• Michael Dell posts ten-second, AI-generated riff on the 2000-2003 "Dude, you're getting a Dell" ads swapping the desktop PC for a crane-delivered AI server rack
• The post, which seemingly uses a synthetic Ben Curtis lookalike, has received a "Made with AI" label on X
• The gag also underscores an important shift in Dell's business: its AI-optimized server revenue rose 757% to $16.1 billion last quarter against $14.6 billion for the entire PC division

Dell founder Michael Dell recently posted a ten-second video to X with a one-word caption: "2026." In it, a young man who looks like Ben Curtis, an actor who spent three years telling America "dude, you're getting a Dell", throws open a garage door with the same eager grin.

What arrives next is not a Dell desktop, but rather a dual-door compute cabinet, lowered into a suburban yard by a crane, with the deliveryman throwing in the famous catchphrase at the end for good measure.

The post, which has been viewed over 290,000 times since it was originally posted, underscores Dell's shift toward AI and high-performance computing as its new growth engine, which is already dwarfing its personal computer division in revenue.

Dell's most famous pitchman is back but in an AI-generated form and that might be the point

Despite the reach of the original post, there is no indication currently that Dell plans to run a new advertising campaign around the catchphrase again; it rather seems to be a joke by its CEO about how the business has morphed from a company selling PCs to consumers to AI datacenter compute to hyperscalers as its primary revenue generator.

The original videos were built to appeal to consumers looking to buy a brand-new PC, and they showcased its personal computers to buyers.

The original spots ran from 2000 to 2003 and were built by the agency Lowe Worldwide around a character called Steven, played by Curtis, who was 19 and on an acting scholarship at New York University when he was cast from an open call.

The ensuing deal saw him appear in 26 different commercials before Dell eventually terminated the contract under its drug policy after Curtis was arrested for buying marijuana in Manhattan, even as his character was on its way out, with Dell planning a campaign around Dell interns instead.

The meme, however, rings true despite its nostalgia, given how much Dell's revenue base has changed since. It now clearly indicates that AI-optimized server revenues will grow the most, and Michael Dell's joke might be poking fun at the fact that its biggest customers are now data centers rather than retail consumers.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2027, reported on May 28, Dell posted revenue of $43.8 billion, up 88% year on year and roughly $8 billion ahead of analysts' consensus.

The surprise came from its AI-related income, which came in at impressive levels: its Infrastructure Solutions Group brought in $29 billion, up 181%; AI-optimized server revenue alone was $16.1 billion, up a mammoth 757%. Client Solutions Group, the PC business the Dell Dude was invented to sell, grew a relatively measly 17% to $14.6 billion.

This means Dell, which is seeing explosive AI-centric growth, has changed lanes to focus on exactly what the 10-second video shows, even as it tells investors it is supply-constrained, with RAM, NAND, and CPUs as its primary restrictions.

Some irony is in play here, however: Dell actually has access to the real Ben Curtis, whom it hired back in late 2021 as a spokesperson and brand ambassador to promote its electronics recycling program, a collaboration Curtis has described in his biography as arising from Dell's interest in his wellness work.

It could very well have made a commercial without requiring AI. But in a joke that is literally about AI data centers and servers being prioritized by Dell, a "Made with AI" tag on X might just be an excellent cherry on top, and could be exactly the point being made here, even if assuming it as a de facto intention is a bit of a stretch at best.

If you need a good Windows laptop for work, college or general home use, Dell's 15.6" 2K Touchscreen Laptop is currently $600 (was $1100) at Best Buy.

Designed to comfortably handle everyday tasks, its 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1355U has 10 cores and can boost to 5GHz, backed by 16GB of DDR5-4400 memory and a 512GB PCIe SSD. The 15.6-inch IPS touchscreen gives you a large working area, and a dedicated numeric keypad makes it particularly useful for spreadsheets, accounts and other business or college work involving lots of numbers.

Why we recommend it

The combination of a Core i7 processor, 16GB DDR5 memory and a 512GB SSD gives this Dell a well-balanced specification for everyday use.

Alongside Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth, there are USB-C 3.2, USB-A 3.2 and USB-A 2.0 ports, HDMI 1.4, an SD card reader and a headphone jack. The full-size keyboard and numeric keypad also make it a sensible choice for business and college work.

At 4.28 pounds, it's reasonably portable for a full-size 15.6-inch laptop, although this is more of an everyday workhorse than an ultraportable.

Price context & historical value

Best Buy has slashed the price of this Dell laptop from $1,099.99 to $599.99, saving you $500, a substantial cut on a laptop with a Core i7 processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 512GB SSD.

At its $1,099.99 regular price, several of the compromises would be harder to overlook, particularly the basic integrated graphics, 220-nit display and lack of a backlit keyboard. At $599.99, it's a good all-rounder for someone primarily interested in productivity and everyday computing tasks.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Dell 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop if...

You want a full-size laptop for business, studying, home working or everyday computing. The Core i7 processor provides plenty of performance for office applications, web browsing, video calls and other everyday workloads.

The touchscreen adds another way to navigate Windows, and the separate numeric keypad is useful if you spend much of your day working with spreadsheets or figures. Its 15.6-inch screen also provides considerably more workspace than smaller 13-inch and 14-inch laptops.

❌ Skip the Dell 15.6-inch touchscreen laptop if...

You need serious graphics performance. This model relies on Intel UHD integrated graphics, so it isn't designed for demanding gaming, 3D rendering or GPU-heavy creative workloads.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The main compromise is that this isn't a laptop for demanding graphics-heavy creative work. Intel UHD integrated graphics are fine for everyday productivity and media, but you'll want a dedicated GPU for more intensive visual workloads.

The 220-nit display is also relatively modest in brightness, particularly if you plan to work outdoors or in brightly lit rooms. There's no backlit keyboard either, which is worth bearing in mind if you regularly work after dark.

• Shop the full 60th anniversary sale at Best Buy

The laptop deals keep rolling in this week, with several new and returning offers that are great buys if you need a new device for work, school, college, or for home use.

I've picked out deals for both the US and the UK, including some super-cheap Chromebooks that will just get the job done, mid-range laptops that offer good levels of performance for the price, and high-end powerhouses for more demanding tasks. There should be something below that suits both your budget and needs.

For example, in the US, I think it will be hard to beat this Dell XPS 13 for $599 (was $899.99) when you apply the student discount. Even if you aren't eligible for the extra $100 off, it's still a tempting $699.99, which is a fantastic price for a fast, powerful and stylish machine.

That's just one option, so do have a browse through all of the best laptop deals I've found right now.

US laptop deals

UK laptop deals

The Dell Tower Plus is one of those machines that impressed us during testing. It's such a versatile and configurable tower desktop that's suitable for everything from basic office use to full-blown creative workstation, whether out of the box or upgraded later down the line.

So, we were really pleased to see the Dell Tower Plus Desktop (EBT2250) is now $2000 (was $2530) at Dell. It's our top-ranked business computer for all professionals, with this performance-driven model equipped with a Core Ultra 7 CPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, and RTX 5060 Ti GPU.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Dell Tower Plus if...

You want one machine that covers both productivity and gaming without compromise. This configuration's RTX 5060 Ti and 20-core Ultra 7 chip give it real headroom for creative work, multitasking, and modern games alike, and the tower format leaves room to upgrade later.

❌ Skip the Dell Tower Plus if...

You want a compact or small-form-factor build, or care about aesthetics — our review flagged the minimalist, fairly plain design as one of its few weak points, along with the basic wired keyboard and mouse it ships with.

Why we recommend it

In our 4.5-star review, we found the Dell Tower Plus is a machine that "does it all," praising how the same chassis scales from a barebones office machine up to a genuine creative or gaming rig, while staying quiet and easy to upgrade later.

What makes the Tower Plus line worth considering is just how configurable it is without changing the chassis or port layout. For that reason, we rank it the best business PC in our guide. Every professional can get something from this machine.

This particular build lands in a genuinely useful middle ground: enough GPU for 1440p gaming and GPU-accelerated creative work, enough CPU for heavy multitasking, and a straightforward path to upgrade RAM or storage down the line rather than being boxed in by a sealed or proprietary design.

Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, Windows 11 Home, and a wired keyboard and mouse round out this deal.

Price Context & Historical Value

It's usually tricky to track pricing history from Dell, but based on our previous coverage $1999.99 is the standard deal price for this desktop PC. Not an all-time low, but still a significant discount compared to full price.

You can check out all the EBT2250 configurations currently discounted at Dell by clicking here.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Our review's main criticisms were about presentation rather than performance: the design leans minimalist to the point of looking plain, and the included keyboard and mouse are basic wired accessories rather than anything premium.

In our opinion, neither affects how the machine performs, but budget for your own peripherals if that matters to you.

For a desktop that flexes between work and play without complaint, this configuration is a strong buy at $1,999.99.

• See all desktop deals at Dell.

TechRadar's Computing team tests dozens of laptops each year, and Dell models consistently impress. I know, because when I came to round up our top-scoring options for this article, I struggled to find any duds. I was spoiled for choice. Below, you'll find a showcase of the Dell laptops that we've reviewed over the past year or so, and which managed to earn four stars or higher when put through our demanding review process.

Most are high-end laptops that rival the best the likes of Apple have to offer, but you'll also find some brilliant affordable options, and some versatile 2-in-1s that would make a top choice for students. I've also included a standout gaming option, as well as a stellar laptop for professionals.

To find out more about each one, click the View details button — this will provide a rundown of our main pros and cons for each model, plus a link to our full review. Alternatively, if you want to see how these laptops compare to one another, check out our best Dell laptop ranking, or for our favorites from a range of brands, head to our comprehensive best laptop guide. Have I missed any models you'd recommend? Let me know in the comments section.

4.5-star Dell laptops

4-star Dell laptops

• Michael Dell marked 42 years since PC's Limited by reposting its 31 July 1984 statement, showing ~$135,000 of net income on roughly a million dollars of sales from $1,000 of starting capital
• The document, which he also showed in March 2018, served as a baseline for him to persuade his parents to let him skip university
• The decision helped make him a billionaire and turned Dell into a company that is currently worth over a quarter of a trillion dollars thanks to an AI-centric surge of late

Michael Dell has posted a photograph of a fairly unique single sheet of paper to X and LinkedIn: the quarterly financial statement for PC's Limited, dated 31 July 1984, produced from a dorm room at the University of Texas at Austin.

The page shows roughly a million dollars in sales, about $198,000 in gross profit, and net income of $134,762.75 for the three-month period.

The then 19-year-old Dell had just finished his freshman year as a pre-med student, and had started the business with $1,000. He used the statement to persuade his parents that he should not go back for his sophomore year.

