Month: March 2022

We’ve rounded up the best cheap monitor sales and deals from across the web.

If you’re looking for a cheap monitor to improve your computing experience, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve scoured online retailers from Amazon to Best Buy for the best cheap monitor sales and deals. Whether you’re looking for a display with 4K resolution, a massive screen, or a way to improve your gaming experience, our list features the best cheap monitors for any desk or budget. 

Because excellent monitors can be picked up really cheap these days, and because you can pretty much hook up any device to an external display, a cheap monitor or two is always handy to have. Multi-display setups are particularly handy for those who require an effective working-from-home station, although most will benefit from the extra screen real estate.

To make things easier for you, we’ve split our selection of monitors into five categories, which include: the best general-use monitor, the best gaming monitor, the best professional monitor, the best curved monitor, and the best budget monitor. Our cheap monitor deals list is updated daily with the best prices from the top retailers so don’t hesitate to bookmark this page and check in regularly.

What are the best cheap monitor deals?

Obviously, you’ve come to this list because you want to save money on a new monitor – but the motivation for finding a cheap monitor will vary from one person to the next. Maybe you need an everyday display to get you from one Zoom meeting to the next, or you’re seeking a gaming monitor that’ll do your gaming rig justice. Two factors to strongly consider, regardless of purpose, are size and resolution.

Size: You’ll want a monitor that’ll fit comfortably on your desk or table. Typically, monitors range in size from 15 to 30 inches (measured diagonally). Ultrawide displays, meanwhile, can top 50 inches and are fast becoming a preference among creative professionals and serious gamers.

Resolution: This refers to the amount of pixels a monitor can display. Higher numbers yield a sharper picture and more refined details. For graphics-intensive tasks – like gaming or video editing – you’ll want something that’s at least Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or as high as 3,840 x 2,160 (4K).

Additional Features: Other features you’ll want to consider will depend on the type of display you’re shopping for. You can explore those more in-depth in our guides to the best general monitors, best gaming monitors, and best business monitors.

The best cheap monitor deals

(Image credit: Asus)

The Asus VP228HE is a fantastic budget monitor for light gaming or media streaming. Although it may ‘just’ be 1080p, you’ll still be getting a fantastic display with bright color contrast and a vivid picture. And lest we forget its built-in bonus features – from GamePlus Technology to EyeCare Technology.

Yeah, it only has a 60Hz refresh rate but there’s still a 1ms response time coupled with a flicker-free screen to keep everything moving right along.  At under $200 / £200, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything as remarkable as the Asus VP228HE at this price point.

(Image credit: HP)

While it’s not the absolute cheapest monitor deal on the market, the HP X24IH gets our pick for gamers on a budget. For the price, it’s a blazingly fast 24-inch model that packs in a ton of really impressive specs for the money.

Foremost amongst specs these are the 1ms response rate and 144Hz refresh rate, which are fast enough to keep up with the most competitive gaming scenarios. Having an IPS panel at this price point is also fantastic, enabling some really gorgeous colors and decent viewing angles.

If there’s a downside for the HP X24IH its that it’s only 1080p resolution, which may not be enough for some depending on your setup. 1080p still looks great on a 24-inch monitor, however, and it enables a set of specs that you just won’t find on 1440p gaming monitors anywhere near this price.

(Image credit: Amazon)

The Dell S2721D is a solid and affordable QHD monitor that’ll suit general users and casual gamers alike. It boasts a gorgeous 27-inch 1440p display, a 75Hz refresh rate, and a vivid IPS panel that hits 99% of the sRGB color gamut – which also makes it a decent choice for editing photos and video.

Aesthetically, the Dell S2721D is quite breathtaking with three-sided ultrathin bezel. Situated on the rear are a pair of HDMI 1.4 ports, DisplayPort 1.2, audio line-out, and a security lock slot. (Curiously, it doesn’t have a single USB port.) Making space for this Dell monitor will be easy since it can be oriented horizontally or vertically.

For a no-frills QHD home monitor, the Dell S2721D is an excellent value buy. The built-in 3-watt speakers are weak, though, so think about picking up one of the best computer speakers with the money you’ll be saving on this cheap monitor deal.

