Buying guide

Best time to buy laptops — without falling for a fake discount

Laptop “deals” are a minefield of inflated list prices and configuration games. The trick is knowing when the real discounts land — and how to tell them from the fake ones.

When laptops tend to be cheapest

Best genuine prices cluster around back-to-school (July–September), Black Friday, and right before new models ship (spring for many lines). Older-but-capable models hit real lows once the refresh is announced.

How to tell a real deal from a fake one

22%

of this week’s advertised Amazon “deals” weren’t genuinely below their usual price — a discount off an inflated or invented “was”. See the Fake Deal Index →

Match the exact configuration when comparing — sellers quietly change RAM/storage to make a “deal” look better. Then judge the price against its own 12-month history, not the sticker.

The honest signal is simple: is the current price genuinely low against the item’s own 12-month history — or just below a made-up list price? Paste any product and we’ll tell you straight: BUY, WAIT, SKIP or FAIR.