A multi-billion dollar decision backed by receipts

Nothing on the page suggests or requires a leap of faith. It suggests the opposite: a 19-year-old who had already been running a business through an academic year, who had generated close to a million dollars of turnover, who had kept books well enough to separate gross profit from net income, and who understood that the way to win an argument with two skeptical parents was to hand them a profit and loss statement.

The decision to leave college was not a gamble that happened to pay off. It was the conclusion the numbers already supported, and Dell was sharp enough at 19 to know that presenting them in a document would carry more weight than simply presenting them as enthusiastic conversation starters.

The decision that followed allows Michael Dell to command a $236.7 billion net worth, as reported by Forbes, and to lead a company with a market cap north of $270 billion. What makes Michael Dell's story unique, however, is that it isn't the typical dropout-founder story usually told as one about conviction outrunning evidence. The document he brought to the table is evidence outrunning conviction.

It raises an interesting parallel: The question one needs to ask is not whether to bet on yourself, but at what point do you have enough data to stop calling it a bet and start calling it a data-driven conclusion.

It is also worth noting that this is not the page's first outing. Dell posted the same statement to Twitter in March 2018, describing it then as the document he used to convince his parents "it was OK for me to not go back to college".

What the document shows, when read carefully, is a teenager who has figured out something about persuasion that many people twice his age never do. His parents were not going to be moved by a description of the market for IBM-compatible upgrades.

They were going to be moved by a number they could check, printed on a page, covering a period that had already happened. Dell did not ask them to believe in the future of the personal computer. He showed them what he had already earned and let them draw their own conclusions.

The result was a computer-centric giant that makes many of the desktops, laptops, and servers that power the modern world and is synonymous with reliable tech for many users. One could argue that the singular page did not change his life. The quarter behind it did. The page was just the format he could use to prove it, and the rest is history.

There's no question about it - Dell is behind some of our favorite business laptops, and right now the Dell 16 is down to $760 (was $980). And whether you're prepping for back-to-school or looking for an office upgrade, this everyday productivity machine is ideal.

The laptop is powered by Intel's Core 5 120U processor with 16GB of DDR5 memory and a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. The 16:10 touchscreen delivers a 1920 x 1200 resolution with ComfortView technology to help reduce eye strain during long sessions.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Dell 16 if...

You want an affordable productivity laptop with a large touchscreen laptop for documents, spreadsheets, web browsing, and multitasking. The Intel Core 5 processor, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and fast SSD promise smooth everyday performance. We think it's particularly well suited to students, home workers, and office users who spend hours in front of their laptop each day.

❌ Skip the Dell 16 if...

You need dedicated graphics for demanding creative software or modern games, or portability is your highest priority. At 4.37 pounds, it's designed as a desktop replacement rather than an ultraportable, and the integrated Intel graphics are more for productivity purposes rather than graphics-intensive workloads.

Why we recommend it

The Dell 16 focuses on the features most people use every day rather than chasing headline-grabbing specs. The large touchscreen, comfortable 16:10 display, DDR5 memory, fast SSD storage, and practical connectivity make for a dependable laptop for work, study, and home use.

Wi-Fi 6, USB-C with Power Delivery and DisplayPort, HDMI, and a full-size keyboard with numeric keypad make it well equipped for productivity, and it comes with Windows 11 Home pre-installed.

Dell is very well known for producing reliable business and consumer laptops, and its products often feature in our roundups of the best business laptops. In our experience, you can't really go wrong with other models from the company either.

Price context & historical value

Saving $220 brings the Dell 16 comfortably below its usual retail price and makes it competitive with many smaller 15-inch (and below) laptops offering similar hardware. Considering the larger 16-inch touchscreen, DDR5 memory, and Intel Core 5 processor, the current price represents good value for buyers, and you'll pay a lot more for it elsewhere.

For more savings, every week we track all the best business laptop deals.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

Dell's 16 Laptop is designed for everyday productivity rather than demanding creative or graphical workloads.

The integrated Intel graphics comfortably handle office applications, streaming, web browsing, and light photo editing, but they aren't intended for modern games or professional 3D rendering.

The 41Wh battery is also relatively small for a 16-inch laptop, so frequent travelers may want something with greater endurance away from a charger.

• Shop all laptop deals at Dell

I'm seeing lots of laptop deals at retailers and manufacturers right now, as many have launched back-to-school sales for the upcoming year. That's good news if you're searching for a new device for yourself or a loved one, with a variety of options available to suit several different budgets and needs. Using my deals hunting experience, I've picked out my six top picks in both the US and the UK.

Below, I've included everything from cheap Chromebooks to big discounts on modern and powerful laptops from the likes of Dell and Apple. I've not only considered price in these hand-picked deals, but also the views of TechRadar's expert computing team who have tested and reviewed several of the models below — and rated them highly.

For example, in the US, you can find the fantastic Dell XPS 13 for a shockingly low $599.99 when you apply for the student discount. That's very hard to beat if you want a capable and portable all-around laptop.

Meanwhile, in the UK, there is a handful of great laptop deals at Amazon, such as this modern and efficient Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for £429.99 (was £649.99). It boasts a Snapdragon X processor and 16GB of RAM to ensure speedy everyday performance and impressive all-day battery life. That's ideal to last you a full day at school or college, and beyond.

All of my top picks are below, with prices starting as low as $199 / £159. No doubt I'll be updating this page with more offers as sales start or expand throughout the rest of the month.

US back-to-school laptop deals

• Amazon: big savings on laptops
• Apple: up to $150 gift card
• Best Buy: up to $600 off laptops
• Dell: up to $900 off
• Lenovo: up to 33% off laptops & tablets
• Walmart: laptops from $199.99

UK back-to-school laptop deals

• Amazon: from £159
• AO: save on HP, Lenovo and Acer
• Currys: up to £300 off laptops
• Dell: new XPS 13 from £699
• EE: save up to £1,000
• John Lewis: best deals on MacBooks
• Very: HP and Lenovo from £248

With the new school year approaching, it's the ideal time to check that your tech is up to the task. One area you may be looking at for an upgrade is your laptop, and fortunately, there are dozens of deals available in the back-to-school sales. So, I've taken a look and picked out 10 of the best laptop deals I'd recommend right now.

The biggest battle when it comes to bagging the best bargain is between these two options: the Dell XPS 13 or the MacBook Neo. With a student discount, both can be yours for $599.99, which is outstanding value for money for a pair of powerful and efficient laptops.

The choice, ultimately, comes down to whether you prefer a Windows or an Apple device, as I really don't think you can go wrong with either if you want a capable laptop for school, college, and general use.

Alternatively, if you have less (or more) to spend, then I've picked out several other options that are on sale and I think are worth buying in the back-to-school sales. There's everything from super-cheap Chromebooks for basic use starting at $159, to performance powerhouses that come with the extra juice you might need for more demanding or creative tasks such as coding, photo editing, or video editing.

Have a browse through all of my recommendations below, which I've chosen based on the opinions of our expert testers, my experience hunting down laptop deals for TechRadar, and exactly what you get for your cash.

Today's best back-to-school laptop sales

• Amazon: big savings on laptops
• Apple: up to $150 gift card
• Best Buy: up to $600 off laptops
• Dell: up to $900 off
• Lenovo: up to 33% off laptops & tablets
• Walmart: laptops from $199.99

10 of the best back-to-school laptop deals

• Samsung announces new OLED panels for laptops, capable of '1,600 nits' in peak brightness
• The new tandem OLED panels have a 40% higher brightness requirement than older single-layer OLED panels
• The new panels will be used in MSI, Lenovo, Asus, and Dell laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification

OLED panels are continuously improving year after year, as seen in recent tandem OLED displays from Samsung – and fortunately, the tech giant isn't resting on its laurels.

As reported by TweakTown, Samsung has introduced new tandem OLED panels for Lenovo, Asus, MSI, and Dell laptops, with claims of up to 1,600-nit peak brightness in small windows. This will apply to laptops that have the latest DisplayHDR True Black 1400 certification.

Notably, the push up to 1,400 nits certification is a '40% higher' brightness requirement compared to older single-layer OLED panels, which is ideal for bright rooms and environments.

This is thanks to the presence of tandem OLED panels, which work by stacking at least one or more OLED layers together, providing significantly increased brightness levels and efficiency.

Samsung notes it has started a 'full-scale' supply of the new tandem OLED panels for laptops, starting with the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition, and later for laptops from Asus, MSI, and Dell.

The boost to 1,600 nits is a significant enhancement for gaming and movie-watching experiences on these laptops. While the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura is certainly more of a premium laptop for creators, it's also capable of gaming using Nvidia's RTX 5000 series laptop GPUs.

With that in mind, issues with auto brightness limitations (ABL) that would often spoil bright gaming or movie scenarios should now be further diminished, as tandem OLED helps tackle those drawbacks.

Samsung hasn't mentioned any plans for its new panels being used for standalone OLED monitors just yet, but naturally, this should be the next step once these new laptops launch. For now, there are plenty of OLED gaming monitors (i.e., LG UltraGear OLED 27GX700A) capable of higher nits available on the market.

• Windows 11's July update was blocked from certain Dell laptops due to nasty issues with unexpected shutdowns and poor performance
• Microsoft just issued an emergency patch to fix those problems, so the PCs in question can install the latest update
• However, that patch might end up installed on non-Dell PCs if the user has enabled the option to get the latest updates as soon as possible

Windows 11's latest (July) update was blocked from Dell PCs as it was buggy on those systems, but the good news is that it's now fixed — but there's an additional wrinkle to be aware of here for those of you who don't own a Dell machine.

Windows Latest reports that Microsoft just deployed an emergency update (KB5121767) which fixes the problems with certain Dell laptops with Intel CPUs, which include unexpected shutdowns and generally poor performance (including running sluggishly and overheating, as well as increased battery drain).

Those with an affected Dell laptop — and that apparently includes some XPS models, as well as Dell Pro and Precision (business) notebooks, and possibly others — should install the emergency patch. As Microsoft makes clear, you'll find it under optional updates, which is reached via 'Advanced options' in the Windows Update panel.

However, the wrinkle that I mentioned is that Windows Latest observes that it's possible some Windows 11 PCs that aren't Dell laptops may automatically grab and install this update — if they have the 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' toggle on.

Analysis: a notable side effect

This feature is one that people turn on in the hope that they'll get Windows 11 updates, and more to the point, new feature rollouts, more quickly (there can be quite a wait for certain features to arrive, such as the Start menu revamp from last year, which some folks still haven't received even now).

So, bear in mind that if you've enabled this option, you may get certain updates automatically — like this emergency patch — when you don't actually need them on your PC. It doesn't help that this particular update is confusingly named, being called '2026-07 Update (KB5121767) (26200.8894)', which could leave you wondering what on earth it is exactly (until you look up the codename KB5121767).

