Tech
I found 10 great refurbished Black Friday deals from the Amazon Renewed Store
Black Friday offers some great discounts on just about everything, but you have to hunt for the real deals. The wheat among the chaff, the gold among the dross. The little dark rye chips among the Chex Mix. That goes double for the Amazon Renewed Store, where refurbished goods go for even bigger discounts. But I found ’em.
Here are 10 great refurbished laptops, monitors, and other PC accessories that I spotted on Black Friday. Please keep in mind that, because these are refurbished (“renewed” according to Amazon) goods, they’re far more limited in stock than regular sale items, so they might disappear quickly. Amazon Renewed items come with a 90-day warranty, but some “Premium” items get a 365-day return period.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 laptop — $303
Lenovo
I love a good ThinkPad, and so does every IT manager I’ve ever met. These laptops are legendary for having quality keyboards, tough builds, and good, repairable components. The T-series in particular are known for being workhorses. This one has an older 10th-generation Intel i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, which is more than enough to handle everything you can throw at Windows 11 except high-end media creation and gaming. And it’s also got tons of ports, including USB-C, HDMI, Ethernet, and MicroSD. If you want a computer that has everything you need and nothing you don’t, this is it.
Get a Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for $303
Dell Latitude 5420 business laptop — $250
Dell
This Dell model is slightly newer and a good bit cheaper than the ThinkPad above, sporting an 11th-gen Core i5, identical 16GB of RAM, but a smaller 256GB SSD. (You can probably upgrade that, if you’re handy with a screwdriver.) The 14-inch screen isn’t amazing, but it’s topped with an IR camera for Windows Hello face scan login, and again, this one has plenty of ports. This is about as cheap as you can possibly get for a Windows laptop that’s powerful enough to handle a bunch of browsing and videos, without going fully used.
Get a Dell Latitude Windows 11 laptop for $250
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 16GB — $296
Microsoft
If you need something very small and portable, but still capable for work and school, this Surface Laptop Go might be just what you’re looking for. With a 12.4-inch screen and a weight of just 2.45 pounds (1.1 kilograms), it’s extremely portable, great for throwing in a bag and forgetting about it. The all-metal body is also quite fetching, and it has a touchscreen upgrade that’s hard to find at this price. With a 10th-gen Intel processor and 256GB of storage, it’s more than a match for basic tasks, and 16GB of RAM is hard to find on this model. Just don’t expect the battery to last too long.
Get a Surface Laptop Go with 16GB of RAM for $296
Samsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G9 G95SC monitor — $855
Samsung
Ah, you’re looking for a secondhand OLED gaming monitor? I also like to live…dangerously (because I bought one too, though not this model). The Odyssey G9 is as big as an OLED monitor gets right now before you bump up to a full television. And with its 5120×1440 resolution (basically a double QHD curved panel) at 240Hz of refresh, you’ll need a powerful gaming machine to take full advantage of it. Oh, and probably a very sturdy desk.
Get a Samsung 49-inch ultrawide OLED gaming monitor for $855
MSI 27-inch IPS QHD 170Hz gaming monitor — $149
MSI
If you need something a little less bombastic, this MSI gaming monitor is an excellent upgrade over a standard screen, and a great value. 1440p resolution is enough of a resolution boost to make 27 inches look sharp, and the IPS panel has much more accurate color than VA. At 170Hz it’s fast enough for online competitive multiplayer, even if it isn’t cutting edge. And you even get USB-C video, though be aware that 15 watts of power is only enough to support a phone or a tablet on one cable, not a laptop.
Get an MSI 27-inch QHD IPS gaming monitor for $149
LG 24-inch IPS 1080p monitor — $70
LG
Finally, if all you need is more screen space for your laptop or a second monitor for your desktop, this LG 24-inch monitor will be perfect. With a 1080p IPS panel it’s good enough to edit video, and has a modest speed bump at 100Hz for a little extra smoothness in gaming. It’s HDMI-only, but can handle inputs from two different devices. And unlike a lot of monitors in this price range, it comes with a VESA mount for compatibility with a standard monitor arm.
Get an LG 24-inch HD monitor for $70
Razer BlackWidow V4 75% mechanical gaming keyboard — $76
Michael Crider/Foundry
I’m not a huge fan of Razer’s keyboards, but even I have to admit that they knocked it out of the park with the BlackWidow V4. The 75% form factor is perfect for saving space on a gaming desk, the included tactile switches are great for both gaming and typing, and you can swap them out if you find something better. It feels great with tons of internal sound dampening. Even the included wrist rest (not a given for any gaming design) is nice and comfy. Razer commands a high premium for just about everything, but at a hair over $76, this one’s priced just right.
Get a Razer BlackWidow V4 75% gaming keyboard for $76
Logitech 4K Pro webcam — $70
Logitech
A good webcam is absolutely essential for working from home, and no, the one on your laptop is not good enough. Upgrade to this Logitech model for a 4K video sensor with excellent color reproduction, and you’ll get a magnetic mount that can attach easily even to monitors in vertical mode. The included dual-array microphones aren’t bad, either, though you’ll definitely want a dedicated mic for pro recording.
Get a Logitech 4K webcam for $70
SanDisk 512GB MicroSD card — $36
SanDisk
The Steam Deck, the Nintendo Switch, a video camera, and any budget laptop. All of these have one thing in common: not enough storage. This 512GB MicroSD card can fix all of ’em, with enough speed (190 megabytes-per-second read) to handle just about anything. It’s a great price for half a terabyte of storage that you can easily move around with the included SD card sleeve.
Get a 512GB SanDisk MicroSD card for $36
Logitech M705 Marathon Mouse — $19
Logitech
I’ve used this exact model of mouse for travel for many years, and at just $19, it’s a steal. With two AA batteries it can last for three years — yes, years — of regular use. It’s also shockingly comfortable, with great speed scrolling and horizontal scrolling on the wheel. There’s only one downside: While it’s wireless, it lacks Bluetooth, so make sure you have an open USB-A port for the dongle.
Get a Logitech M705 Marathon Mouse for $19
