in PCIe 4.0 systems. Despite its previous-gen interface, the SSD provides up to 3,500/3,000 MBps of sequential read/write throughput and 460K/450K random read/write IOPS. It’s also compatible with the newer PCIe 4.0 interface and comes with a five-year warranty and a respectable 600 TBW endurance rating.
Great Time to Starting 3D Printing: Our Favorites Start at $189
Update (Saturday, 11/26): These deals are still valid.
If you haven’t already started 3D printing, Black Friday presents a great opportunity for you to claim aboard the maker train for cheap. Several of the models that make up our list of the Best 3D printers are on huge sales.
If you’re looking to make an inexpensive start, the Anycubic Kobra Go is an excellent choice. This open-frame printer outputs excellent quality prints in PLA or PETG filaments and it has auto bed leveling so you can keep your prints level without tightening and loosening screws. Normally selling for well above $200, the Kobra Go is now $189 at Anycubic (opens in new tab) and $199 from Amazon.
Amazingly, when we reviewed the Anycubic Kobra Go, we were able to print this stretchy replica of DaveMoneySign’s Taco Bell Bag (opens in new tab) in flexible TPU filament. That’s a rarity, even on more expensive models.
However, we wouldn’t expect to use TPU a lot on a printer that doesn’t have a direct drive feed system which the Kobra Go does not). If you’re got a larger budget, we recommend getting our favorite 3D printer overall, which is the Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro. Normally $499, you can get the S1 Pro at Amazon for just $399 (opens in new tab) today.
When we reviewed the Creality Ender 3 S1 Pro earlier this year, we complimented its great user interface, awesome print output, auto bed leveling and streaming-hot direct drive feeding system.
The hotend on this printer can go all the way up to 300 degrees celsius which makes it ideal for filaments like TPU. It also comes with a PEI coated, flexible build plate that makes removing prints a breeze.
If you’re interested in other models, check out our list of the best 3D printer deals.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600 CPU Lowers to $118 at Amazon
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Deal is still valid.
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a Zen 3 processor. It has 6 cores and a total of 12 threads with a base operating speed of 3.5 GHz. It comes unlocked for overclocking and can be boosted up to 4.4 GHz.
You don’t need to purchase a cooler to get off the ground with this CPU as it comes with an AMD Wraith Stealth stock cooler. Users can install up to 128 GB of DDR4-3200 via two channels. This discount is part of an early Black Friday sale and it’s not clear for how long it will be made available.
Crucial X6 2 TB Portable SSD Drops to $121
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Still deal is still valid.
The 2 TB edition of the Crucial X6 2 TB portable SSD is available for $121, one of its best prices yet. It uses an ASMedia ASM235CM interface controller, Silicon Motion SM2259XT NAND controller and features Crucial 96L QLC DRAM.
According to Micron, the Crucial X6 2 TB has a maximum read speed of 800 GB. It supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 interfaces and comes with a USB Type-C cable. The purchase is supported by both Amazon’s 30-day return policy as well as a limited 3-year warranty from Micron.
PlayStation 5 DualSense Controllers Now $49 at Wal-Mart
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Deal is still valid.
Sony’s fantastic PS5 controller, the DualSense, is on a deep early Black Friday sale at Wal-Mart. You can get it for $49, a nice cut off of its usual $75 price.
The sale isn’t just for the default white colorway. You can get it in every hue, including black, red, gray camo, purple, pink and blue.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a PlayStation controller. It’s easy to connect a PlayStation 5 Controller to a PC, especially if you’re playing games on Steam.
The DualSense controller has some excellent haptic feedback, as well as adaptive triggers, which even work in some PC games, though that often requires a wired connection. You can connect wirelessly with Bluetooth, as well.
Of course, if you happened to need a second PS5 controller for multiplayer games on a console, we won’t judge!
Corsair’s Excellent Multi-Device Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT Headset Hits Lowest Price Ever
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This is still on sale, but at Best Buy instead of Amazon.