At any rate, if you're not happy with this situation, to turn off 'Get the latest updates as soon as they're available' you need to head to Windows Update (in Settings) and adjust the relevant slider (at the top of the 'More options' panel).

Why is this option configured in this way? It seems especially odd in this case seeing as Microsoft tells us: "This OOB [emergency] update is only recommended for devices affected by this issue." That said, seemingly it doesn't do any harm to a non-affected PC (whether a Dell model, or not) if it does end up with this emergency patch installed.

At any rate, if you do enable the option to get the latest updates, just don't forget that this can have side effects, such as installing optional updates that you don't actually want. It would be a better idea if, in these cases, Microsoft simply flagged these updates as available, rather than having them install automatically.

It's also worth noting that this isn't the first time Dell laptops have run into trouble with Windows 11 recently, as last month an update to the firm's SupportAssist app left some notebooks crashing every half an hour or so.

Whether you're an office worker or a student, I always find now is a great time to pick up a laptop for work and study that's actually worth the money.

MacBooks might be expensive, Chromebooks can be underpowered, but there are plenty of big-brand Windows 11 machines under $600 right now that can handle productivity tasks, schoolwork, creative projects, and everyday use without issue, and will stay useful well beyond the next school year.

These are the three deals that stood out to me right now.

Today's best laptop deals

My top pick overall here is HP's OmniBook 3, which is currently $599.99 (was $949.99) at Best Buy. It runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X processor with up to 32.25 hours of battery life, making it an excellent choice for office professionals and students planning to spend many hours away from a power outlet.

It comes with 16GB of memory alongside a 512GB SSD, making it far better equipped for multitasking and running Microsoft's growing collection of AI features. The laptop also features a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 touchscreen, Wi-Fi 6E, and HDMI 2.1 for hooking up an external monitor.

Another great choice is Asus' Vivobook 14. Also on sale at Best Buy, the model is priced at an even more affordable $548.

It combines the same Snapdragon X processor as the OmniBook 3 with 16GB of memory, a 512GB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS display.

Although it skips the touchscreen, it does keep the Copilot+ PC AI features, 45 TOPS NPU, WiFi 6E, HDMI 2.1, USB4, and impressive 29-hour battery life.

At 3.28lb, it's also the lightest laptop here, making it a great fit for students carrying it between classes. If you don't need touch support, I'd say this is the best all-round buy of the three.

Finally, there's the Dell 15 Laptop for $550 (was $750) at Dell. Powered by a 13th Generation Intel Core i7-1355U processor, it comes with a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD, and 15.6-inch Full HD 120Hz IPS display which will make it useful for recording notes, writing essays, multitasking, and so on.

The laptop includes Wi-Fi 6, USB-A, USB-C and HDMI ports, as well as an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. My biggest reservation is that it only comes with 8GB of DDR5 memory, which really isn't enough in 2026. You can upgrade the laptop to 16GB of RAM if you want, but that will cause the price to skyrocket to $949.99.

For more top choices, we've also tested the best student laptops, best business laptops and the best laptops for engineering students.

Alienware AW3426DW: Two-minute review

There's a new 34-inch ultrawide powerhouse in town, with the brand-new Alienware AW3426DW QD-OLED. After testing it with several games and movies, it's clear to me that this monitor stands well above its predecessors in terms of quality.

Unlike its predecessor, the Alienware AW3425DW, this display uses 5th-gen tandem OLED technology, delivering significantly higher brightness, improved efficiency, and better text clarity. The Penta (five-layer) tandem OLED stack also solves one of the biggest issues I've had with previous QD-OLED monitors, where brightness dimming from the automatic brightness limiter (ABL) would result in inconsistent brightness levels.

Frankly, coming from a 45-inch LG 45GS95QE QD-OLED ultrawide display that utilizes an 800R curve, I wasn't expecting to be blown away with greater immersion — but the AW3426DW delivers so much that I don't think I can do without a tandem OLED display going forward.

It also helps that Dolby Vision HDR support is included, which uses dynamic metadata to help shift brightness levels and tone mapping for each scene, and it's best used on games or movies that specifically support it.

For example, Battlefield 6's visual quality is elevated to a new level, specifically in sequences with chaotic explosions and fire particles that spread across the screen. You can see how good Dolby Vision is, when bright highlights are incredibly detailed, and since tandem OLED minimizes the need for ABL, there are no noticeable brightness dimming issues.

In games that don't support Dolby Vision, you can switch this off from the on-screen display (OSD) and enjoy HDR using the HDR Peak 1300 Bright or Display True Black 500 modes, although the former might have slightly more noticeable ABL. Other than a few errors that forced me to restart my PC after switching HDR modes and losing display signal, HDR functionality is great on the AW3426DW.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best gaming monitors money can buy, and certainly one of the best ultrawide monitors in 2026.

Alienware AW3426DW: Price & Availability

• How much does it cost? $799.99 / £709 / around AU$1,150
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK

For everything that the AW3426DW ultrawide has to offer, effectively making it one of the best ultrawide OLED monitors money can buy right now, the $799.99 / £709 price is more than reasonable. It's around the same price as its predecessor, the AW3425DW, but is much better, mostly thanks to its tandem OLED tech, but also thanks to its new anti-reflective coating.

Having used a far more expensive LG 45-inch ultrawide, which still sells at just above $1,000 / £1,000 (original retail price was $1,699.99 / £1,699.99), the AW3426DW is a steal in my book.

The LG display might have a virtual reality-like 800R curvature, but it's heavily limited in comparison due to its older WOLED panel, and utilizes the same 3440x1440 display resolution as the new Alienware 34-inch monitor does at 45 inches, which means pixel density is worse on the 45GS95QE.

If you're not ready to make the jump to the flagship Alienware AW3926QW 5K2K ultrawide launching later this year, especially due to the leap in GPU power requirements (it'll be more demanding than gaming at 4K), then the AW3426DW is the best monitor to opt for.

• Value: 4 / 5

Alienware AW3426DW: Specs

Alienware AW3426DW: Design

Dell has kept the design for the Alienware AW3426DW simple, and it's almost identical to the previous AW3426DW model. The new monitor features the same sturdy stand and base, and I love the shiny and sleek finish it has.

In terms of connectivity, it's effectively the same again with two HDMI 2.1 ports that support variable refresh rate (VRR), along with a single DisplayPort 1.4. Fortunately, you can charge your devices while using the display, thanks to the USB-C 5Gbps downstream port, with a charging output of 15 W.

I'd appreciate it if this display had a slightly deeper curvature (perhaps 1500R) over its 1800R curve; however, that's likely my own bias coming from near-constant use of an 800R curved monitor, which is overkill to say the least.

Most Alienware monitors keep OSD navigation easy via a simple button, and that's also the case here. However, one personal gripe of mine is the lack of a remote control.

Some of LG's UltraGear ultrawide displays come with a remote control, which eliminates the need to physically reach over to the monitor button to change display settings. Fortunately, though, the Alienware Command Center application on Windows acts as an alternative option to access and control some of the OSD options.

The biggest highlight of the AW3426DW's design is its new anti-reflective coating. There's almost little to no glare when using this display in a bright environment, even with sunshine beaming in from open curtains.

Yes, a lot of this is thanks to the 5th-gen tandem OLED panel and the display's high brightness levels, but the anti-reflective coating is just as important in this case, with a 30% glare reduction — and at night, brightness truly blossoms better than I've ever seen before.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Alienware AW3426DW: Features

The AW3426DW has a wide range of features available via its OSD, notably multiple HDR modes: DisplayHDR True Black 500, HDR Peak 1300, HDR Peak 1300 Bright, and Dolby Vision. The latter is what I used for most movies, specifically those that are made for Dolby Vision, especially since it dynamically shifts brightness levels and tone mapping based on each scene — but more on HDR later.

I'm not a massive fan of Picture-in-Picture or Picture-by-Picture (PIP or PBP) modes on monitors, specifically with multiple inputs. However, there are several options available in terms of positioning and sizing, which are more than welcome on any ultrawide display, where productivity is one of the main appeals.

For competitive players, the eSports mode should come in handy, as it transforms the display into a 25-inch monitor, with the option to position the active area at the top, center, or bottom of the screen. It's a reasonable option to include in a monitor with a 280Hz refresh rate, and one that has a 0.03ms GtG response time, and helps simulate a 25-inch monitor gaming experience.

VRR works fine on both DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 inputs, ensuring frame rates are high, matching the 280Hz refresh rate, and reducing screen tearing. Nvidia's G-Sync is also enabled to improve smoothness and latency, so screen tearing isn't a concern on this display whatsoever.

• Features: 4.5 / 5

Alienware AW3426DW: Performance

I tested this monitor playing several games, such as Destiny 2, Crimson Desert, Dragon's Dogma 2, Resident Evil Requiem, and Battlefield 6, and I was left amazed at how impressive the AW3426DW performs. With Dolby Vision enabled in supported games (i.e., Battlefield 6), visuals are absolutely breathtaking, with highly detailed bright and dark areas on screen amid blood-soaked action.

With Dolby Vision enabled, there are effectively no ABL issues, or at the very least, if there are, it isn't very noticeable. Of course, it's not just Dolby Vision's inclusion alone doing the heavy lifting in this respect, but also the fact that this is a 5th-gen tandem OLED display, directly increasing brightness capabilities.

Not every game or movie has Dolby Vision support, and that's exactly why the other HDR modes are vital — and I'm happy to report that HDR Peak 1300 Bright is fantastic. It doesn't come without its faults, and in particular, gamers should be ready to deal with some level of ABL.

However, again, because of the tandem OLED layers, I could play games like Destiny 2 or Dragon's Dogma 2 and enjoy very bright experiences without losing detail in bright and dark areas on screen. It's also a huge benefit that the AW3426DW is seemingly well calibrated out of the box in terms of color profile and HDR calibration, as I hardly had to configure any settings in that regard.

Essentially, Dolby Vision should only really be used for movies and games where it's supported, and HDR modes such as HDR Peak 1300 and DisplayHDR True Black 500 for most games that don't support Dolby Vision.

There aren't many games that can reach the 280 frames per second mark (at least when playing on higher graphics settings), but if you have a powerful enough rig, it's a joy to experience a game that feels so smooth when in motion.

It's also pleasing to see that text clarity issues have been solved, which stems directly from the RGB stripe subpixel layout, and that makes this a great choice for any PC user looking for a QD-OLED display that caters to both work and play.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Alienware AW3426DW?

