5 impressive Best Buy laptop deals under $500 I recommend over Prime Day

(Image credit: Laptop Mag / Rael Hornby)

As Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days enters its final day, so too does Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Deals event, and before this window of opportunity passes you by, why not make sure you're not missing out on some excellent laptop deals from Best Buy for less than $500?

While we highlight dozens upon dozens of top-flight laptops with reduced price tags during sales events, it's important that we don't overlook the laptops that suit most people best. Not everybody needs a brand-new gaming laptop and not everybody seeking a powerful computer capable of video editing, programming, or 3D rendering.

You don't need to spend a small fortune to secure a laptop that does everything you need it to do. Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Deals event has brought the price down on several great options in that category to less than $500, including the excellent ASUS Vivobook 16 available for just $479, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 priced at only $429 — an impressive saving of $270!

Today's top Best Buy deals on laptops under $500

ASUS Vivobook 16: $599 $479 @ Best Buy

Save $120 on the 16-inch ASUS Vivobook 16 for a limited time during Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Sale.

ASUS' Vivobook 16 is perfect for everyday use by students and workers, backed by its sturdy AMD Ryzen 7 7730U CPU, 16GB of RAM (making it a solid multitasker), and 1TB of SSD storage (both speedy and sizeable).

Its larger 16-inch display also makes for a fantastic viewing platform for media and entertainment in your downtime, and ASUS is a brand well-known for its often colorful and bright displays.

While its limited-time $479 price tag doesn't seem like the best discount on this list, the Vivobook 16 was already priced very fairly at $599, with this deal only further improving the value of your purchase.

Features: AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor, AMD Radeon Graphics, 16GB of RAM, 1TB SSD storage, a 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 60Hz IPS display, Windows 11 Home.

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15": $579 $329 @ Best Buy

Save $250 on the 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad 1 for a limited time during Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Sale.

Lenovo's IdeaPad 1 is a 15-inch touchscreen laptop powered by AMD's sporting and efficient Ryzen 5 7520U CPU, backed by 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage.

It's by no means going to claim the top spot on laptop rankings, but it is a fantastic laptop to own for those looking for a reliable machine that can handle work, entertainment, browsing, and even cloud gaming.

There's a fair selection of ports on the IdeaPad, allowing it to connect to various USB-C and USB-A peripherals or accessories, and even an HDMI port for connecting up an external display. It's a well-rounded everyday computer and should serve those who need such a device perfectly.

Features: AMD Ryzen 5 7520U processor, AMD Radeon Graphics, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD storage, a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 60Hz IPS touchscreen display, Windows 11 Home.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14": $549 $329 @ Best Buy

Save $220 on the 14-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i for a limited time during Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Sale.

Lenovo's IdeaPad Flex 5i is a highly versatile 2-in-1 laptop, meaning it can be used like any other clamshell notebook, or its screen can be folded back and used like a tablet, thanks to its 14-inch touchscreen display.

Its 12th Gen Intel Core processor is more than enough for everyday usage, and its 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will go a long way for those who aren't heavy computer users.

Features: Intel Core i3-1215U processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD storage, a 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 60Hz IPS touchscreen display, Windows 11 Home.

Dell Inspiron 15: $629 $399 @ Best Buy

Save $230 on the 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron 15 for a limited time during Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Sale.

Dell's Inspiron 15 is a great laptop for those who need a computing companion that can strike a balance between work and entertainment.

While its integrated graphics won't be of much use for gaming, its sizeable 15.6-inch Full-HD display is great for watching content on, like Netflix or YouTube.

The Inspiron 15 might not be outfitted with the latest processors, but its 12th Gen Intel Core CPU and 8GB of RAM are plenty for most performing lighter tasks both on and offline, plus, its 512GB of SSD storage offers plenty of space to act as your digital data vault, storing photos, videos, documents, and more.

Features: Intel Core i5-1235U processor, Intel UHD Graphics, 8GB of RAM, 512GB SSD storage, a 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) 60Hz touchscreen display, Windows 11 Home.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714: $699 $429 @ Best Buy

Save $270 on the 14-inch Acer Chromebook Spin 714 for a limited time during Best Buy's 48-hour Flash Sale.

Everyday users with casual computing in mind don't need to invest in the latest and greatest laptops in order to get through their digital day comfortably, Chromebooks like Acer's Spin 714 are an ideal companion for lightweight tasks, especially if most of your work or play takes place online.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is a speedy, lightweight, and versatile 2-in-1, capable of being used like a laptop and a tablet thanks to its 14-inch touchscreen display.

Like others, Acer's Chromebook Spin 714 is also sturdy and durable, easy to repair, secure, and great for most use cases. It's not good for gaming or power users, but you can still enjoy some modern games via cloud gaming services.

Features: Intel Core i5-1335U processor, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD storage, a 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS touchscreen display, Windows 11 Home.

Rael Hornby, potentially influenced by far too many LucasArts titles at an early age, once thought he’d grow up to be a mighty pirate. However, after several interventions with close friends and family members, you’re now much more likely to see his name attached to the bylines of tech articles. While not maintaining a double life as an aspiring writer by day and indie game dev by night, you’ll find him sat in a corner somewhere muttering to himself about microtransactions or hunting down promising indie games on Twitter.