Corsair’s Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT headset has been on my head nearly every day since I reviewed it in mid-2021 – during work meetings, while gaming and when listening to music (via my PC and phone simultaneously, no less) And the headset still looks and sounds great today, as you can see in the image above that I just took (admittedly after I wiped my fingers and head funk off it). If you’re looking for a device that lets you keep connected to your PC and phone (or other Bluetooth device, like a console) at the same time, I’ve found its separate controls for both connections to be more enjoyable and intuitive than Razer’s competing Barracuda Pro Wireless.
Admittedly, even at the headset’s current all-time low price of $200 (opens in new tab), the Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is still an expensive device – and I turned off the RGB bit at some point in June of 2021 and have never bothered (or wanted) to turn it back on again. But with its metal earcups and chrome accents, it’s an attractive device that you could also wear when out and about (the mic is detachable). It also comes with a very nice quilted travel bag, although without active noise canceling, these aren’t a great choice if you need to drown out airplane noise.
The XT’s 50mm drivers sound very good, and for me at least, the headset is comfortable to wear for hours at a time (though head sizes and shapes vary, so your comfort might as well). Battery life could be better at a rated 20 hours when connected to a single device, or 15 hours with two devices connected. These days I mostly use it when connected to one device at a time, and since I am often testing or using other headsets/headphones throughout the day, I tend to have to charge it about once a week.
The stand-out feature of the Virtuoso Wireless XT Wireless is its simultaneous multi-device connectivity, and just how well it juggles two devices, via the RF dongle and Bluetooth. Instead of muting or pausing one audio source when another makes a sound, it plays them both. This could be frustrating if, like with some competitors, there’s no easy way to control or adjust the volume of both sources, but with the Corsair headset, there are separate volume controls for both, and the volume buttons for Bluetooth double as track-skipping buttons. All these controls are along the bottom/back of the right earcup, making for an easy and intuitive layout. There’s also a mic mute button on the bottom of the mic arm (near where it plugs into the headset) and a nice light ring around the end of the mic, with in your sight line, that tells you when you’re muted by turning red.
Going on 20 months of using it, and having tested several headsets since then, Corsair’s Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT is still my favorite daily driver. I would consider buying a pair at their new low price of $199, but the ones I’ve been using since the product launched are still basically good as new – unless you count a couple of scrapes and dings here and there where I dropped them while walking at my treadmill desk. I don’t.
Kingston KC3000 2 TB SSD Drops to $168 at Kingston
Update (Saturday, 11/26): The price when up by $2 but it’s still a good deal.
The Kingston KC3000 2 TB SSD has been marked down to one of its lowest prices yet. This SSD has an M.2 2280 form factor and is compatible with NVMe PCIe Gen 4.0 interfaces. We reviewed this SSD when it first debuted and overall appreciated is performance as one of the highest on the market.
This SSD is designed to use the Phison PS5018-E18 controller and can reach speeds as high as 7000 / 7000 MB/s. It has a 5-year warranty that voids should the drive reach 1600 TBW. It’s not clear for how long this deal will be made available as its offered as part of Kingston’s early Black Friday sale.
Sabrent 2TB Rocket NVMe 4.0 SSD now $189 at Amazon
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still good!
With class-leading endurance, competitive performance and an understated, yet attractive design, Sabrent’s Rocket NVMe 4.0 M.2 SSD is a great drive for your next build. With a sequential read of 5,000 MBps and write of 4,400 MBps this drive is fast for your OS and apps.
In our review we tested the performance and reliability of the drive and in both factors it performed well. This hot seller SSD is powered by Phison’s PS5016-E16 NVME SSD controller and this makes it one of the best bang-for-your-SSD -buck Gen4 drives. Registering the SSD within 90 days of purchase will give you a five-year warranty too.
This is a solid choice for capacity, speed and reliability.
SK Hynix Platinum P41 2 TB SSD is $169 at Amazon
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still in full-force!
Right now at Amazon, the SK hynix Platinum P41 2 TB SSD is available for $169, down from its recommended rate of $259. All of the drives in this line have an M.2 2280 form factor and support PCIe 4.0 x4 along with NVMe 1.4 interfaces.
