Black Friday laptops 2026: why 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD are the specs to check

Black Friday is November 27, and laptops are one of the things stores push hardest. The headline price is the easy part. What decides whether a laptop still feels quick in three years is a handful of numbers on the spec sheet: memory, storage, the processor, the screen and the warranty.

This guide sets out what to check, using the requirements Microsoft, Apple and Google publish themselves, and three real spec sheets. Prices were checked on November 8, 2026, and can change before Black Friday.

Do you need a new laptop this year?

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. That doesn't mean an older laptop stops working. Home users can sign up for Extended Security Updates, which Microsoft says keep critical and important security fixes coming until October 12, 2027. Enrollment is free if you sync your PC settings, or you can redeem 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or pay a one-time $30.

So if your laptop still does the job, you have time. If you're buying anyway, buy for the next five years, not the next five months.

At a glance

• Memory (RAM): 16GB. Microsoft requires 16GB for its Copilot+ PCs, and every new MacBook Air starts at 16GB.
• Storage: a 512GB SSD if you can, 256GB at the least.
• Screen: at least 1920 by 1080 pixels.
• Chromebooks: check the "Automatic updates until" date before you buy.
• Warranty: one year is standard. Some business models come with three.

Memory: why 16GB is the number to look for

Windows 11 will install on a laptop with just 4GB of memory, which is Microsoft's official minimum. That's not much once you have a browser with a dozen tabs, a video call and a few apps open.

Microsoft's own bar for its Copilot+ PCs, the laptops sold for its newer AI features, is 16GB of DDR5 or LPDDR5 memory. Apple has moved the same way: the current MacBook Air, with Apple's M5 chip, comes with 16GB to 32GB of memory. If a Black Friday Windows laptop has 8GB, it's a budget machine, and it's priced that way for a reason. On many thin laptops the memory is soldered in, so you can't add more later.

Storage: SSD, and how much

Microsoft's minimum for Windows 11 is a 64GB drive. Its Copilot+ PCs need a 256GB SSD or larger, and the MacBook Air now starts at 512GB. Updates, apps and photos fill a small drive quickly.

Look for "SSD" on the spec sheet. Some very cheap laptops use slower eMMC storage, often 64GB or 128GB, which suits light browsing but not much else.

The processor and the "AI PC" label

A Copilot+ PC has a chip with a neural processing unit (NPU) that Microsoft says must handle more than 40 trillion operations per second (40 TOPS). It runs features such as on-device image tools without sending everything to the cloud. You don't need one to browse, stream, write or do schoolwork. It's worth paying for only if you want those features.

Microsoft's Copilot+ page listed models from $854.99 (a Dell Plus 2-in-1 14-inch) to $1,699.99 (a 13-inch Surface Pro) when we checked.

Screen, battery and weight

Windows 11 needs only a 720p screen larger than 9 inches. For a laptop you'll look at every day, 1920 by 1080 (often called Full HD or FHD) is a sensible floor. A 16:10 screen at 1920 by 1200 (WUXGA) gives you a little more room for documents.

Battery claims come from the maker's own tests. Apple says the MacBook Air lasts "up to 18 hours", for example. Real-world use is usually shorter, so read independent reviews of the exact model.

Chromebooks: check the update date

Google says ChromeOS devices get 10 years of updates, counted from when the model's platform was released, not from when you buy it. A Chromebook that's been on shelves for a while has fewer years left. Google lists each model's end date in the "Automatic updates until" column on its help page, and asks buyers to check it before they buy.

A worked example: three spec sheets compared

On November 8, laptop maker Dynabook had three business laptops on a "Limited Time Offer". All three were listed as backordered.

• Satellite Pro C50-K, $1,196.10. Intel Core 7 150U, 16GB DDR4 memory, 512GB SSD, 15.6-inch 1920 by 1080 screen, 1-year warranty.
• Tecra A40-M, $1,529.10. Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, 16GB DDR5, 512GB SSD, 14-inch 1920 by 1200 screen, 3-year warranty.
• Portégé Z40L-N, $1,646.10. A Copilot+ PC with an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, 16GB LPDDR5X, 512GB SSD, 14-inch 1920 by 1200 screen, 2.11 lb and a 3-year warranty.

All three meet the 16GB and 512GB marks. The differences are in the details: the Satellite Pro has the bigger screen but older DDR4 memory and a 1-year warranty, while the Tecra costs $333 more and adds faster memory and two extra years of cover. The Portégé is the only one with the NPU Microsoft requires for Copilot+ features, and it weighs just 2.11 lb. Read every spec sheet this way and the cheapest laptop isn't always the best value.

Don't forget the extras

A good mouse makes a laptop easier to use at a desk. On Logitech's US site on November 8, the Pebble Mouse 2 M350s cost $24.99, the Signature M650 $39.99 and the MX Anywhere 3S $89.99, the last with a gift with purchase. Logitech's site was showing early holiday deals of "up to $100 off".

What to do now

1. Decide what you'll use it for. Browsing and schoolwork need far less than photo editing or gaming.
2. Set your minimum spec: 16GB of memory, a 256GB or 512GB SSD and a 1920 by 1080 screen.
3. Note the exact model numbers of two or three laptops that fit.
4. Track their prices now, so you know a real deal on Black Friday. Our guide to checking a Black Friday price shows how.
5. Check the return window and warranty before you pay. See our guide to holiday return policies.

Questions

Is 8GB of memory ever enough? For light use, such as browsing, email and streaming, it can be. But you usually can't upgrade it later, and Microsoft's own requirement for its newer laptops is 16GB.

Do I need a Copilot+ PC? Only if you want the AI features that run on the laptop itself. Everything else works on any Windows 11 laptop.

Is a Chromebook a good buy? For browsing and Google's apps, it can be a low-cost choice. Check the "Automatic updates until" date on Google's list first.

Should I wait for Black Friday? If the model you want is already at a price you're happy with, there's no guarantee it will drop further. Tracking the price for a couple of weeks tells you more than the ad will.

Ways to save

Check Dynabook and Logitech on Promo Magpie for current promo codes before you order.

When you shop through Promo Magpie, part of the commission the shop pays us goes to the charity or club you pick. You pay the same price.

Sources: Microsoft: Windows 10 end of support, November 8, 2026, Microsoft: Windows 11 and Copilot+ PC requirements, November 8, 2026, Microsoft: Copilot+ PCs, November 8, 2026, Apple: MacBook Air, November 8, 2026, Google: ChromeOS automatic update policy, November 8, 2026, Dynabook US store, November 8, 2026, Logitech: mice, November 8, 2026