Today’s best deals: Apple Watch SE, gaming laptops, SSDs, and more
Ars Technica
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a strong discount on the 44 mm version of the Apple Watch SE, which is currently down to $229 at Amazon and Walmart.
The discount only applies to the variant with Apple’s silver case and blue sports band, but if you can live with that—or don’t mind swapping in a new band later—this price matches the lowest we’ve tracked. For reference, this variant has typically gone for about $260 online in recent months, while Apple itself sells the device for $309. If you prefer a smaller case size, the 40 mm Watch SE is also available for $229, though we’ve seen that price more commonly for that model.
We generally recommend the higher-end Apple Watch Series 7 as the best smartwatch for iPhone users, but the Watch SE remains a compelling alternative for those on a tighter budget. For roughly $100 less, you retain most of the Series 7’s core features, including the same messaging, heart rate tracking, and general watchOS support. You lose the larger, always-on display of the flagship model—i.e., its screen won’t stay on when you put your wrist down—plus more advanced features like blood oxygen monitoring, ECG support, and slightly faster charging speeds. It’s also worth noting that we’ll likely see new Apple Watch models introduced this fall. But if you need to save cash, the Watch SE is a fine product, and it should represent a solid upgrade for those coming from an older Apple Watch model (think the Series 3 or below).
If you don’t need a new wearable, our roundup also includes the lowest price we’ve tracked on a well–reviewed (and massive) OLED gaming monitor from Gigabyte, as well as a new low for LG’s A1 OLED TV. The latter is a year-old model that sacrifices gaming-friendly features like a 120 Hz panel, variable refresh rate, and HDMI 2.1 ports, but it still brings the deep contrast you’d expect from an OLED display, so if you don’t plan to game heavily, it’s a strong value at its current price of $1,000 for a 65-inch model.
Elsewhere, we have Apple’s (older but still great) MacBook Air for $100 off Apple’s MSRP, plus more lower-than-usual prices on recommended gaming laptops and peripherals, speedy PCIe 4.0 SSDs for those wishing to upgrade a PS5’s storage space, and more. Check out our full curated list of deals below.
Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.
Featured deals of the day
- Apple Watch SE (44 mm) smartwatch for $229 (
$260) at Amazon, Walmart - Gigabyte Aorus FO48U 48-inch gaming monitor (4K, 120 Hz, OLED, VRR) for $800 (
$1,050) at Amazon, B&H, Newegg - LG A1 (2021) 65-inch 4K OLED TV for $1,000 (
$1,325) at Best Buy (60 Hz panel) - The Fox in the Forest card game for $11 (
$14) at Amazon - SK Hynix Gold P31 (2TB) PCIe 3.0 internal SSD for $169 (
$205) at Amazon (clip 15{5376dfc28cf0a7990a1dde1ec4d231557d3d9e6448247a9e5e61bb9e48b1de73} coupon) - ADATA XPG Gammix S70 Blade (2TB) PCIe 4.0 internal SSD for $200 (
$245) at Amazon, Best Buy - HyperX Alloy Origins Core TKL mechanical keyboard for $60 (
$80) at Amazon, Best Buy - Razer Orochi V2 wireless gaming mouse for $28 (
$50) at Best Buy, Amazon - Apple MacBook Air (2020) 13.3-inch laptop (Apple M1, 2560×1600, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $900 (
$950) at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H - Up to 6-month Apple Music membership for free (
$50) at Best Buy (new or returning users only) - Amazon Music Unlimited (4-months) for free (
$27) at Amazon (Prime users only, 3-mo. for non-Prime) - The Batman (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, Digital) for $20 (
$30) at Amazon, Target - $50 Nintendo eShop Gift Card for $45 (
$50) at Amazon
Jeff Dunn
Electronics deals
Corey Gaskin
Laptop and desktop PC deals
- Apple MacBook Air (2020) 13.3-inch laptop (Apple M1, 2560×1600, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $900 (