The SK hynix Platinum P41 2 TB SSD uses the SK hynix Aries controller and SK hynix 176L TLC for memory. The 2 TB edition is capable of reaching read/write speeds as high as 7000 / 6500 Mbps. It comes with optional 256-bit AES encryption for added security and is supported by a 5-year warranty that voids should the drive reach 1200 TBW.
Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop Now $1,049
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Deal is still valid.
It often takes a lot of sleuthing to find a laptop equipped with a potent Intel Alder Lake processor and a GeForce RTX 3070 GPU around the $1,000 price point, but that’s precisely what we have for you today. Best Buy is currently offering the Gigabyte Aorus 5 SE4 with a $450 discount, taking it from $1,499.99 down to just $1,049.
At that price, you get an Intel Core i7-12700H processor, 16GB of RAM (2x8GB DDR4-3200), a GeForce RTX 3070 GPU and a 512GB SSD. That’s quite a spec sheet for just a little more than $1,000. The display measures 15.6 inches and has a 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate.
If that wasn’t enough, the 5.07-pound Aorus 5 SE4 features a tri-zone RGB keyboard, one HDMI 2.1, one mini DisplayPort 1.4, GbE, a UHS-II SD reader, Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) and two USB 3.2 (Type-A) ports. The sound system consists of dual 2-watt speakers with DTS:X Ultra Audio Technology, and you’ll find an HD webcam and Intel Wi-Fi 6E wireless (with Bluetooth 5.2). Everything is powered by a 99 WHr battery that is recharged via a 230-watt power adapter.
Mini Gaming Keyboards on Sale
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Deal still valid.
A great gaming keyboard doesn’t need to be huge; in fact, some of the best gaming keyboards are tiny. Ultra-compact gaming keyboards can be pretty powerful — they have to be, to make a limited 60 or 65 percent layout viable for gaming — and they’re often pricier than they look.
But several are on sale this week, including the Corsair K65 RGB Mini Gaming Keyboard for just $69 (was $109) at both Best Buy and Amazon. Best Buy has the K65 in both black and white with Cherry MX Speed linear mechanical switches, while Amazon only has it in black (but with either Cherry MX Speed or Cherry MX Red switches).
The Corsair K65 RGB Mini is a wired (detachable, USB-C) 60 percent keyboard with a tiny footprint — 11.6 inches (294mm) long by 4.14 inches (105mm) deep, and 1.74 inches (44mm) thick. It weighs 1.3 pounds (590g) and has a polling rate of up to 8,000 Hz. Like other ultra-compact gaming keyboards, the K65 is highly customizable — almost all of its keys can be programmed with second-layer functionality, and the keyboard has 8MB of onboard storage (enough for 50+ profiles).
The Razer Huntsman Mini is also currently on sale at a number of retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg. You can pick up this keyboard in black or white colorways, with Razer’s Clicky Optical switches for $69 (was $119) or with Razer’s Linear Optical switches for $79 (was $129).
The Huntsman Mini is a wired (detachable, USB-C) 60 percent keyboard with an aluminum top plate and double-shot PBT keycaps. It’s 11.6 inches (295mm) long, 4 inches (102mm) deep, and 1.3 inches (33mm) thick, and weighs 1.15 pounds (522g). It’s also highly customizable, with a fully-programmable second layer (Razer HyperShift), onboard memory (up to 5 profiles), and attractive, bleed-free, per-key RGB.
If you’re not totally sold on the 60 percent layout, the Mountain Everest 60 is a fantastic 60 percent gaming keyboard with an optional detachable numpad. It’s currently on sale for $114 (was $189) with the numpad — or $79 (was $139) without. Unlike other 60 percent keyboards, the Everest 60 manages to squeeze arrow keys into its compact form factor — which measures 12 inches (307.2mm) long by 4.5 inches (115mm) deep (without the numpad), and is 1.8 inches (46.44mm) thick. It weighs 1.7 pounds (768g).