Buy the Alienware AW3426DW if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also Consider

MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED

While significantly bigger than AW3426DW QD-OLED, the MSI MPG 491CQP arguably provides more immersion via its 32:9 49-inch wide screen. It's not a tandem OLED; however, it's currently around a very similar price to Alienware's new display and still provides great quality in HDR performance.

Read our full MSI MPG 491CQP QD-OLED review

How I tested the Alienware AW3426DW

• Tested for a week
• Played several modern games and watched multiple movies
• Tested mostly using Dolby Vision and HDR Peak 1300 Bright modes

I used the Alienware AW3426DW for a week, mostly for gaming and watching movies. The games I tested include: Destiny 2, Resident Evil Requiem, Dragon's Dogma 2, Dead As Disco, Battlefield 6, and Crimson Desert. Some of the movies include Avengers: Infinity War and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

I also spent the same amount of time using the AW3426DW for work duties and found that it eliminates one of the biggest pain points on OLED monitors, which is text fringing. I had no issues with reading text or simply navigating on web browsers, and also found that both HDR and SDR are visually fine to use outside of gaming (or non-HDR activities).

The monitor was also placed in a brightly lit room for most of the review period, with direct sunlight positioned directly on it, and found that there was little to no glare, thanks to the anti-reflective display.

• First reviewed July 2026

I track laptop deals for a living, so I have a good idea of what’s a genuine bargain, and what just looks like one. Dell has one of the best laptop deals I’ve seen in a while, but you’ll have to act fast if you want to get it.

The price of the Dell 14 Laptop has been slashed to $700 (was $1230) at Dell. That's a massive $530 discount, making it the lowest priced 14-inch laptop in the Dell line-up right now. If you need a dependable everyday system for work, study, or creative projects, this one definitely fits the bill.

The Windows 11 Home laptop is powered by an Intel Core 7 150U processor, which pairs 10 cores with boost speeds of up to 5.4GHz for responsive multitasking. Intel Graphics handle everyday workloads, media streaming, photo editing, and office tasks without trouble.

Today's top Dell laptop deal

The 14-inch FHD+ display delivers a 1920 x 1200 resolution, an anti-glare finish, and a 300-nit IPS panel that provides extra vertical screen space compared to a standard Full HD display.

A metal Platinum Silver chassis gives the laptop a premium finish while keeping the weight as low as 3.44lb.

Dell includes 16GB of DDR5 memory running at 5200MT/s alongside a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD which offers plenty of room for documents, photos, videos, and applications.

You get two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with Power Delivery and DisplayPort, HDMI, an SD card slot, and a headset jack. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth.

A backlit keyboard includes Microsoft's Copilot key, while the power button doubles as a fingerprint reader for quick and secure sign-ins.

The laptop also packs a 1080p webcam with dual-array microphones, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos Core, a Precision touchpad, and a 54Wh battery paired with a 65W charger.

Knocking $530 off the original price turns an already well-equipped laptop into a terrific buy.

Between the modern processor, generous 16GB of memory, roomy 1TB SSD, premium aluminum construction, and practical feature set, Dell's latest offer delivers plenty of value for the money.

For more buying options, take a look at our roundup of the best Dell laptops.

• See all desktop and laptop deals at Dell

Sometimes you don't need a fancy monitor or anything special. Sometimes you just need a 1080p HD monitor at 27 inches to be able to get real business work done. This is the struggle that a lot of business owners and IT suppliers are having, where their employees want fancy, big monitors and that's what's being promoted.

In reality, all they need for the masses, for co-working spots, for server screens, or other things like that, is a simple 27-inch monitor. That's where this Dell monitor shines. It's a high-quality, simple monitor that you know is going to work for more than the most popular monitors just suppliers around.

I've been in this exact scenario where some data entry people and an admin on my team wanted a screen, and they didn't need anything fancy. I ended up purchasing a monitor very similar to this. If I had known that this was around, I probably would have bought this. All they wanted was a 27-inch standard monitor. They weren't going to scale it up crazy to where they needed 4K, and they were just using it for database management, form entry, emails, and a lot of Excel.

It's not the absolute best business monitor I've ever tested. But for those that want a no-nonsense full HD display for work - whether that's at home or in the office - this is a great option.

Dell 27 Plus S2725HSM: Unboxing and First impressions

The unboxing for this monitor is very straightforward: a simple white box with just a few accessories inside. It has: an HDMI cable, a Power cable, a Three-piece stand (which is unique), a Monitor, and documentation that's necessary

Each piece is wrapped individually to help protect it, and the box is fairly small, which is great. Assembly took maybe two minutes and almost no thought whatsoever. It just went together in the only way that made logical sense. I didn't need any instructions or anything else like that.

If you want to use a monitor arm, there are screws on the VESA plate on the back, so you can attach it easily without any extra accessories. Of course, you can use the basic monitor stand. If you're choosing to use a built-in monitor stand, I'm happy to say they adjusted the cable pass-through a bit so it is a hook on the back of the monitor arm, which helps keep things a little cleaner.

There will still be a little bit of cable visibility if you are really worried about that, but if you're using a 27-inch monitor, there's a good chance you don't care.

Dell 27 Plus S2725HSM: Design & Build Quality

As mentioned above, the design and build for this model is super straightforward. There is nothing too fancy about it at all, and that's actually what makes this great. There is nothing that will make it complex, difficult, or hard to set up. It's very easy to get up and running in a matter of minutes, which, if you are doing this en masse, makes it an easier choice for IT pros.

I actually appreciate even though this is a budget monitor, it still looks quality. It's got a sleek, mostly white frame. The base is still solid, and it's still a reliable display. The ports are well placed, easy for really any scenario. It's IEC powered, which is massive. I've seen some cheap monitors that go with a barrel connector that makes it a little bit harder for mass deployment. It actually has an HDMI cable with it, which just means it's one less step for needing to set up.

In case it isn't clear, this one does not have any USB-C or anything like that. It does have two HDMI ports on the back, so if you needed to be able to switch between two devices or have two different inputs for some other reason, this one is capable of doing that. This is super helpful for things like multiple different server displays or something else like that. You perhaps don't need a KVM for it, or if you're just really easily trying to have a display for some camera view or something like that, this display would work.

Dell 27 Plus S2725HSM: In use

So far, this monitor has performed wonderfully for basic tasks. Even for more complex tasks, this works just great. The only thing I wouldn't use this for is anything that needs to have absolute color accuracy, or if you're the kind of person who loves using their laptop on the most spaced or most high-resolution settings.

For anything that's business tasks or just basic tasks, this would work phenomenally. Things like spreadsheets, emails, web browsing, writing, schoolwork, and other things like that, this will work well.

I have used this on both a monitor arm and on a built-in stand. One note for the monitor arm is that this monitor is so light and simple that I had to crank the tension way down on the monitor arm to be able to make this work and not just throw the monitor straight up in the air.

While you could very easily do multi-display with this using both HDMI's, it does not have a KVM. If you are swapping between a laptop and a desktop, for example, I would not plan on utilizing the same mouse and keyboard unless you have an external KVM that perhaps doesn't have an HDMI switcher or something like that. I've also used this with my laptop and my son's switch, which worked really well. You could use it with an Apple TV or something else as well, though note that the internal speakers are not great at all.

The speakers are good enough for basic meeting audio if you are in a meeting and a semi-quiet room, or for maybe playback of a video you're watching. I would not plan on having this be good music quality, video quality, game quality, or anything else like that. In all those scenarios, I would suggest utilizing headphones or an external speaker of some kind, or even your laptop speakers.

Also worth noting, because a lot of monitors are seeming to hinge towards this, or some of the higher-end monitors even have this integrated. This monitor does not have any webcam or USB ports at all; it is simple and just has power and HDMI ports.

Dell 27 Plus S2725HSM: Final verdict

This should be one of the monitors considered for any business office co-working space or an individual who just needs a basic, 1080p monitor.

Now, if you're looking for something that is more color accurate, if you do photo or video editing, or if you obviously need something bigger than 27 inches, then there are better monitors out there, for sure.

However, if you don't need high resolutions and a USB-C Hub, this should be the monitor that you're considering. It's affordable, simple, will get the job done, is reliable, and it's from a reputable brand.

For more productivity machines, we've tested the best business computers.

I spotted a lot of laptop deals on Amazon today - and I need to tell you this: So many of them are equipped with an impossibly sluggish 4GB RAM and vague 'Intel Processor' that aren't worth even a discount price if you're buying a new work laptop or one for the back to school season.

One laptop that I do fully recommend is the Dell 15 Laptop for $550 (was $640) at Amazon. This one of my favorite laptops for professionals and students, and it has all the right components for most users, including an Intel Core i5 chip and 16GB of memory.

This setup is going to make a lot more sense than buying an ultra-cheap laptop if you don't want to get frustrated by slow machines struggling to load a few browser tabs and office software. As we've warned before, avoid Windows laptops with Intel N-series, Celeron, Pentium, older AMD A-series, or Ryzen 3 3200U/3250U processors. I'd also recommend buying a model with at least 16GB of RAM, as 8GB is no longer enough for most people in 2026.

Today's best Dell laptop deal

At the heart of the laptop is Intel's 13th Gen Core i5-1334U processor, which provides more than enough power for office work, web browsing, studying, and light creative tasks.

Paired with 16GB of DDR4 memory, it has plenty of headroom for juggling multiple applications and browser tabs without ever feeling sluggish.

A fast 512GB SSD keeps Windows 11 Home running problem free, helping the laptop boot quickly and providing plenty of free space for documents, photos, applications, and everyday files.

The 15.6-inch Full HD display has a 120Hz refresh rate which makes scrolling feel noticeably smoother than a standard 60Hz panel, while the anti-glare coating reduces distracting reflections when you're working near windows or under bright lighting.

Dell's ComfortView technology also helps reduce blue light emissions during long study or work sessions.

The full-size keyboard includes a dedicated numeric keypad for faster spreadsheet work and data entry, while the backlit keys make it easier to work in the evening or in dimly lit environments.

A lifted hinge also creates a more comfortable typing angle during extended sessions.

Modern connectivity is covered with built-in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, and to round things off, Dell includes a one-year onsite service plan, meaning support comes to your home or workplace if a hardware issue can't be resolved remotely.

Students also receive a free bundle worth more than $500, including one year of Microsoft 365 Premium, one year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and a customizable Xbox Wireless Controller. A valid college .edu email address is required to redeem the offer.

For more top choices, we've also tested the best business laptops and the best Dell laptops.

• See all laptop deals at Amazon

There are a lot of monitors out there these days, and every one of them is touting how great it is in one way or another. Whether that is visual clarity or resolution, aspect ratio, custom zoning, colors, anything like that.