$950) at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H - Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) 14-inch gaming laptop (Ryzen 9 6900HS, 2560×1600 120 Hz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Radeon RX 6700S 8GB) for $1,500 (
$1,650) at Best Buy - Acer Predator Helios 300 15.6-inch gaming laptop (Core i7-11800H, 1080p 144 Hz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GeForce RTX 3060 6GB) for $1,050 (
$1,250) at Acer - Gigabyte Aorus 15P KD 15.6-inch gaming laptop (Core i7-11800H, 1080p 240 Hz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, GeForce RTX 3060 6GB) for $1,199 (
$1,340) at Amazon, Best Buy - ADATA XPG Gammix S70 Blade (2TB) PCIe 4.0 internal SSD for $200 (
$245) at Amazon, Best Buy - WD Black SN850 (2TB) PCIe 4.0 internal SSD for $216 (
$250) at Newegg (use code: WDJUNE22) - SK Hynix Gold P31 (2TB) PCIe 3.0 internal SSD for $169 (
$205) at Amazon (clip 15{5376dfc28cf0a7990a1dde1ec4d231557d3d9e6448247a9e5e61bb9e48b1de73} coupon) - SK Hynix Platinum P41 (2TB) PCIe 4.0 internal SSD for $221 (
$260) at Amazon (clip 15{5376dfc28cf0a7990a1dde1ec4d231557d3d9e6448247a9e5e61bb9e48b1de73} coupon) - Crucial MX500 (2TB) 2.5-inch SATA internal SSD for $162 (
$185) at B&H (discount in cart, 4TB for $320) - LG 27GL850-B 27-inch gaming monitor (1440p, 144 Hz, IPS, FreeSync, G-Sync Compatible) for $300 (
$365) at Amazon - Gigabyte M32U 31.5-inch gaming monitor (4K, 144 Hz, IPS, FreeSync) for $650 (
$730) at B&H - Gigabyte Aorus FO48U 48-inch gaming monitor (4K, 120 Hz, OLED, VRR) for $800 (
$1,050) at Amazon, B&H, Newegg - XFX Speedster SWFT309 Radeon RX 6700 XT (12GB GDDR6) graphics card for $480 (
$550) at Amazon, Best Buy
Lee Hutchinson
Video game deals
- God of War (PC) for $40 (
$50) at Steam (PS4 for free w/ PS Plus) - Firewatch (PC) for $5 (
$15) at GOG (also on Game Pass) - Flashback (PC) for free (
$8) at GOG - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (PC, Switch, Xbox, PS4) for $22 (
$25) at Steam, Nintendo, Xbox, PSN (also on Game Pass, PS Plus required for PS4) - Psychonauts 2 (PC, Xbox, PS4) for $30 (
$40) at GOG, Xbox, PSN (also on Game Pass) - Disco Elysium – The Final Cut (PC) for $14 (
$25) at GOG - Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition (PC) for $18 (
$30) at GOG - Cuphead (PC, PS4) for $14 (
$20) at GOG, PSN - Metal Gear Solid (PC) for $7 (
$10) at GOG - 30+ PC games (Far Cry 4, Death Squared, Astrologaster, etc.) for free at Prime Gaming (Prime users only)
- Inside (Switch) for $2 (
$10) at Nintendo - Pokemon Brilliant Diamond (Switch) for $30 (
$55) at Best Buy, GameStop (discount in cart) - 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (Switch) for $40 (
$55) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
- Ghostwire: Tokyo (PS5, PC) for $30 (
$50) at Amazon, Best Buy, Humble - Shenmue 3 – Deluxe Edition (PS4) for $4 (
$15) at PSN (PS Plus required) - LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox) for $44 (
$55) at Amazon, Walmart - Doom Eternal (PS4, Xbox, PC) for $15 (
$25) at Best Buy (free PS5 upgrade, also on Game Pass) - Assault Android Cactus (PS4) for $4 (
$15) at PSN - Halo Infinite (Xbox) for $20 (
$45) at Amazon, Best Buy (also on Game Pass) - Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Xbox, PC) for $16 (
$25) at Xbox (also on Game Pass) - Wandersong (Xbox, PS4) for $5 (
$20) at Xbox, PSN - Metro Saga Bundle (Xbox) for $15 (
$30) at Xbox - Titanfall 2 (Xbox, PS4) for $4 (
$10) at Xbox, PSN (also on Game Pass Ultimate) - Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (Xbox, PS4, PC) for $5 (
$15) at Xbox, GOG, Steam, PSN (Switch for $10) - Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Xbox, PS4) for $3 (
$15) at Xbox, PSN - Ori: The Collection (Xbox, PC) for $12 (
$25) at Xbox (also on Game Pass) - Assassin’s Creed Origins (Xbox, PS4) for $9 (
$15) at Xbox, PSN (also on Game Pass)
Microsoft
Gaming deals