Read the review: Dell S2721D

(Image credit: Asus)

The Asus VG289Q is a few years old now but it’s still one of our favorite gaming monitors here at TechRadar. It’s easily one of the stronger options if you’re looking for a fairly speedy monitor that can handle 4K gaming but want to keep the budget fairly reasonable.

In a world where 4K gaming monitors can still cost north of $600/£600, the Asus VG289Q offers fantastic value in comparison. We were particularly impressed by the color rendition, sharpness, and detail on this model when we reviewed it back in 2020.

If there is a downside, however, it’s that it’s not the fastest gaming monitor on the market due to its 5ms response time and 60Hz refresh rate cap. Compared to even cheap 1080p gaming monitors these aren’t anything special, so the Asus VG289Q is best utilized by those who want top-notch visuals on a budget, as opposed to the speediest monitor for competitive gaming.

Read the review: Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q

(Image credit: Amazon)

The BenQ PD2700U is a no-nonsense 27-inch 4K monitor that’ll fit well in any (home) office. You’ll be sacrificing some bells and whistles here, but in exchange you’ll receive plenty of pixels (for lots of detail), accurate colors, and professional calibration straight out of the box.

If you intend to stream some 4K shows or movies in between Zoom meetings, you may find yourself impressed with the BenQ PD2700U’s razor sharp picture. But allow us to be clear: this monitor’s MO is productivity and content creation. When it comes to serious computing, the BenQ PD2700U truly shines.

Read the review: BenQ PD2700U

(Image credit: AOC)

The AOC CU34G2X has plenty going for it at its price point. Standout features of this 34-inch curved display include QHD resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and AMD Freesync. Its curve radius (1500mm) isn’t overwhelming. In fact, the AOC CU34G2X provides quite an immersive experience, especially once you don a pair of solid gaming headphones.

Design-wise, the AOC is rather…forgettable. But it’ll really help to look past that caveat because its performance is anything but forgettable – especially at this price.

Read the review: AOC CU34G2X

Read more about monitors:

Is an ultrawide monitor actually worth it?
Do you really need a 4K monitor?

Best monitor stands of 2021

Read More 

Upgrade your PC without breaking the bank by jumping on these excellent cheap RAM deals.

An extra bit of memory can breathe all new life into your computer, and make heavy tasks like gaming and multitasking a breeze. Luckily, RAM deals are pretty easy to get a hold of as it’s one of the cheapest components you can buy for your computer. There are a lot of choices on the market, however, which is why we’ve put together this handy guide to get you a decent headstart in finding the best cheap RAM out there right now.

Even if you were thinking of buying a brand new Mac, MacBook or pre-built PC instead of building your own setup this year, you can often save a bit of cash by not paying extra for an upgraded RAM model. This can work out quite an expensive way to add memory, and instead it’s far cheaper to purchase RAM separately, especially if you can find the best RAM deals like we have found below. 

We update prices daily on this page so it’s well worth bookmarking and checking regularly if you don’t spot a RAM kit at the price you want. RAM itself is usually found fairly cheap around big seasonal sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, although there are always a few great deals knocking around at any one time of the year at the specialist retailers too. 

Best DDR5 RAM deal

(Image credit: Future)

If you want the speediest and latest RAM setup on the market then you’ll have to spring for a set of DDR5 sticks. These normally don’t come cheap but Corsair’s latest iteration of its well-known Vengeance series of RAM is actually pretty competitively priced. While it’s not the speediest set of DDR5 RAM on the market right now it’s still pretty damn fast at a base clock speed of 4800MHz. It runs pretty cool too, so there’s plenty of potential headroom if you’re looking to overclock it alongside your other components. 

Best DDR4 RAM deal

Corsair’s Vengeance series of RAM has been knocking around for many years now and it’s always a solid pick regardless of your use case. The 3,000 MHz RGB variant in particular is a fantastic all-rounder for those with motherboards that can only support DDR4 RAM since it’s got a really reasonable price tag considering you’re getting RGB and a beefy heatsink. While DDR5 has surpassed this generation in regards to speed, 3,000 MHz is still plenty fast for gaming right now – and more widely supported by a large number of motherboards. 

