Back to school gaming laptop sales — I found the 7 best last-minute deals

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Right now is an excellent time to buy a new laptop. I've been covering retail holidays for over a decade and this time of year tends to offer some of the lowest laptop prices. That's because while some retailers wind down their back to school sales, others are launching their Labor Day laptop sales. For consumers that means bargains on just about any kind of laptop you desire. 

Gaming laptops are great in that they can do any mainstream tasks you throw their way and they can also double as gaming rigs for those times you want to unwind. So I've rounded up seven of the best back to school gaming laptop deals you can get right now. This includes deals on some of the best gaming laptops we've tested. These deals are bound to move fast, so I recommend you strike now while they're in stock. For more deals, check out our back to school laptop deals coverage.

Best back to school gaming laptop sales

MSI Cyborg 15 w/ RTX 4050: was $999 now $699 @ Best Buy

MSI Cyborg 15 w/ RTX 4050: was $999 now $699 @ Best Buy
We named the MSI Cyborg 15 one of the best gaming laptops you can buy. It features a 15.6-inch 1080p 144Hz LCD, Core i5-12450H CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and an RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of RAM. You might not be able to crank the settings all the way up on the latest games, but if you play at medium and high settings at 1080p, you're going to have an enjoyable experience. We also found the machine was great for everyday productivity.

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HP Omen 16 w/ RTX 4050: was $1,249 now $879 @ Best Buy

HP Omen 16 w/ RTX 4050: was $1,249 now $879 @ Best Buy
Casual gamers on a strict budget will want to check out the HP Omen 16. It has a clean design, trim bezels, and a respectable spec sheet for the price. You get a 16.1-inch 1080p 144Hz LCD, Core i5-13420H CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and a GeForce RTX 4050 GPU.

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Dell G16 w/ RTX 3050 Ti: was $1,249 now $899 @ Dell

Dell G16 w/ RTX 3050 Ti: was $1,249 now $899 @ Dell
Need a study break? This Dell G16 makes for a great everyday laptop with enough horsepower to double as a casual gaming rig. It features a 16-inch 2560 x 1600 QHD 165Hz LCD, Core i7-12700H CPU, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and an RTX 3050 Ti GPU. It's a reasonably priced machine for the casual PC gamer who doesn't need to play the latest games at their highest settings. 

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Acer Nitro 5 w/ RTX 3070: was $1,299 now $929 @ Best Buy

Acer Nitro 5 w/ RTX 3070: was $1,299 now $929 @ Best Buy
Students strapped for cash, listen up. In our Acer Nitro 5 review, we called this rig a solid gaming laptop for anyone on a budget. In our tests it offered smooth gameplay experiences, if you don't mind playing at low to medium settings. It features a 15.6-inch QHD 2560 x 1440 LCD, AMD Ryzen 7 6800H CPU, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD, and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 16GB GPU. 

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Acer Predator Helios Neo w/ RTX 4050: was $1,199 now $999 @ Best Buy

Acer Predator Helios Neo w/ RTX 4050: was $1,199 now $999 @ Best Buy
The Acer Predator Helios Neo is a powerful gaming laptop that can be used for just about any task. It features a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS panel with 165Hz refresh rate, Core i5-13500HX CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. It also has two PCIe M.2 slots, which leaves one slot available for future upgradeability. 

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Asus ROG Zephyrus 16 w/ RTX 3060: was $1,649 now $999 @ Best Buy The

Asus ROG Zephyrus 16 w/ RTX 3060: was $1,649 now $999 @ Best Buy
The Asus ROG Zephyrus 16 Gaming Laptop just received an epic discount at Best Buy. Underneath its sleek casing, you'll find a Core i7-12700H CPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and an RTX 3060 GPU. It also packs a 16-inch 1920 x 1200 display with a 165Hz refresh rate. It's a great pick for newcomers to the world of PC gaming and veterans alike as we rank it as the best gaming laptop you can buy. 

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Alienware x14 w/ RTX 4060: was $1,999 now $1,799 @ Dell

Alienware x14 w/ RTX 4060: was $1,999 now $1,799 @ Dell
The Alienware x14 is an ultra-thin gaming rig that packs style and substance in a travel friendly design. In our Alienware x14 review, we called it a more-than-competent portable gaming rig that delivers solid performance thanks to its RTX 40 series GPU and advanced cooling features. This config features a 14-inch 2560 x 1600 LCD w/ 165Hz refresh rate, Core i7-13620H CPU, 32GB  of RAM, 1TB SSD, and RTX 4060 GPU. 

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Louis Ramirez
Louis Ramirez

As deals editor-in-chief at Tom’s Guide, Louis is constantly looking for ways to avoid paying full price for the latest gadgets, appliances, and apparel. With over 10 years of deals-hunting experience, Louis price checks against multiple retailers and searches high and low for the best deals to bring readers. He's also always on the look out for the best coupon codes to use when shopping. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Louis is also an avid swimmer and marathoner. His work has appeared on Gizmodo, CNET, and Time Out New York.