The Everest 60 is highly customizable when it comes to both hardware and software. It ships with your choice of switch (tactile, linear, linear speed) and keycap color (11 color combos), and has a hot-swap PCB. The optional numpad can be attached to either side of the keyboard. Mountain Base Camp, the brand’s companion software, lets you fully remap keys (including the numpad — perfect for if you want to use it as a general macro pad) and customize the keyboard’s per-key RGB lighting.
Multiple AMD Ryzen AM5 CPUs on Offer at Newegg
Update (Saturday, 11/26): These sales are still going on.
Newegg have dropped the price on a plethora of AMD Ryzen CPUs for AM5 motherboards. From the Ryzen 9 7950X to the Ryzen 5 7600X, we are seeing deep discounts well ahead of Black Friday.
In our review of the Ryzen 9 7950X and 7600X we loved the class-leading single and multi-threaded performance and higher boost frequencies. The CPUs are also overclockable, but even at stock speed they require beefy cooling. There is no bundled cooler so you will need to factor in the cost of the best CPU coolers.
At the MSRP the price-per-core was reasonable, but with these discounts we see the price-per-core is more enticing for those ready to move from AM4 to AM5.
Asus Zephyrus G14 RTX 3060 Gaming Laptop Now $899
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Deal is still valid.
Under normal circumstances, you won’t find a laptop with an RTX 3060 GPU inside selling for much less than $1,500 and certainly not for less than $1,000. However, right now, Best Buy has an Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 with RTX 3060 graphics, a Ryzen 7-5800HS CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for $899 (opens in new tab). This config also has a 1080p, 144 Hz display.
While we have not reviewed this particular unit we have reviewed earlier and later models of Zephyrus G14 and always found the build quality excellent and the lightweight, thin chassis a real plus. The 14-inch laptop is just 3.53 pounds and 0.7 inches thick, which is very light for any laptop with discrete graphics.
We have also tested other RTX 3060 powered laptops like the Asus TUF Gaming F15. That laptop managed 74 fps on Shadow of the Tomb Raider at Highest settings and 90 fps on Grand Theft Auto at Very High settings. Those are impressive numbers that mean smooth play at 1080p.
Samsung Odyssey G9, 49-inch, 240 Hz Monitor for $899
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still valid.
It’s hard to imagine a more immersive gaming experience than you’ll get from Samsung’s Odyssey G9 gaming monitor. This 49-inch, curved gaming monitor delivers an impressive 5120 x 1440 resolution with a 240 Hz panel and more than 1,000 sits of brightness when in HDR mode. Normally, you’d pay $1,499 for this super high end gaming experience, but right now Best Buy has it for just $899 (opens in new tab).
We reviewed the Samsung Odyssey G9 49-inch (opens in new tab) and gave it an Editor’s Choice award, because we were blown away by its color accuracy, brightness and sharpness. On our light meter, the G9 returned 503 nits of brightness in standard mode 1,323 nits in HDR mode.
On our colorimeter, the Odyssey G9 reproduced 88 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 98.5 percent of the sRGB gamut. While those aren’t the highest in its class, those are still extremely colorful.
If you can afford the $899 price (opens in new tab) and have room on your desk for a 49-inch monitor, it’s hard to beat this monitor deal. However, if not, check out our complete list of Black Friday monitor deals.
Samsung 980 Pro 2TB SSD Now $179
Update (Saturday, 11/26): The price has risen from $173 to $179 which is still a really good deal.
With the price of SSDs dropping, this is a great Black Friday deal season to upgrade to a faster or higher-capacity boot drive. Samsung’s 980 Pro has long been one of the most popular PCIe 4.0 SSDs you can buy. It is no longer among the very fastest PCIe 4.0 drives — competitors like the SK hynix Platinum P41 or Samsung’s upcoming 990 Pro are just a little quicker — but it’s still extremely performant and the delta between it and newer models is probably imperceptible in most applications.