Best budget gaming RAM deal

DDR4 RAM was pretty damn pricey when it first came out a few years ago but it’s possible to get the standard 2x8GB setup on a fairly low budget now. If you’re not bothered about bells and whistles like RGB the Corsair Vengeance LPX is a great choice. Not only is it widely stocked at most specialist retailers but it’s reasonable price, low profile build, and number of clock speed variants makes it a really reliable purchase for both upgraders and builders on a  budget. It’s of course not as speedy as DDR5 RAM, but it’s going to be more than enough for most builds for the next few years.

Best RAM deal for gaming laptops

(Image credit: Future)

While some gaming laptops are starting to adopt DDR5 RAM, the vast majority of mobile gaming rigs are still running on DDR4-compatible motherboards, which means you’ll probably want to opt for a pair of these widely available sticks (definitely check your model, though). Our choice for a solid, reliable, and fairly cheap RAM upgrade for gaming laptops is the Kingston HyperX Impact series. These low-profile sticks only draw 1.2V of power but are still capable of clock speeds of either 2666 or 3200Mhz, depending on which variant you go for. With great plug-and-play compatibility, the Kingston HyperX Impact will work with both Intel and AMD-based gaming laptops with no BIOS tweaks needed.

Best laptop RAM deal

MacBooks aren’t the only laptop that you can add extra memory to. As long as they aren’t glued together, like a Surface Laptop, upgrading your RAM is one of the easiest things you can do to improve the performance of your notebook. TimeTic makes relatively inexpensive kits of Hynix IC RAM that could seriously bump up your memory capacity.

Best Mac RAM deal

Running on an old Mac? Most of the newer models have soldered-in memory and are therefore unable to be upgraded,  but some of the older models can actually be upgraded (usually the ones released before 2013). Generally speaking, for these older models you’ll need DDR3 RAM – which isn’t the newest or quickest RAM on the market but it is still fairly widely available luckily. Our pick for RAM upgrades on legacy Mac models would be Crucial’s DDR3 kits. Not only are they reasonably priced, but Crucial is a reliable brand that offers a number of choices for both 16GB and 32GB memory kits – more than enough for older Macs still in daily use.

What is RAM?

RAM is an acronym for Random-Access Memory. It is one of the fundamental pieces of the computing puzzle alongside the processor (or CPU) and classic storage (usually coined as ROM for Read Only Memory).

RAM is needed in order to facilitate data transfer to and from your system storage (can be hard disk drive or solid state drive). The processor is the one that does the compute, the calculations etc and just next to it sits the cache, which is a super fast version of RAM but only available in tiny amounts (up to a couple of hundreds of MB at most).

Then comes RAM (usually around 16GB on standard computers) and beyond that system storage. The further they are from the processor, the cheaper they are per unit storage and the slower they become.

You won’t need to upgrade your RAM in the best gaming laptop

Read More 

Whatever your needs, find the best SSD deals and prices.

We’ve tested a lot of hard drives of all sorts over the years from premium to budget options. So, we’re here to help you find the top cheap SSDs for your storage needs. You’ll find a lot of choices out there that don’t sacrifice performance in whichever budget range you’re looking for. Whether you’re searching for the latest PCIe M.2 SSD, an external SSD, or a SATA-compatible one, you’ll find something that will work for you here no matter what your storage needs are.

There was no such thing as the best cheap SSDs when solid-state drives were first introduced. An SSD was expensive. These were premium upgrades to any computer system that got one. Thankfully, a lot has changed since then and finding reasonably priced solid-state drives is relatively easy these days. And, they’re just as good as those pricier ones from years past – especially when you consider SSDs are often heavily discounted in seasonal sales events Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

While there are plenty of expensive solid state drives on the market as well, the top cheap SSDs can keep up when it comes to performance, though they might not offer the same amount of storage. Regardless, if you are on a budget and need more capacity, whether it’s to store creative projects, your overflow of games, or all your work documents, you’ll find the solution to your storage woes here.