However, what isn't said is that even though there are iPads that you can buy with tandem OLED displays, most people in a business context or professional context just don't need that and probably don't even understand what they're looking at, even if they had all of the monitors at their disposal. I'm saying this from experience as well. It's not just me saying that as a tech reviewer isolated in a box, but as somebody who procures monitors for a growing business.

I've had several people who, when trying to figure out what they want for a monitor, simply just say they want a 27-inch screen because that's what they're used to and that's all they need and want. I've set up several workstations with much nicer setups, only to see the settings toned down to the point where they are using it as is: a 27-inch HD monitor rather than a fantastic 4K display with color accuracy.

The USB-C feature adds a layer of simplicity to this monitor: instead of needing a dock or an HDMI plug-in, you can simply train your team to plug in their company laptop with a single USB-C cable. One-cable setups are super easy, and this monitor does that very, very well.

For those who need simple and those who don't need anything fancy, this may just be one of the perfect monitors that fits that gap, while every other monitor seems to be trying to push for the best of the best of the best in some other area that may or may not matter to the masses.

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Price and Availability

The Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C S2725DC is widely available from Dell in all regions, as well as retailers such as Amazon. It retails for around $250 / £250.

For what you're getting, that feels like a phenomenal price to me. Especially when buying these out in bulk across multiple locations, offices, or similar setups.

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Unboxing and First Impressions

Right out of the gate, the unboxing for this one is very similar to the last Dell 27" HD monitor that I tested. It's a very simple white box. Inside is just as simple. There is a monitor, a three-piece stand, and some included cables. The only difference is that this box includes a USB-C cable as well. That is actually a surprising length, making it long enough for you to route into a desk, pull away, or mount somewhere as well, if needed. I would have expected probably a meter or two, but this one seems to be quite a bit longer in a good way.

Once set up, I was able to plug in a test device via USB-C to confirm it had power. Then I tested it with all sorts of different devices that I had. I tested it on my MacBook, my iPad, another iPad, and my iPhone. I tested it with several other laptops and a couple of desktops, and all of them worked out great. This USB-C is quick and responsive. The screen looks sharp, and the few times that you need to use the OSD, it works well.

One thing worth noting on this is that the pop-out ports on the bottom actually work really well. Of course, they're not Thunderbolt 5 speeds, but they're fast enough to get the work done you may need to do on this: charge quick devices, transfer some smaller files, things like that. Of course, it doesn't need to have crazy high-speed transfer rates, because that's not the design of this monitor. That would be like trying to cram 57 cup holders into a Ferrari. That's just not necessary, because that's not what that vehicle is designed for. Same thing here. Why would Dell spend money and time and resources on crazy high-speed USB-C on a device that isn't designed to work that way?

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Design & Build Quality

I've already mentioned it a little bit, but the design is simple. It's clean, and it's very work-friendly. This isn't the kind of monitor that's going to turn heads, and that's exactly what Dell was hoping for. This is the kind of monitor you would see on the desk of a data admin or an executive admin at a coworking space. Perhaps a hot desk scenario, maybe an accountant, account manager, or things of that nature.

The stand has some slight upgrades from past ones that I've griped about. Instead of a cable pass-through through the base, it actually has a little clip on the back. It's still not perfect, but it seems a little clearer and cleaner to use if you opt not to use the built-in stand. One thing to note is that the monitor is extremely light, so you will need to aggressively adjust your monitor arm to compensate for the reduced weight, which is not usually the case. Usually you have to account for heavier monitors.

There is an OSD joystick for selecting inputs, adjusting USB-C settings, or even choosing the original language when first setting up the monitor. Lastly, I do appreciate that this is a USB-C monitor, as that one-cable setup without needing another dock, another power, or another place to put a docking station really helps clean things up.

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: In use

This monitor has functioned well for everyday work. I’ll be the first to note that it wouldn't be ideal for color-accurate creative work. Nor would it be great for those who try to fit everything on their display at once, expecting a high-resolution screen to help by scaling. It’s not for video editors, photo editors, creatives, gamers, or those.

But for people who work on spreadsheets, project management, emails, web-based content, writing documents, working with AI, perhaps even basic coding, and things in this realm, those who don’t have a specialty niche when it comes to displays, this will work great. I immediately thought of my friends who work in finance and Insurance. These guys would kill for a monitor like this, as it does exactly what they need without any fluff. It’s not going to take their time to set up and understand.

Well, of course, the single USB-C is a huge benefit for this monitor. It's also super great for IT professionals who need a simple setup to run a server or plug into a server room or something like that. Other devices can be plugged into the HDMI ports, and then when they walk in with their laptop, they can plug in with USB-C. You could, of course, also plug in other devices via USB-C, like desktops, but that would also be just as easy to plug in an HDMI cable. That's not necessarily a huge selling point.

One of the many things that USB-C can transfer is audio, and while this monitor does have speakers, do not expect them to be anything fancy. You can potentially get away with some background audio, maybe some lo-fi beats on Spotify or a virtual meeting, but I wouldn't expect these to be anything crazy or clear. They'll get the job done in some scenarios, but not in many.

Dell 27 Plus QHD USB-C Monitor: Final verdict

All in all, I think it's pretty clear that this is a simple monitor for simple needs for those who don't have a niche need. Nor do they want to spend what some people spend on a car on a monitor.

Monitor technology has gotten incredible. I would know. I've tested most monitors out right now, and while I do love a fancy monitor, there is something to be said for a simple one that is just plug-and-play, without any bells and whistles, that still costs a very reasonable $200-$250.

There's still plenty of demand for that kind of display, and Dell putting out this monitor shows exactly that.

For more top-performers, we've tested the best business monitors.

If you need a dependable everyday laptop and don’t want to overthink the purchase, this Dell 15 Laptop is $550 (was $800) at Dell. And it's the one we always recommend for day-to-day tasks like running office software, browsing, streaming, emails, and video calls. You know, the essential tasks.

This particular build pairs the 13th-generation Intel Core i5-1334U with the essential 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is the configuration we’d point most everyday buyers toward on this chassis.

Alongside the Core i5 chip and 16GB of memory, the 1920x1080 IPS display runs at 120Hz, which makes scrolling and everyday use feel noticeably smoother than the 60Hz panels still common at this price. Integrated Intel graphics handle video playback and light creative work, though this isn’t a machine built for gaming or GPU-heavy tasks. As usual with Dell machines, there's a wide range of configurations available, if you want to upgrade the specs for more demanding tasks.

Today's top Dell laptop deal

The Core i5-1334U is a 10-core, 12-thread chip from Intel’s Raptor Lake-U family, built for efficiency rather than raw power. It’s a sensible match for this laptop’s intended use — everyday productivity, web browsing, video calls, and office software — rather than anything CPU-intensive. With 16GB of RAM running in dual-channel (rather than the single-channel 8GB configuration that’s tripped up some reviewers on this chassis), you get noticeably better multitasking headroom than the base spec, which matters if you’re the kind of person who keeps a dozen browser tabs open alongside a spreadsheet and a video call.

The 512GB NVMe SSD over PCIe is generously sized for an everyday laptop at this price — plenty of room for an operating system, applications, and a reasonable library of documents and media without needing to manage storage carefully. It’s also meaningfully faster than the SATA SSDs that still show up in some budget machines.

The 120Hz IPS display is a genuinely nice touch on a laptop in this category. Most budget and mid-range laptops still ship with 60Hz panels, and the difference in everyday smoothness — scrolling a webpage, dragging a window, moving the cursor — is something you notice within the first few minutes of using it, even if you never use the laptop for gaming.

Connectivity covers the essentials for everyday use, including USB-C and USB-A ports, an HDMI output, and Wi-Fi 6. It’s worth being clear about the limits here: there’s no Thunderbolt, no USB4, and no DisplayPort output, so if you need high-bandwidth external connectivity — multiple 4K monitors, fast external storage — this isn’t the machine for it. For typical everyday use, the port selection is perfectly adequate.

The integrated Intel graphics in this configuration handle video playback, web browsing, and light creative work like basic photo editing without issue, but this is not a laptop built for gaming or video editing. If your workload leans more demanding — frequent video editing, 3D work, or modern gaming — you’ll want to look at a machine with dedicated graphics instead.

For students, home office workers, or anyone who wants a reliable everyday laptop without paying for features they won’t use, this configuration of the Dell 15 is a sensible buy at $549.99.

Also consider: More Dell laptop deals

• See all deals at Dell

There's something rather brilliant about the Dell Tower Plus. When we took this tower desktop for a spin, its powerhouse performance left us stunned. Capable of everything from running office apps to demanding tasks like video editing, it's one of the most configurable and future-proof PCs we've ever tested.

If you're looking for a desktop that can handle demanding workloads without stepping into workstation pricing, Dell has a terrific deal you won't want to miss. Right now, the Dell Tower Plus Desktop has dropped to $1400 (was $1880) at Dell.

Although compact enough to fit comfortably into most home offices, this desktop packs plenty of performance for creative work, productivity, and everyday computing. Whether you're editing photos, producing videos, managing large spreadsheets, or juggling dozens of browser tabs, there's enough power here to keep everything moving smoothly.

Today's top Dell workstation deal

As James said in his review, the Tower Plus Desktop is highly configurable: "You can customize it to be a barebones office computer or a gaming powerhouse and it will excel at both. Regardless of the configuration you get, it’s easily upgradable later on."

The heart of the system on sale is Intel's Core Ultra 7 265 processor, featuring 20 cores and boost speeds of up to 5.3GHz.

Paired with 16GB of DDR5 memory, it delivers the performance needed for multitasking, content creation, and demanding applications without ever slowing you down.

Graphics are provided by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 with 6GB of GDDR6 memory. That gives the system enough horsepower for creative software, GPU-accelerated workloads, and light gaming while also helping speed up video rendering and other graphics-intensive tasks.

The fast 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD gives you plenty of room for applications, documents, photos, and large media libraries. It also helps Windows 11 Home boot quickly while keeping applications responsive throughout the day.

Dell pairs those components with a 460W Platinum-rated power supply, delivering efficient and reliable power to the system.

If you've been thinking about upgrading your home office or creative workspace, this Dell desktop deal offers plenty of performance for considerably less than the usual price. It also strikes a nice balance between everyday usability and creator-friendly performance.

For more top-performers, take a look at our round up of the best Dell business laptops and best business computers we've tested.

Also consider: More Dell desktop PC deals

• Shop all Dell business PC deals here

Dell's EOFY laptop discounts can be a little less obvious than a normal retailer sale, because there’s no before price shown after a drop. Fortunately, I track Dell pricing, so I can spot when an easily missed price drop is actually worth paying attention to.

