Best Chromebook deals for Prime Day 2024: From budget to premium
Amazon’s Prime Day wraps up today! I’ve collected the best Prime Day sales on Chromebooks, with deals on both budget and premium machines.
In addition to finding you the best Chromebook deals on Amazon, I’ve also reviewed Chromebook discounts from rival retailers like Target, Newegg, B&H, and Best Buy. Using our recommendations for the best Chromebooks as a guide, I explain all my choices.
I’ve worked as a consumer tech editor for 30 years and I’ve been at PCWorld for the last decade. During that time, I’ve been responsible for compiling the best Chromebook deals for Prime Day, Black Friday, and more, and I’ve done deep reporting on the Chromebook ecosystem. I’m confident I can find the best Chromebook bargains.
To compile PCWorld’s list of Chromebook deals for Prime Day, I looked at the specifications, price, pricing history, the manufacturer, and any reviews we’ve published on a specific Chromebook. Read on for all the best Chromebook deals, and check out our Prime Day 2024 deals hub for great sales in other tech categories.
First published on July 12, 2024. Last updated on July 17, 2024 at 10:30 AM PT with adjustments to pricing and some new deal recommendations.
Prime Day 2024 deals on bargain Chromebooks- Asus Chromebook C424, Celeron N4020/4GB RAM/128GB SSD,14-inch display, $179.99 (28% off at Amazon)
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, Mediatek Kompanio 520/4GB RAM/64GB SSD, 14-inch 1080p display, $159.00 (50% off at Best Buy)
- HP 14-inch Chromebook: Celeron N4120/4GB RAM/64GB SSD, 14-inch 768p display, $139.00 (42% off at Best Buy)
- Asus Chromebook CX1, Celeron N4500/8GB RAM/64GB SSD, 15.6-inch 1080p display, $179.99 (28% off at Amazon)
- Acer Chromebook Plus 514, Core i3-N305/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, 14-inch 1080p display, $299.99 (21% off at Amazon)
- Asus Chromebook Flip CM5 (CM5500FDA-DN344T), AMD Ryzen 3/4GB RAM/64GB eMMC, 15.6-inch 1080p display, $299.99 (43% off at Amazon)
- Acer Chromebook 516, Core i5-1240P/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, 2560×1600 120Hz display, $448.99 (31% off at Best Buy)
- Acer Spin 714, Core i5-1335U/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, 14-inch 1920×1200 display, $469.99 (33% off at Best Buy)
- Acer Chromebook Plus CX3402, Core i5-1335U/8GB RAM/128GB SSD, 14-inch 1080p display, $349.00 (30% off at Best Buy)
Lenovo’s IdeaPad Slim 3 at Best Buy is probably the best deal on the list in terms of value and the lowest price, but it does include 4GB of RAM, which normally I shy away from. Overall, though, I think the best deal in this list right now is the Asus Chromebook CX1 for $179 at Amazon: it checks all the boxes of great hardware at a great price. It has a nice big screen, too.
As far as premium Chromebooks are concerned, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 offers solid all-around features and a full 8GB of RAM. The Core i3 is going to handily outperform the CX1’s Celeron N4500 chip, though. I also like the performance that the Ryzen 3 offers inside the Chromebook Flip CM5, though. Still, I don’t think that CPU performance makes a ton of difference.
The Acer Spin 714 is a 360-degree foldable, while the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a traditional clamshell. In general, the Intel Core N-series chips will outperform the AMD Ryzen Chromebook-class chips you see here. For more information, you can also check out PCWorld’s review of the Chromebook Plus 514. Our review version uses the Intel N100 chip.
All of these Amazon deals are well below the previous lowest price of the year.
Best Buy traditionally has some killer deals, and buyers looking for a more premium Chromebook would do well to consider the Acer Chromebook 516, with PC-like hardware that will run even better on the lightweight Chrome OS. What a fantastic screen, too! The similarly Acer Spin 714 is also a good catch, although the display is better for the 516.
Prime Day tech deals in all the major categoriesMy colleagues have found some other great deals, so check out these great Prime Day roundups:
- Best Amazon tech deals across PCWorld’s top categories
- PC computer deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- Laptop deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- Monitor deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- SSD and storage deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- USB flash drive deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- Thunderbolt dock and USB-C hub deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- Office chairs and standing desks: Best of Prime Day 2024
- PC keyboard deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- Battery charger deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- Laptop bag and backpack deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
- iPad, Galaxy Tab and Kindle deals: Best of Prime Day 2024
Expect to pay between $170 to $250 or so, depending on the configuration. You’ll see bargain-basement options below $100 and more premium versions will cost $300 and above. We’ve used that advice for the past few years, and even with inflation that still seems to hold true.
While some of the early Chromebook deals were pretty solid, the best deals are usually reserved for the Prime
2. How will I know a good deal on a Prime Day Chromebook?I always start first with the screen, preferring a large 1080p display if the deal offers it. I also look for at least 8GB of RAM to maximize the available open tabs in a web browser and run necessary apps. I worry less about the microprocessor, as Chrome OS is lightweight and can run on an Intel Pentium and Celeron chip, an AMD chip, or Arm chips from Qualcomm and Mediatek. Anything powered by an Intel Core chip or AMD Ryzen (not an A-series) chip should deliver solid performance.
It’s a little trickier now since Chromebooks are now supported for ten years and some manufacturers see that as a green light to dump ancient hardware. That’s the sort of thing I keep a wary eye upon.
3. What aspects should I consider in a Chromebook?Generally, Chromebooks tend to fall into three categories: ultracheap models at about $100 to $200, which can offer solid discounts but can hide gotchas like a subpar screen; the typical midrange price of between $250 and $400; and premium Chromebooks at $500 or more. The latter are essentially PC laptops with Google’s Chrome OS on top, and might be too expensive for your tastes.
Our story recommending Chromebooks over Windows laptops may help you decide, as might our recommendations for the best Chromebooks. We have a more detailed comparison of laptops versus Chromebooks, too.
Chromebooks used to cut corners, especially where deals are concerned. Some still do. This $209 Asus Chromebook at Target uses an eight-year-old processor from 2016. I don’t want you to buy ancient hardware that won’t run well, so I pay attention to this. I also tend to avoid “renewed” hardware in favor of new, out-of-the-box devices.
I like to focus on the screen first, choosing deals that offer large, eye-pleasing 1080p displays. (A 768p screen can work, but it can be grainy). I like Chromebooks with at least 8GB of memory, but I’m less particular about the type of processor. You don’t need an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen chip, though you will see those in more premium Chromebooks. Arm chips from Qualcomm, Samsung, or Mediatek are more typical and offer longer battery life and decent performance. For a Chromebook, that’s enough.
Google Chrome OS-powered notebooks have a support window. Once closed, they will not receive any additional features, patches, security, or OS updates. However, Google recently extended this support window to a full 10 years, which really opens up the possibilities.
4. Are the best Chromebook deals during Prime Day at Amazon?Amazon would like to think so. But if we relied solely on Amazon’s deals, you’d miss out! Many retails offers competitive deals during Prime Days and the week of Prime Day. If we find a Chromebook deal from another retailer, we’ll include it.
5. Does a Chromebook’s brand matter?No. You may have a particular preference, but all Chromebooks that we cover are made by hardware makers with trusted reputations like HP, Samsung, Asus, and so on. If you trust a laptop brand, its Chromebooks should be equally trustworthy.