SSD vs HDD: which is best for your needs?

Best portable SSD: top external solid state drives

Best cloud storage: free, paid and business options

Best NVMe M.2 SSD deal

(Image credit: Future)

The Crucial P5 Plus gets our pick for the overall best value SSD deal right now if you’re looking for the speediest NVMe storage possible. While it’s not the fastest product on the market, it’s easily the most competitively priced PCIe 4.0 option, meaning it’s supporting the latest hardware in non-tech layman’s terms. It’s quite simply a fantastic option for all use cases – from gaming to creative applications – and a limited 5-year warranty is going to help future-proof your build down the line.

Best budget NVMe SSD deal

(Image credit: Future)

The Crucial P3 is the P5 Plus’ more budget-focused sibling and carries even more value if you’re simply looking for a decent NVMe SSD on a budget. It’s PCIe 3.0, which means it won’t be quite as speedy (only has write speeds up to 3500MB/s), but it’s more than capable for basically any application. It’s also still much speedier than the equivalent 2.5-inch SSD, which generally only offer speeds of around 500 MB/S. Overall, this is a super solid drive that comes with plenty of excellent value storage options, from 500MB all the way to 2TB.

Best 2.5-inch SSD deal

No list of the best SSDs ever seems to be complete without the Samsung 850 Evo, which consistently ranks among head of the pack. While the 850 Evo is available as an M.2 and mSATA drive, it’s the standard 2.5-inch drive that proves time and time again to be an SSD you can’t go wrong with.

The 850 EVO comes in a number of different storage sizes, letting you choose what’s right for your budget. With fast read and write speeds, and reliable 3D NAND backed up by a 5-year warranty, the 850 Evo is a great drive from a respected brand. Though the price can fluctuate a bit, now’s a great time to pick one up – especially after the introduction of the Samsung 860 Evo.

Best budget 2.5-inch SSD deal

The Crucial MX500 SSD offers incredible value, giving you plenty of storage per dollar. It comes in the standard 2.5-inch drive size, so it should fit in any standard desktop build, and will also fit in plenty of laptops. 

On top of the MX500’s great value is its great performance. Despite the budget price, the MX500 is built using fast, high-endurance 3D NAND flash storage, and comes with a 5-year warranty to back it up. It’s speeds reading and writing data, both big and small, also keep up with the competition.

Best laptop SSD deal

Looking to upgrade your laptop? SanDisk has the answer. The SanDisk Ultra II offers great value and performance per dollar, and with the standard 2.5-inch drive size and only 7mm thickness, it should fit in a wide range of laptops.

The SanDisk Ultra II’s speeds keep up with its closest competitors, but at the 500GB sweet spot, it undercuts the price of other drives. This makes it a sweet pick for a laptop upgrade. It comes with a 3-year warranty. 

Best external SSD deal

Western Digital has an external SSD that’s worth the price. While plenty of other external SSDs warrant serious consideration of building your own external SSD by just buying a normal SSD and a USB enclosure separately, the WD’s My Passport manages to offer a price that’s only slightly higher than an internal SSD of the same size. Plus you won’t find a third-party enclosure smaller than the WD My Passport SSD.

Supporting USB-C and USB 3.1 Gen 2, the My Passport external SSD is capable of fast communication with a PC. It’s also small and light, with dimensions of just 1.8 x 3.5 x 0.39 inches and a weight of 1.44 ounces. Of course, with portability comes the question of security, but the My Passport includes 256-bit encryption to keep your data safe from intruders, and it’s drop-tested up to 6.5 feet to keep your data safe from accidents.

Read More 

Whatever you need to store, you can save some money with the best hard drive deals.

With the rise in popularity of the best SSDs, many people have started to write hard drives off as a thing in the past. That’s a mistake – the best hard drives offer huge amounts of storage at prices that SSDs just can’t match. If you have a giant library of music, video or even photos, it’s a good idea to look at a traditional hard drive for all your archival needs.