That's why the Dell 14 Plus caught my eye: it's a compact 14-inch Windows laptop with a pretty grunty Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, 16GB RAM and a roomy 1TB SSD. Just as importantly, there’s a TechRadar coupon code available that brings the price down to just AU$1,139.05.

Our review said the Dell 14 Plus "delivers pretty much exactly what you need to get the job done" for everyday use, school work and general productivity.

What more could you want?

One of the reasons I like this little laptop is that for the price, it doesn’t shortchange you on memory or storage space. And it might not feel as important now, but that 1TB SSD means you can store loads of photos and files without worrying about running out of space.

Our review gave the Dell 14 Plus 4.1 stars, and the scorecard sums it up neatly: "a solid general-use and productivity notebook that's great for work or school". The value score is a top-notch 5 out of 5, while performance and battery life each score 4 out of 5.

There are some caveats, of course. The display is only 300 nits, so it's better suited to an office, home desk or lecture room than bright outdoor use. Our review also noted the keyboard, trackpad and speakers could be better, so I wouldn't buy this expecting a premium MacBook Air feel.

But considering the price, those trade-offs make perfect sense if you mainly need a portable Windows laptop that handles everyday work without any fuss.

There's also a related Dell deal that may suit some readers better: the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 with a Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD is AU$1,299.10 with the same FUTUREAU5% code, down from the early June price of AU$1,799.

The 2-in-1 makes more sense if you like using a touchscreen. Personally, I find that being able to fold the display back into tablet or tent mode is super handy for things like handwritten notes, reading on the couch, marking up documents or watching movies on a plane.

If you want to check out more laptop options before deciding, our main EOFY laptop deals hub is chock full of laptop deals. It covers everything from more Dell deals to MacBooks, Windows laptops, 2-in-1s and gaming laptops, so it has something for everyone.

For even more Dell discounts, check out our TechRadar Dell coupons page, or try one of the codes below.

• FUTURE13% — Save 13% off selected XPS and Alienware laptops and desktops
• FUTURE11% — Take 11% off select monitors and displays
• FUTUREAU5% — Enjoy 5% off a wide range of laptops and desktops

The RAM crisis is gradually ruining PC and console gaming, with higher prices, notably with Microsoft increasing prices for its Xbox consoles. Gamers only have AI to blame, as data centers and their demand worsen memory availability.

Fortunately, OLED monitors are not in the category of hardware seeing price hikes as a result of the RAM crisis, and unsurprisingly so, since they don't require RAM.

Affordability is key, and Prime Day has opened the door to cheaper OLED monitors. A prime example is the Alienware AW3425DW OLED ultrawide available on Amazon for £589.33 (was £693.70), providing an immersive visual experience for any PC gamer, especially one upgrading from a 16:9 display.

This model is very similar to my former Alienware AW3424DWF ultrawide, but this AW3425DW model features a faster 240Hz refresh rate instead of 165Hz, and HDMI 2.1 compatibility.

There's so much to enjoy when upgrading from a regular LED display to an OLED, as it completely revitalizes the visual experience when gaming. Scenery that is supposed to be dark will indeed be entirely dark, making games like Resident Evil Requiem even more immersive with its horror.

I've still got my eye on Alienware's 5K2K display, but if you're out for something more affordable, the AW3425DW is the one to opt for.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

Dell has knocked a massive $680 off its Dell 16 Plus Laptop now $750 (was $1430) as part of its laptop sale. But you'll need to be quick - this limited time deal ends in a few hours (seriously, Dell even has a countdown clock running).

• See all laptop deals at Dell

The 16 Plus is a true mid-range machine aimed at business and creative professionals who need real performance. It's thin, lightweight, and even boasts a full-sized keyboard for effortlessly ploughing through work.

The US configuration ships with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor, 16GB LPDDR5X memory, and a 1TB SSD. The 16-inch 2.5K IPS display with ComfortView Plus is a highlight — it's a noticeably more capable screen than you'd typically get at this price. For UK readers, the closest configuration powered by the same chip is the Dell 16 Plus with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD for £599 (was £1199).

Today's top laptop deal

In our Dell 16 Plus review, we said: "The Dell 16 Plus offers a solid mid-tier laptop experience throughout. Between great general computing performance for any college student or executive and long-lasting battery life, the base $799 options make a ton of sense. Add a thin and lightweight design, and there’s much to appreciate here."

However, it's worth noting that the webcam and speakers were disappointing, and I'd definitely recommend upgrading them with external options. We've added a few picks to our guide on Prime Day home office deals, like the Obsbot Meet and Anker Powerconf.

Overall, though, this Dell laptop proved to be a a quality Windows machine that's thin, lightweight, and seriously portable. We badged this one with a TechRadar Recommends award.

Also consider: More Dell laptop deals

• Shop all deals at Dell

Amazon's Prime Day has featured some of the best PC hardware deals for top-quality products. This ranges from SSD deals to Nvidia RTX-powered gaming laptops, and yet again, there's another one of the latter to join the party.

The Alienware 16 Aurora is now available on Amazon for £899 (was £1,319), with a generous 32% discount, dropping its price effectively as low as Valve's new Steam Machine.

Powered by Nvidia's RTX 5060 laptop GPU, Intel's Core 7 240H processor, and 16GB of RAM, there's plenty to love about the 16 Aurora. While the GPU's VRAM is only 8GB, it can handle a large variety of triple-A games, even the most demanding when using DLSS 4.5 upscaling.

On sale, it's currently within the exact ballpark of the Steam Machine's price, and is ultimately a more powerful system, particularly for games, with better capabilities to handle ray tracing, and superior upscaling quality.

The only major advantage the Steam Machine currently has over the 16 Aurora is that AMD hardware works much better on SteamOS. Nvidia GPUs are yet to be fully optimized, so major aspects such as game mode in SteamOS may not function well, and game performance may not be up to par.

However, Valve has already made significant efforts to improve the Linux operating system for a wider range of hardware — and SteamOS update 3.8 has opened the doors for any PC to install the OS without hassle.

We can only expect that this will eventually be the case for Nvidia GPUs, so if that's an obstacle when considering the 16 Aurora, it shouldn't be a permanent one.

The RTX 5060 in the 16 Aurora isn't a high-end GPU, but for consumers who are just joining the PC space, it's perfectly fine for 1080p or 1440p gaming.

More Prime Day deals in the UK

• Amazon Prime: get a 30-day free trial
• Amazon Devices: Fire, Ring & Blink from £13.99
• Amazon Haul: up to 30% off
• Apple: up to 33% off AirPods & Apple Watch
• Appliances: up to 45% off Ninja & Tefal
• Beauty: up to 60% off Philips & Oral-B
• Essentials: household goods from £5
• Fans: from £20
• Fashion: up to 50% off
• Gaming: £90 off PlayStation 5
• Headphones: up to 50% off Beats & Sony
• Laptops: from £149
• Tablets: Samsung & Lenovo from £79.99
• Toys: up to 25% off Lego and Tonies
• TVs: from £129.99
• Vacuums: up to 40% off Shark & Roborock
• Wearables: up to 30% off Garmin & Oura

The refreshed lineup of Dell laptops has turned out to be even better than many of us hoped for, including the return of the XPS line — and right now, Dell's 'Days of Deals' sale is offering even better pricing than the Amazon Prime Day laptop deals I've been seeing.

• Shop more Amazon Prime Day deals here

Right off the top, you have the new Dell 16 Laptop for $499.99 (originally $1029.99), which is a better price for a Windows 11 Home laptop than just about any other model on Amazon that doesn't come with junk hardware inside. Instead, you get an eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 250 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD, far better than most sub-$500 laptops on sale for Prime Day.

The Alienware 15 gaming laptop is also just $999.99 for a decently specced sub-$1,000 laptop with updated hardware, something that is very hard to find on Amazon right now.

There's more to explore at Dell.com, and I encourage you to check out their sale if you're in the market for new computer hardware, but I've pulled together my favorite laptop picks and configurations from the sale to help make it easier to find what you're looking for.

Today's best laptop deals at Dell.com

Amazon's Prime Day sale in the US - quick links

• Amazon Devices: 50% off TVs, Ring & Fire Sticks
• Apple: AirPods + iPads from $99
• Back to school: deals from $5.99
• Beauty: 80% off toothbrushes & skincare
• Headphones: $120 off Bose, Apple & Sony
• Health: electric toothbrushes from $24.99
• Kitchen: 54% off Ninja, Nespresso & Keurig
• Laptops: record-low prices from $175
• Tablets: iPads and Samsung from $54.99
• Toys: 40% off Lego, scooters & Toniebox
• TVs: cheap TVs from $59.99
• Vacuums: Shark, Bissell & Dyson from $49.99

The gaming monitor market is filled with high-quality displays that offer enough features to provide the most immersive gaming experience. OLED monitors are right at the forefront of monitors in achieving the latter, with exceptional deep black levels thanks to their high contrast ratio.

It's not all just about the panel type, though. The display resolution, refresh rate, response times, and brightness levels all play a significant part in allowing monitors to blossom, and all of those aspects also determine pricing (outside of potential market condition changes).

That's exactly where the LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B comes into play. It's a 5K2K ultrawide OLED monitor, which means its display resolution is 5120x2160, with even sharper image quality than a 4K display. It's easily one of the best gaming monitors in 2026, and is the kind of monitor that would define an 'ultimate endgame' gaming experience in terms of visuals.

Despite the obvious and eventual GPU upgrade I'll have to make when using a 5K monitor, it hasn't stopped me from keeping my eyes peeled for it, particularly whenever it receives a significant price drop.

Fortunately, it's Prime Day, which means you can find it for $1,429.69 (was $1,999.99) on Amazon in the US, and for £1,472.49 (was £1,649) in the UK. However, the competition on the horizon is enough to make you consider waiting a little while before jumping all in on the UltraGear display.

Having used the LG UltraGear 45GS95QE OLED ultrawide — which is very similar to the GX9, with the only difference being its 3440x1440 resolution — I can say that the step up in resolution would make LG's 5K2K display worth every cent, despite its high price.

With the new Alienware AW3926QW 5K2K OLED ultrawide slated for launch by the end of June, LG's top-of-the-line monitor might have its money's worth. Thanks to the AW3926QW's 39-inch display size, there's a higher pixel density at 5K2K, meaning image quality will be much sharper than what the LG GX9 has to offer.

It is an RGB stripe tandem OLED panel, which reduces text fringing and provides significantly higher and more consistent brightness compared to other OLED monitors.

Most importantly, the big takeaway is that the AW3926QW's price is rumored to be at $1,100 (around £824 / AU$1,572). That's a very generous and affordable price tag, since other monitors with the same specifications are far more expensive.

The great thing is that more details on pricing should be coming very soon, so there's a good reason to weigh the options between the two monstrous displays.

