Image: Dell
The school year is almost upon us! That means we’re seeing a bunch of back to school laptop deals cropping up all over the place like wild daisies. Dell has some great deals in particular. They’ll even send you a code that adds an additional 10 percent off on XPS and Inspiron machines if you provide your student e-mail address.
So, whether you’re looking to pick up an inexpensive laptop for an elementary student or a more powerful machine for a college major, we’ve got it all here. Check out the hottest back to school laptop deals from Dell below.
Mainstream laptops
- Dell Inspiron 15, Intel Core i3-1215U CPU/15.6-inch 1080p 120Hz display, $279.99 ($100 off)
- Dell Inspiron 15, AMD Ryzen 5 7520U CPU/15.6-inch 1080p display, $349.99 ($100 off)
- Dell New Inspiron 15, AMD Ryzen 7 7730U CPU/1TB SSD/15.6-inch 1080p 120Hz display, $529.99 ($170 off)
All of the deals above are definitely solid, but the New Inspiron 15 really stands out. Not only are you getting a ton of storage (1TB SSD), but you’re also getting a 1080p display with a high refresh rate of 120Hz. The higher refresh rate should result in a smoother picture and feel. This machine has a wide array of connectivity options as well, including USB-A, USB-A, and HDMI.
Gaming laptops
- Dell G15, AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU/Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU/15.6-inch 1080p 165Hz display, $849.99 ($200 off)
- Dell G15, Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU/Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU/15.6-inch 1080p 165Hz display, $899.99 ($250 off)
- Dell G16, Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU/Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU/Cherry MX mechanical keyboard, $999 ($300 off)
We actually have hands-on experience with a slightly different configuration of the Dell G16. In our comprehensive review, we awarded it 4 stars out of 5. We loved the spacious keyboard and the powerful performance–Cyberpunk 2077 was a real pleasure to play on this machine. The frames rates were “high enough to stay competitive with the best players,” according to our review.
Although the Dell G16 that’s on sale today is a step-down from the configuration we reviewed, we expect it to perform just as reliably. It boasts an Intel Core i7-13650HX CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, which is a mighty combination of hardware. You should be able to breeze through most games on the higher graphics settings, especially in titles that support Nvidia’s DLSS technology. The 16-inch 1600p display also has a ridiculously high refresh rate of 240Hz.
Premium laptops
- Dell Inspiron 16, Intel Core 7 150U CPU/1TB SSD/16-inch 1600p display, $829.99 ($270 off)
- Dell Inspiron 14 Plus, Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU/32GB RAM/14-inch 1800p display, $999.99 ($200 off)
- Dell XPS 13, Snapdragon X Elite CPU/16GB RAM/13.4-inch 1200p 120Hz display, $1,099.99 ($200 off)
- Dell XPS 15, Intel Core i7-13620H CPU/16GB RAM/15.6-inch 1200p display, $1,149 ($210 off)
If you’re interested in long battery life, you should consider picking up the Dell XPS 13. It comes with the latest Snapdragon X Elite CPU as well as a 13.4-inch 1200p display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
Although we haven’t personally tested this particular configuration yet, we’ve reviewed other laptops with Snapdragon processors and we were floored by the battery life results. The Surface Laptop 7, for example, lasted 20 hours on a single charge. Believe me, when you’re running from class-to-class with a laptop, you definitely want a long-lasting one.
Author: Ashley Biancuzzo, Associate Editor, PCWorld
Ashley Biancuzzo manages all laptop and Chromebook coverage for PCWorld. She’s been covering consumer tech since 2016, and her work has appeared on USA Today, Reviewed, Polygon, Kotaku, StarWars.com, and Nerdist. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, reading science fiction, and hanging out with her rescue greyhound.