Regardless of what you need the storage for, nobody wants to pay full price for what is essentially old technology, no matter how useful it is. As with any type of PC hardware, the MSRP is more of a guideline than any kind of firm rule. 

Luckily, we here at TechRadar have combed through hundreds of deals across the internet to find best hard drive deals so you won’t miss the best sales this week.

Best hard drive deals

Seagate scores the spot for the best hard drive deal, with their BarraCuda drives that strike that perfect balance between storage, speed and price. The 3TB drives in this lineup are an especially great deal, as they really hit that sweet spot between high density storage and a sweet 7,200RPM spin rate. And they do this while maintaining a price that’s significantly lower than their direct competition.

So if you’re looking for a drive for light archiving, or a main drive and you don’t want to take the plunge on an SSD, the BarraCuda will be a great choice, as it can reach read speeds of up to 190 MB/s which is more than enough for day-to-day computing.

Best gaming hard drive deal

When it comes to gaming, the biggest priority is speed. Nobody wants to be playing their favorite PC games, only to encounter unbearable loading times. That’s where the WD VelociRaptor drives really shine. These slick drives offer a blistering 10,000 RPM, so that you’ll spend as little time as possible loading, and more time actually playing.

Better yet, they offer much better price-per-gigabyte than even budget SSDs, so if you’re looking to cut down on your downtime, you can do so while still saving a couple bucks.

Best hybrid hard drive deal

Hybrid drives combine the best aspects of both SSDs (solid state drives) and hard drives, and allow you have high storage density while also having the speed of an SSD for the data you use the most. The Seagate FireCuda desktop drives take this formula and perfect it by including 2TB of data with 8GB of smart flash memory. That might seem like a small complement of SSD space, but it learns and store which files and applications you use the most, helping you access it faster than a standard HDD. 

And now, with the rising ubiquity of SSDs, there’s never been a better time to find a deal on the FireCuda – as along with other SSHDs, the prices are being cut constantly.

Best laptop hard drive deal

These days, it’s becoming more and more common for laptops to be built with SSDs. While this is great if you’re not necessarily looking for high amounts of storage, anyone who needs a lot of space to work is going to be stuck paying an extremely high premium. Luckily, the HGST Travelstar solves this issue by offering 1TB of storage with a 7,200 RPM spin rate at a very modest price.

Coming in 750GB and 1TB varieties, the Travelstar is a great deal for anyone who is looking for a great hard drive in their laptop.

Best external hard drive deal

Do you travel for work or school a lot? Well, if so, the WD Elements line of external drives might just be perfect for you. Not only do these drives offer a great price-per-gigabyte level, but they’re small enough to carry along with you without breaking a sweat.

Not only does the WD Elements line offer high storage and high portability, but they also undercut the price of the competition, making it a great purchase for anyone who needs to carry their work with them. 

Find the cheapest SSD deals right here

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Looking for the best price on the latest CPU? See our roundup of this week’s best cheap processor deals and sales.

With our guide to today’s best processor deals you’ll be looking to save some serious cash on the most integral part of any PC build. Whether you’re on a budget, a gamer, or simply building a machine for working from home, we’ve rounded up all the latest offerings from Intel and AMD and tirelessly searched to find the best prices on the top processors. 

We’ve separated this week’s best CPU deals into sections for high-end, mid-range, and budget shoppers, which you can jump to using the navigation links provided. 

In a nutshell, if money’s no object and you want the best, you’ll definitely see the benefits of going with a high-end chip, since these beastly processors will give you excellent performance for years to come. That said, this week’s mid-range processor deals are going to be more than adequate for someone who wants top-end gaming performance and to build a machine that’ll last a few good years. Finally, our budget CPU deals take into account those who simply want a functional, reliable machine, although you might just be surprised at how much performance you can get out of these options – cheap processors have come a long way in recent years.

You’ll find discounts from Amazon, Best Buy, and other well-known retailers in our processor deals roundup. All our CPU prices on this page are updated daily so feel free to bookmark and revisit.