Amazon’s big Prime Day sale is here, and we’re already seeing some cracking deals – but we've also spotted some cracking bargains on laptops away from Amazon, as rival retailers look to be competitive.

Firstly, we have a Dell 16 laptop, direct from the manufacturer, that has been reduced from $1030 to $500, which is an excellent value proposition given the hardware on board.

Add to that an ASUS Vivobook 14, which is similarly top-notch value direct from the company, with its price reduced from $590.19 to $449.99.

The trouble with cheap laptops is that they often make compromises with hardware that really hamper the experience.

A budget notebook might, for example, cut corners on the components front by sticking in an old, sluggish processor, or not enough system memory. We quite often see laptops that are under $500 running with the likes of ancient Intel Celeron processors, or a paltry 8GB of RAM, or maybe a tiny amount of slow (eMMC) storage.

That’s very definitely not the case with these Dell and Asus. With the Dell 16, you’re getting a plenty powerful mid-range AMD Ryzen processor as the engine of the portable, and a relatively spacious (for this price level) and speedy SSD.

With the Asus notebook, there’s a springy Qualcomm Snapdragon X CPU and again, for the price, storage (and RAM) isn’t stingy at all.

Let’s dive into the specs in more detail and see how these bargains stand out from the crowd of Prime Day laptop price cuts.

Today’s best deals for laptops under $500

For other bargains on quality notebooks, head on over to our roundup of the best laptop deals currently out there, and check out some other options for the Dell Inspiron 15 below.

This HP laptop may be Amazon's best-selling Windows notebook just before Prime Day sales, but I truly cannot recommend it. The HP 250 G10 uses an Intel N100 processor, which is very poor value for money for a laptop that costs just under $500 (and that 37% discount claim seems very dubious).

Yes, it has 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a full HD display but that's simply not good enough to change my opinion of this laptop. (And yes, it uses a trick I despise to attract customers).

The N100 is so underpowered that it will struggle with even mundane tasks. Add the small 41Whr battery and you've got the perfect combination for hours of frustration and lost productivity.

So instead, here are five other laptops I'd personally recommend. For the same outlay (or less), they deliver far, far better value for money without the guaranteed irritation. Head over to our live hub for the latest Prime Day deals on a host of tech.

Quick links

• Shop $500 laptops at Amazon
• Check $500 laptops at Best Buy
• Buy $500 laptops at Walmart
• $500 laptops on sale at Newegg

Ok, this is the office upgrade I'm championing - forget all those laptop deals on Amazon ahead of Prime Day. I've found the fastest notebook you can buy for under $550 right now as the Dell 16 Laptop drops to $549.99 (was $1030). And it delivers solid performance for much less than you’d expect.

With a solid $480 saving, at this price, you’re getting a capable machine built around AMD’s Ryzen 7 250 processor. With eight cores and boost speeds up to 5.1GHz, it handles everyday tasks with ease, as well as heavier jobs like image and video editing and multitasking.

Just how fast is it? It's almost as fast as a 32-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990x, a workstation processor from a few years ago that dissipates almost 10x more heat. Ouch! For my money, this is the laptop deal to beat at this price.

Today's best Dell 16 Laptop deal

Graphics is an integrated AMD Radeon 780M GPU, which is more than enough for streaming, creative work, and even casual gaming. It's within spitting distance of the AMD Radeon RX 6500M.

The 16-inch 2K IPS display offers crisp detail, wide viewing angles, and a 300-nit brightness level that keeps reflections under control thanks to its anti-glare coating.

You also get 16GB of high-speed DDR5 memory and a nippy 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD.

It ships with Windows 11 Home, and at 4.36lb, it’s portable enough for business travel, commuting, or moving around the house.

There's a USB-C port that supports power delivery, DisplayPort 1.4, two USB-A ports, HDMI 1.4, a universal audio jack, and a standard power jack, plus Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth, stereo speakers, dual microphones, and a 720p webcam for calls and online meetings.

So despite not being an Amazon Prime Day deal, it easily beats anything I've seen so far in this price range - performance-wise - from Amazon and other retailers. For more options, we've also tested the best business laptops, and the best laptops for video editing.

• Shop all deals at Dell

If you’ve been waiting for a genuinely good 1440p monitor to drop into impulse-buy territory, this is it: the Acer Nitro KGB271U is currently $160 (was $200) at Best Buy.

For a 27-inch IPS monitor with a 200Hz refresh rate, 1440p resolution, and 90% DCI-P3, that’s an exceptional price, and it’s why this monitor deal has been a best seller right now.

This is the KGB271U - the updated variant with a 200Hz ceiling over DisplayPort, up from 180Hz on the previous model - with specs more than suitable for business professionals, content creators, gamers, and students. Overall, a sharp, smooth, versatile panel that delivers well above what the price suggests.

Today's top monitor deal

The combination of 2560×1440 resolution and 90% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage means content looks rich and vibrant. And the wide 178°/178° viewing angles mean colors stay consistent whether you’re sitting dead-center or glancing across from a multi-monitor setup.

At 200Hz over DisplayPort, this monitor is genuinely fast enough for video editing, without lags while scrubbing through complex timelines.

The HDR10 support is present but should be understood in context: with 350 cd/m² peak brightness and no local dimming, this is ‘basic’ HDR that adds 10-bit color processing rather than a high-impact HDR experience. For vivid HDR highlights and deep blacks, a mini-LED monitor with higher brightness and local dimming zones would be required. For the price, HDR10 is a welcome inclusion, but it’s not the headline feature.

I also like the inclusion of the flicker-free backlight and Low Blue Light modes. I call these essentials for professionals using the monitor for extended work sessions.

At $159.99, the Acer Nitro KGB271U X1 offers a combination of panel quality, refresh rate, and resolution that would have cost significantly more just a couple of years ago. It’s one of the clearest deals in the monitor market right now. You can also check out more options in our guide to the best business monitors.

Also consider: More monitor deals

• See all monitors at Best Buy

If you need a capable, no-fuss 15-inch laptop for work, study, or everyday use, the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 is $729 (was $1100) at Best Buy. This configuration pairs the 13th-generation Intel Core i7-1355U with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD, and a 15.6” FHD touchscreen in a slim Carbon Black chassis that weighs just 3.66 lbs — light for a 15-inch machine.

Dell’s Inspiron 15 range has long been a reliable pick for buyers who want mainstream performance without paying premium laptop prices, and the 3530 continues that tradition.

The i7-1355U is a solid productivity chip that handles everyday office workloads, web browsing, video calls, and light content creation comfortably, and the 16GB RAM baseline means it won’t feel cramped running multiple applications or browser tabs simultaneously.

Today's top Dell laptop deal

The Core i7-1355U is a 10-core, 12-thread chip built on Intel’s 13th-generation Raptor Lake architecture, with a boost clock up to 5.0GHz and 12MB of Intel Smart Cache. It’s a U-series processor, meaning it prioritizes efficiency over raw sustained performance — which translates to manageable thermals and reasonable battery life in a thin chassis. For the workloads this laptop is designed for — office productivity, research, streaming, light photo editing — it handles everything without complaint.

Intel Iris Xe Graphics handles the display and any light GPU tasks. It’s not a gaming GPU, but it’s more capable than previous-generation integrated graphics for tasks like video playback, basic photo and video editing, and occasional casual games. If you need dedicated graphics, you’ll want to look at a different machine, but for the everyday use cases this Inspiron targets, Iris Xe is more than adequate.

The 15.6” FHD touchscreen is an anti-glare WVA panel, which gives it wide viewing angles — useful for presenting work to others or viewing content at an angle. The touchscreen adds practical versatility for annotating documents, navigating in tablet-style use, or simply scrolling without reaching for the trackpad. The narrow-border design keeps the overall footprint compact for a 15-inch machine.

At 3.66 lbs and 0.75 inches thin, the Inspiron 15 3530 is noticeably lighter than many 15-inch competitors. It’s a machine you can carry between a desk and a meeting room, or pack into a backpack for a commute, without it feeling like a burden. The Carbon Black finish is understated and professional.

Connectivity covers the essentials well: Wi-Fi 6 for fast wireless, one USB-C (3.2 Gen 1) alongside three USB-A ports, HDMI 1.4 for an external display, a full-size SD card slot for photographers or content creators, and a combo headphone/microphone jack. The 1080p webcam is a welcome upgrade from the lower-resolution cameras common in budget laptops, making it noticeably better for video calls.

The 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD is fast and roomy enough for most users — operating system, applications, and a healthy library of documents and media. The RAM is DDR4 and sits in user-accessible SO-DIMM slots, and the storage is upgradeable, so there’s a clear path to expanding both if your needs grow.

The 41Wh battery is the honest caveat here. It’s a 3-cell pack, which is on the smaller side for a 15-inch machine, so heavy users will want to keep the charger handy for all-day sessions. For lighter workloads — documents, email, video calls — runtime is more reasonable, but it’s not a machine for long stretches away from a plug without some management.

For buyers who want a dependable, lightweight 15-inch Windows laptop with solid CPU performance, a touchscreen, and room to upgrade - without paying mid-range laptop prices - the Dell Inspiron 15 3530 makes a compelling case. You can also check out more options in our guide to the best business laptops.

Also consider: More Dell laptop deals

• Shop all laptops at Best Buy

If you're looking for a classic day-to-day laptop for work, then it's worth checking out the Dell 15 Laptop, now $380 (was $600) direct from Dell. For most students and business professionals, it does everything I'd want it to do.

This is Dell's own entry-level 15-inch, and at under $400, it's a compelling pick for anyone who needs a reliable everyday machine for work, study, or general use without paying for features they don't need. The base configuration comes with an Intel Core 3 100U processor (6 cores, up to 4.7 GHz), 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD — solid specs for everyday computing.

If you want to step up from the base model, it also comes in a range of configurations to suit your workflow, including a 13th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7, 16GB RAM, and an aluminum chassis with a 1080p webcam. You can see all options on the same page.

• Shop all laptop deals at Dell

Today's top Dell laptop deal

The 15.6-inch FHD IPS display runs at 120Hz with an anti-glare coating, which is a genuinely useful feature at this price point. This isn't something I always see on budget business laptops.

It ships with Windows 11 Home, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, and a standard set of ports including USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and an SD card slot. Weight comes in at 4.19 lbs, which is reasonable for a 15-inch plastic chassis.

As a budget machine, the base specs are good for general tasks, but you can always upgrade if you need a faster machine. Here, there's 8GB DDR4 memory coupled with a 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. That's a decent setup for a laptop at this price-point.

Port selection is also decent, with USB-A and USB-C, HDMI, an SD card slot, and even a headphone jack. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth round out the wireless connectivity.