Right now, Amazon has the Samsung 980 Pro 2TB capacity for just $17 (opens in new tab)9, reduced from $219. The drive is rated 7,000 MBps sequential reads and 5,100 MBps sequential writes among with 1 million random read and write IOPS.
We reviewed the Samsung 980 Pro and were impressed by its great sustained performance, particularly its sustained write speeds. On DiskBench, it transferred a 6.5GB zip file at a rate of 3,869 MBps, which puts it a bit a few MBps behind the top performers today, which cost a lot more, but in the real word, you probably won’t notice.
Aorus FO48U 4K OLED Monitor Now $769
Update (Saturday, 11/26): The price has actually dropped by $10!
There’s nothing quite like the vibrant color and high contrast of an OLED display, but you usually pay a lot for the privilige. The 48-inch Aorus FO48U is a 4K OLED, 120 Hz gaming monitor that normally goes for closer to $900 but right now is on sale for just $769 (opens in new tab) at Amazon.
We reviewed the Aorus FO48U and praised its amazing contrast and color accuracy. On our tests, the massive display reproduced a brilliant 107 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. That’s one of the most vibrant displays we’ve ever benchmarked.
Dell S2721DGF 27-Inch Gaming Monitor Now $269
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Deal is still valid and a great one the after Black Friday!
The Dell S2721DGF 27-Inch Gaming Monitor is marked down to its lowest price ever today at the Dell web store. It has a recommended price of $329 but right now is listed at just $269.
This gaming monitor features a 27-inch LED-backlit IPS panel. It has a dense resolution that measures up to 2560 x 1440px. The S2721DGF is also AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certified.
The refresh rate for this gaming monitor can reach as high as 165Hz while the response time can get as low as 1ms. It covers 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with a maximum brightness of 400 nits.
There are a few video inputs to choose from including two HDMI ports and one DisplayPort. A 3.5mm jack is available for external audio peripherals. This monitor is supported by a limited 3-year manufacturer’s warranty from Dell.
We reviewed the Dell S2721DGF back in 2021 and praised its excellent HDR performance, strong color accuracy and wide DCI-P3 color coverage. On our tests, we found that the S2721DGF can reproduce an impressive 92.8 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 137.7 percent of the sRGB color gamut.
Apple MacBook Air Laptop 2020 Now $799
Update (Saturday, 11/26): Still valid on Saturday after Black Friday.
The Apple MacBook Air Laptop 2020 edition is available today at Amazon for $799. This laptop has a recommended price of $999 which means this discount saves users $200. The offer comes with optional free shipping for Amazon Prime members and currently is listed without an expiration date.
This offer applies to all of the colors including Gold, Silver and Space Gray. It uses an Apple 8-core GPU which outputs to a 13-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 2560 x 1600px.
The laptop uses an Apple M1 processor which has 8 cores—4 of which are dedicated as performance cores with the other 4 used as efficiency cores. It can reach a maximum speed of 3.1 GHz. Memory-wise, it ships with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB internal SSD.
There are four USB ports to use along with two Thunderbolt ports. It can connect to WiFi networks using 802.11ax wireless connections. According to Apple, the battery can last up to 18 hours.
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB SSD Drops to $149
Update (Saturday, 11/26): This deal is still valid the day after Black Friday.
The Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2 TB SSD is available today at Newegg for $149 when using promo code 5BFBYA5297 at checkout. The promo code is part of a limited offer but so far there has been no expiration specified for the discount. The purchase is offered with optional free shipping.
This discount is for the 2 TB model but other capacities are available as well including 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB. It has an M.2 2280 form factor and uses Samsung 9x-layer V-NAND TLC. All of the drives in this line use Samsung 9x-layer V-NAND TLC memory and support PCIe 3.0 4x along with NVMe 1.3.
The Samsung 970 EVO Plus uses the Samsung Phoenix microcontroller. According to Samsung, it can reach speeds as high as 3,500 / 3,300 Mbps. We reviewed this SSD when it debuted and overall appreciated its performance which is only heightened by today’s discount. It’s supported by a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty from Samsung that voids should the drive reach 1,200 TBW.