See this week’s best graphics card prices

See how these CPUs shape up with our best processors buying guide

Best high-end processor deals

High-end processors are squarely aimed at the enthusiast and professional market, and, as you’d expect can carry some pretty hefty price tags. 

If cost is no factor, however, then these 8-core and sometimes even 16-core beasts will absolutely give you the most performance possible – so much in fact that they might be overkill for some users.

Best mid-range CPU deals

Mid-range CPUs are generally targeted towards most mainstream gamer builds, being better bang for the buck than the high-end enthusiast chips. They’ll also be the sort of thing you’ll want to invest in if you’re wanting something that will perform decently for intensive applications and last a few good years down the line. 

Intel’s long-standing Core i5 range has traditionally dominated the mid-range processor market, but in the past few years, we’ve seen that near-monopoly shattered by AMD’s Ryzen 5 chips, which are just as popular these days.

Best entry-level CPU deals

Budget CPUs mostly come in the form of the latest Intel Core i3 and AMD Ryzen 3 series of processors – which are essentially consumer-grade chips meant for cost-effective productivity builds. Generally retailing for around $100 / £100, these chips are great if you’re simply building a desktop for working from home or everyday use.

Surprisingly, these chips have come a long way in recent years and can actually handle a bit of gaming on the side too, although you can expect bottlenecking if you’re pairing them up with a serious graphics card.

Read More 

The great graphics card shortage is over but should you buy? Check out the best prices and our buying advice right here.

Finding the best cheap graphics card prices shouldn’t be overlooked if you’re looking to build your own gaming PC. As the beating heart of any respectable setup, it’s incredibly important to make sure you’re getting the right GPU and paying the right price for it. While costs continue to fluctuate from region to region, we’ve rounded up all the best graphics card prices and deals into one handy page right here, factoring in US, UK, and Australian retailers.

As you probably already know, graphics card prices have been on a wild ride over the past two years or so. Initially, we saw a huge surge in demand brought on by the cryptocurrency mining fad. That’s very much trailed off now and we’re starting to see more and more graphics card deals crop up at the major retailers worldwide.

While Nvidia cards are still a little pricey (demand remains high), many AMD cards are actually falling below their recommended launch MSRP currently. This means it’s possible to get some best graphics cards on the market without completely breaking the bank at the moment – something that was unheard of just 12 months ago. Overall, it’s a great time to be building a gaming PC, although we’d always urge that buyers weigh up their options carefully before committing.

That’s where our graphics card deals page comes in handy. Not only do you have the best prices here but you’ll also find a ton of unbiased no-nonsense buyers’ advice should you be unsure about what card to go for. 

Today’s best graphics card prices and deals

We’ve rounded up the best graphics card prices we’ve found this week just down below. This chart is particularly handy if you want a quick overview of the market as a whole right now. Note, prices can still fluctuate rapidly from day to day now so allow for a bit of wiggle room with the following table – it’s not uncommon to see cards fluctuate $10 to $20 up or down on a regular basis.

For reference purposes we’ve attached another table containing current GPU MSRP figures just below. Note, we couldn’t find solid numbers for some of the Australian prices so we had to guestimate a few here or there. This table should give you a solid idea of how much you should be paying however.

High-end graphics card prices and deals

(Image credit: Nvidia)

The RTX 3080 is Nvidia’s latest flagship ‘consumer’ graphics card, and the current performance king in regards to 4K gaming (well, aside from the bonkers RTX 3090).

Rocking the new ‘Ampere’ architecture means the RTX 3080 boasts a fairly significant performance advantage over the now older Turing RTX 2000 series, although perhaps not quite the ‘double’ that Nvidia claimed in its marketing. That said, if you’re looking for incredible 4K gaming, DLSS support and Ray-tracing performance, the RTX 3080 is going to your card of choice.

Nvidia planned on keeping the price fairly static at launch with a price of $699 / £649 / AU$950 on the founders edition – roughly the same as the previous Turing generation of cards, but still more than the $599 the GTX 1080 launched at. Considering the power on display here, these are actually very reasonable prices although as you’d expect people are snapping these up and those remaining cards fetch a kings ransom.