For the price, I reckon the Dell 15 Laptop balances the specs most students and professionals actually need to stay productive day in, day out. You can also check out more top-performers in our guide to the best business laptops.

Also consider: More Dell laptop deals

• See all deals at Dell

• Dell's new XPS RTX Spark Desktop has been glimpsed
• We don't have tech specs yet, but this mini PC could be a threat to the Mac Studio
• Apple is struggling to produce this Mac, and compact PCs like the XPS model could lure buyers away – depending on exact pricing

Nvidia's RTX Spark processor was one of the major highlights of Computex 2026, with Team Green (in conjunction with Microsoft) promising to 'reinvent' the PC no less — and we've just seen Dell's effort at a mini PC packing this CPU.

Wccftech caught a glimpse of the Dell XPS RTX Spark Desktop at Computex (via Notebookcheck.net), and as you can see from the image below, the mini PC takes a fair bit of inspiration from the Mac Studio.

It's a compact box with the power button on the front, accompanied by a selection of ports including four USB Type-C, and an HDMI plus Ethernet port. Around the rear of the XPS mini PC there are two further USB-C ports alongside a microSD card slot.

Whereas Wccftech divulges thermal info on a rival RTX Spark device, the Asus ProArt Mini PC, which targets 140W, we don't know how much power Dell will be supplying to this XPS box.

We're told the XPS mini PC will run with the N1X chip (the more powerful RTX Spark CPU, as you might expect) and up to 128GB of RAM on board. That copious amount of memory makes it clear that this is a device targeted at professional usage, and specifically running AI locally.

Analysis: sparking a small but powerful rebellion?

Reaction to the Dell XPS RTX Spark Desktop has been somewhat mixed, I think it's fair to say. As noted, we don't have the full story on the spec yet, and we're also missing some critical information in terms of the pricing. Dell hasn't indicated what this PC might retail for — we don't yet have an official press release for the device — and the same is true for pricing with other RTX Spark desktops (there are a bunch of these inbound, including one from Microsoft and the mentioned Asus hardware).

Collectively, what these compact PCs do offer is an alternative to Apple's Mac Studio at an opportune time when the latter is notably struggling for stock. If you want a Mac Studio right now, there's a distinct problem with Apple having order lead times of the likes of four months or more. On top of that, the maximum amount of RAM you can equip your Mac Studio with is 96GB currently, whereas some AI use cases demand much more than that (and that spec is only available with the much pricier M3 Ultra variant, otherwise you're looking at a cap of 64GB for the lesser Mac Studio).

So, in a time where that's increasingly a problem for developers and those engaged in heavyweight AI work, RTX Spark machines could be an alternative to Apple's PC — Dell's XPS box will run with up to 128GB.

The question is, can Dell muster stock which has that memory spec? As obviously it faces the same RAM headwinds as Apple does right now. The bigger worry for many, though, is exactly where the price might end up with such a model. The chatter we've heard thus far indicates a price tag for RTX Spark desktops which is north of $4,000 in the US, possibly closer to $5,000 (and regional equivalents to that). Although in fairness, a high-specced Mac Studio is very pricey too.

There may be folks who want to wait for the M5 version of the Mac Studio, granted, but I wouldn't hold your breath on that score. The RAM crisis is rumored to have sidelined that refresh for now, and that would certainly be no surprise given all the stock issues with the current Mac Studio.

As to how all this will play out, we'll just have to wait and see for now, as RTX Spark desktops (and laptops) aren't due to emerge until September at the earliest. If you order a Mac Studio from Apple now, though, you still won't have it by then.

Dell is currently having a sale on its top business computers. If you need a desktop that can handle demanding professional workloads without breaking a sweat, or even perspiring lightly, our top-rated desktop workstation will be hard to beat. Currently, the Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is $3023 (was $3923) at Dell.

It's packed with high-end hardware, so isn't cheap, but the $900 saving is welcome. Yes, that's still on the pricey side, but this desktop isn't one that's aimed at basic office tasks and web browsing. It's a fully fledged workstation built for professionals working with large datasets, content creation applications, engineering software, AI workloads, and other resource-intensive tasks.

Leading the specification sheet is Intel's Core Ultra 9 285 processor, a 24-core, 24-thread chip capable of boosting up to 5.6GHz. Combined with 32GB of DDR5 memory, it offers plenty of horsepower for multitasking, complex projects, and demanding professional applications. I've also rounded up some top alternatives below, including the Pro Max T2 with Core Ultra 5 CPU, which is now $1083 (was $1402) in the sale.

Today's top Dell workstation deal

Graphics duties are handled by Nvidia's RTX 2000 Ada professional GPU with 16GB of GDDR6 memory. Unlike consumer graphics cards, professional GPUs are optimized for workstation applications and certified software environments where reliability is every bit as important as raw performance.

Storage comes in the form of a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, providing fast boot times and quick access to large files. The workstation also supports RAID-capable storage configurations and includes enterprise-focused security features.

In his rave review, our PC expert Collin noted it was "not your usual business PC" and called it a "beast of a machine for professionals who need uncompromising power in engineering, AI, and all-around business performance, and who want a machine that is capable today and upgradable for the future."

The version he reviewed was seriously high-end with 128GB of RAM and RTX Pro 6000 graphics and 4TB of storage, but it also was priced at nearly $13,000, so in comparison this configuration will appeal to a far wider audience.

The front panel includes multiple USB-A and USB-C ports, including a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port capable of 20Gbps transfers. Around the back you'll find Thunderbolt 4, additional high-speed USB ports, dual DisplayPort outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, and support for a range of optional expansion modules.

Dell also backs the system with ISV certifications, helping ensure compatibility and stability with professional software packages.

Features such as Reliable Memory Technology Pro add another layer of protection by monitoring memory health and alerting users to potential issues.

Windows 11 Pro comes pre-installed, along with support for AI-powered productivity features, including Microsoft Copilot.

At just over $3,000, this workstation still represents a serious investment, but with a Core Ultra 9 processor, professional RTX graphics, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and a huge $900 discount, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck.

For more top-performers, take a look at our round up of the best Dell business laptops and best business computers we've tested - and yes, the Dell Pro Max Tower T2 is on the list.

Also consider: More Dell desktop PC deals

• Shop all Dell business PC deals here

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen2 is an incredible touch-capable portable display for business travel or as a second screen on your desk. So, when I saw it on sale, I knew our readers would want to take a look at this one.

This sleek, premium, all-black display is discounted in both the US and UK, with ThinkVision M14t Gen2 dropping to $269 (was $459) at Lenovo. And in Britain, the 14-inch ThinkVision is down to £240 (was £400).

If you're a creative or business professional, there's a lot to like about this portable monitor. For one thing, it features touchscreen capabilities, making it ideal for creatives. On top of that, it boasts a very high 2.2K resolution But what I really like is the built-in stand with two USB ports - when we tested it out, we found it offered excellent stability. Perfect when working on the go.

Today's best portable monitor deal

When we tested the Lenovo ThinkVision M14t Gen2 (see our review), we were big fans of the enhanced image quality over its frankly disappointing Gen 1 predecessor, calling it "a significant upgrade."

I'm especially a fan of the 16:10 screen ratio, which offers more space to view your apps, and text looked crisp and clean on-screen across all the programs we used, such as Chrome and Slack.

We performed a series of productivity and day-to-day tasks, like signing documents with the bundled stylus - which feels smooth responsive.

Beyond that, where it stands out is as a second monitor for creative professionals running the Adobe suite, where the ThinkVision's 100% sRGB color accuracy made it ideal. That color coverage means it won't replace your main monitor, but we had no trouble editing photos and videos and getting the results we wanted.

One last feature that left us impressed: automatic orientation. Operating like a tablet or smartphone, this works flawlessly for quickly switching between portrait and landscape models.

All in all, it's an excellent business display that goes well beyond the usual cheap portable monitors out there.

For more top picks, my team and I tested the best business monitors and the best portable monitors (and yes, I've featured the ThinkVision M14t Gen2 in both guides).

Also consider

• In the UK? The Dell Pro 14 Plus is £229.20 at Dell

• US: Save on monitors, laptops, desktops in Lenovo's Doorbuster deals
• UK: Save on hardware in the Lenovo sale

• Dell has won a Pentagon contract worth $9.7 billion
• The technology services company will act as a single procurement point
• The Pentagon, intelligence community, and Coast Guard will jointly procure software

The Pentagon is looking to cut costs and stop software license sprawl in its latest contracts with Dell and Microsoft.

A $9.69 billion contract has been awarded to Dell to act as a single procurement point for Microsoft licenses across the US Defense Department, the intelligence community and the Coast Guard. The contract will move the Pentagon and other military departments away from duplicative spending on Microsoft licensing.

Defense Department Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies said the contract would allow the Pentagon to save $422 million annually by consolidating “existing IT budgets from across the services and the agencies into a single efficient vehicle.”

Annual savings of $422 million

The contract awarded to Dell - known as the Microsoft Department of War Enterprise Software Agreement II Core Enterprise Technology Agreement - allows Dell to provide Microsoft 365, advanced cloud subscriptions and on-premises licensing. The contract continues the Pentagon’s existing Enterprise Technology Agreement with Dell and Microsoft.

However, the $9.7 billion is not new funding, but a consolidation of budgets from contracts that have come up for renewal at the same time.

“This second-generation blanket purchase agreement will streamline and consolidate critical Microsoft software and services across the Department of War, the intelligence community and the U.S. Coast Guard,” Davies said.

Acting Navy Chief Information Officer Barry Tanner said, “The vendors were all evaluated based on competition, comparison to GSA schedule pricing and overall chain of value to the department. Going through the process of evaluation, they came out on top.”

Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, has recently courted favor with President Donald Trump by pledging $6.25 billion to fund investment accounts for children, called “Trump accounts” in the President’s honor.

The Department of Defense has been under increasing scrutiny from across the political divide as it seeks approval for a $1.5 trillion budget for 2027. The Pentagon has failed every audit it has undertaken since they were legally required in 2018, with the Pentagon targeting to pass its first audit by 2028.

Via CNBC

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I've gone through the entire stock to find the best video editing laptop and PC deals and picked out my favorites - basically, all the ones with fast DDR5 RAM and discrete RTX 5060, 5070, and 5080 graphics card. That includes the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for $1425 (was $1775) and the ever-impressive Asus ROG Strix G18 for $2800 (was $3300.

If you're a content creator, you'll need to act fast though - Best Buy's Memorial Day sale ends tonight (the clock is quite literally ticking on the page).

Top Memorial Day video editing laptop deals

Top Memorial Day video editing PC deals

More of today's best Memorial Day sales

• Amazon: 45% off TVs, AirPods, air fryers & vacuums
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