There are a lot of places online that are selling gaming laptops, but only a few big names stand out. As someone who's been staring at these various stores everyday for a couple years, let's go into which are worth your time.

1) Amazon. Score: 1/5

Don't buy off Amazon unless you know what you're doing. They commonly stock laptops that are over half a decade old (which is prehistoric in gaming laptop time), selling them at the prices of a modern PC, and marketing them as modern and 'blazing fast'. This is deceptive, deeply misleading, and frustrating - especially with how complicated gaming laptop shopping already is. The independent 'Amazon Marketplace' stores are even worse about this.

On the good side, Amazon has a fantastic return policy, so you can likely return your laptop if it doesn't meet your needs - so long as you know to buy from Amazon and not one of their marketplace sellers.

Amazon rates a 1/5 because of how easy it is to be misled into buying something that doesn't meet modern needs while paying an outrageous price.

2) BestBuy 5/5

BestBuy is legitimately one of the best big box stores in the United States to buy a gaming laptop from. BestBuy has frequent sales, occasional VERY good deals, plus options for open-box discounts, a decent rewards program, and a return policy that includes gaming laptops. They're straight forward and easy to work with.

BestBuy earns 5/5, despite being a corporate overlord and being a place that has an affiliate program at a whopping... 0% return. That's not made up, that's real and in their contract. But hey, they're still a good place for the consumer and that's what matters.

3) Direct from Manufacturer (Dell, Lenovo, Acer, etc..) 5/5

This includes sites like dell.com, acer.com, Lenovo.com, MSI.com, hp.com, etc...

Often big name laptop brands have their own in-house store, which can frequently get GREAT deals and additional promotions you won't find elsewhere. If you favor a certain brand, take the opportunity to see their personal online store. It also helps support the manufacturer more by cutting out the middleman.

Quick note: If time is of the essence, it's recommended to buy their pre-built systems. Customizing your own laptop can sometimes mean it takes longer to arrive. Plus the pre-built systems can have additional sales, and it's a setup signed off on by the engineers themselves.

Shopping direct earns 5/5 for being a great way to sneak into some great deals at the most reputable retailer.

4) Walmart 4/5

I'm surprised to rate Walmart of all places this highly, but they do occasionally get legitimate deals that top our charts. They lose a star because while they can have great deals, I wouldn't suggest them as a retailer to start a search with due to their general-goods approach. They occasionally fall into the same trap as Amazon and will try to sell a laptop way past it's prime at egregious prices - but not as frequently as Amazon.

Walmart surprises us all at 4/5 by having occasional noteworthy deals and a decent reputation.

5) BH 2/5

BH is a tech retailer that does NOT have a return policy on their laptops. So if you buy it and don't like it, you're stuck with that $1000-$2000 purchase. They occasionally have good deals, but the lock-in purchase is a legitimate concern.

If you happen to be near a physical BH store I've heard there may be more leniency, but I can't say for sure, and how many of us really live next to one of their brick and mortar locations?

BH doesn't have a return policy, so the other benefits of the store are not enough to outweigh the risk.

6) MicroCenter 5/5*

I wish I could include MicroCenter in IsThisADeal, but they're physical location only! That said, if you're blessed enough to have one nearby, there can be VERY good deals there. I've heard nothing but praise about them - the biggest barrier is if you live near one or not.

Conclusion

Shopping across this many different stores is hard and why this website exists. Hopefully this little foray into the various stores clears up some concerns and questions and makes the journey simpler - and with less pitfalls! Feel free to ask any questions you may have <3