Currently, prices in the upwards of $1,200 / £1,200 are not uncommon on auction sites and we expect those to hold for for the foreseeable future until supply can start to step up. We’ve rounded up the best prices we can find right here, although we recommend holding off unless you find something reasonable.

Read more in our Nvidia RTX 3080 review

(Image credit: AMD)

With the RX 6800 XT, AMD is looking to stick it to Nvidia with a high-end Ray-tracing ready beast capable of firing out some serious 4K gaming performance. 

Benchmarks put it within a hairsbreadth of the RTX 3080 at launch, with a slight edge to team green when it comes to 4K and Ray-tracing performance. Still, with a launch price of $649 / £649 / AU$960, AMD is looking to do what AMD does best with the RX 6800 XT – provide a ton of power for a respectable price point.

Unfortunately, like the RTX 3080, prices for the RX 6800 XT are significantly upscaled right now thanks to the incredible demand for performance GPUs. On auction sites, prices of $1,200 / £1,200 are not uncommon, and we wouldn’t recommend paying out for these scalped prices if you can hold off waiting for a few months.

Read more in our AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT review

Mid-range graphics card prices and deals

(Image credit: Nvidia)

Like it’s predecessors, the Nvidia RTX 3070 is going to be that card that brings incredible enthusiast-level performance to a much more reasonable price point. With 4K performance roughly equivalent to last generations RTX 2080 TI, the RTX 3070 is definitely one very, very speedy card for even the most intensive of applications.

A launch price of $449 / £469 / AU$809 puts it smack bang right in the middle between the RTX 3080 and the more budget orientated RTX 3060 Ti, making it the choice for 4K enthusiasts who want to still want a bang for the buck GPU. Considering this card looks to outstrip the RTX 2080 Ti on performance with less power consumption, a smaller chassis, and half the launch price, it’s good value on paper.

We say on paper because, as expected, demand is massively outpacing supply currently on this card like the other new releases on our list. Current scalper prices can fetch upwards of $800 / £800 right now, which are absolutely exorbitant prices to pay for a card that isn’t at the very top-end of the market. We recommend checking in regularly, as we’ll be updating this article every day with the latest prices.

Read more in our Nvidia RTX 3070 review

(Image credit: AMD)

For those looking for shear power to price ratio, the AMD Radeon RX 6800 looks to bring a hefty specs sheet to the consumer GPU market and a viable alternative to the Nvidia RTX 3070.

Indeed, on most applications at 1080p and 1440p, the Radeon RX 6800 edges out the RTX 2070 in raw performance at launch on average, depending on your title. Its lead does, however, significantly narrow when it comes to 4K FPS, and another factor that may sway consumers toward the RTX 3070 is the more mature support for Ray-tracing and DLSS – new tech that’s becoming more widespread. Still, if you’re looking for huge frame rates right now, especially for 1440p, the Radeon RX 6800 is a solid mid to upper-mid range buy.

Prices at launch were slated at $499 / £469 / AU$809 although currently the Radeon RX 6800 fetches around the same street price at the RTX 3070 – around £800 / $800. Because this card isn’t quite as popular as its Nvidia counterparts however, you may have more luck finding it at the big retailer sites. Just here we’re updating our article daily with the best prices we can find for the Radeon RX 6800. 

Read more in our AMD Radeon RX 6800 review

(Image credit: Nvidia)

With a launch price of $399 / £299 / AU$540 the new Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti looks to be a great choice for those PC gamers who are looking to build a machine that’ll hold it’s own against the new consoles while coming in on budget.

Unlike the beefier RTX 3080 and 3070, the Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti provides only entry-level 4K performance, but when it comes to offering great frame rates at 1080p with ray-tracing, it’s actually faster than the previous generations RTX 2080 Super. So, if excellent future-proofed 1080p performance is your priority, the RTX 3060 Ti is an incredibly capable card that should give you plenty of bang for the buck.

Again, scalpers currently hold this card at around $650 / £600, so it’s probably going to be worth waiting for things to calm down a little before you pick one up. We’re updating this page with the latest RTX 3060 Ti prices just below as we find them, however.

Read more in our Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti review

Budget graphics card prices and deals

(Image credit: MSI)

Released in late January 2022, the RTX 3050 is the last (and some would say least) card to be launched from the main-line RTX 3000 series of GPUs. It’s very much a scaled-down version of its siblings, and therefore can’t match them in outright performance, but it’s a great way to unlock Ray-Tracing on a budget…

Well, that’s if you can get one for its MSRP of $249/£239. Like all Nvidia releases in the past year or so the RTX 3050 was snapped up in quick order by miners, scalpers, and desperate gamers alike. It’s a shame really, because this card easily beats out the AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT – which is this generation’s budget offering from team red.

Still, keep your eyes peeled if you’re on a budget. It’s likely that supply on these lower-cost cards will improve over the course of the year.

Read more in our RTX 3050 review

(Image credit: EVGA)

Released in 2020, the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super was essentially a refresh of the existing GTX 1660, bringing it up to date with a fresh batch of GDDR6 memory under the hood to help it keep up with the latest games.

Even in 2021, The GTX 1660 Super is very much a solid 1080p gaming card. Of course, it forgoes the latest support for Ray-tracing and DLSS, but that’s easily forgiven for its retail price of $229 / £180 / AU$330.

Better news yet is the GTX 1660 Super is also a lot more readily available than the newest RTX 3000 cards right now. While prices can still be inflated at some retailers, if you can pick one of these cards up for around $300 / £250 you’ll be building a fantastic machine for 1080p gaming in no time. 

Read more in our GTX 1660 Super review

(Image credit: Gigabyte)

If you’re really on a budget for that build, the Nvidia GTX 1650 Super provides an excellent low-cost card that also has the benefit of having really low power draw and cool temperatures. 

Ok, so in 2022, this card isn’t going to blow you away with its performance, especially on those latest games, and Ray-tracing can only be dreamt of at this price. However, this card will run modern games at 1080p, and is more than adequate if you’re simply building a machine for casual use.

Also, supply on this lesser-known card tends to be a little better than that on the newer RTX cards. If you can manage to get one around the £180 / $200 mark then you’re looking at a decent deal.

Frequently asked questions

(Image credit: Future)

Is now a good time to buy a graphics card?

Yes and no. Right now is the best time in the past 18 months or so to be looking to snag a new GPU. Stock is plentiful, we’re starting to see MSRP cards, and gamers aren’t putting up with lame scalping tactics anymore. In short, we’re in a great place right now, even if we’re not fully back to ‘normal’ yet.

However, the burning question is whether graphics card prices have more wiggle room to fall even further. Personally, we think it’s likely that we’ll see prices fall quite a bit over the next few months. Not only do we have the next generation of Nvidia cards looming now (the RTX 4000 series), but the much-hyped Ethereum shift to proof of stake has just shipped as of mid-September. In a nutshell, this is a one-two punch that should have a knock-on effect in driving prices of the soon-to-be older RTX 3000 cards down. Note the should here. We’re cautiously optimistic overall but we think demand will remain high for a while, even if there’s a sudden glut of older and second-hand cards at the big retailers.

Why were graphics card prices so high?

Put simply, it’s because demand massively outstripped supply from early 2020 to late 2021. The global pandemic, chip shortages, and the continued popularity of using GPUs for cryptocurrency farming were all compounding factors here.

While there are a lot of disagreements in regards to these factors, it’s generally agreed that cryptocurrency mining is the main culprit. For example, The Economist last year published a report that found a strong correlation between the rise of second-hand GPU prices and the value of Ethereum – the most popular cryptocurrency for GPU mining. Interestingly, they also compared these values to CPU prices, which were seemingly unaffected by the rise of Ethereum, suggesting increasing demand from gamers isn’t to blame overall. 

That said, no one can deny that the popularity of PC gaming hasn’t boomed over the past few years. For context, Steam, the world’s biggest online PC gaming platform saw a 20% increase in the number of titles purchased via its store in 2021 and a staggering 50% increase in hours played. Subsequently, it’s no surprise that graphics cards – the most vital component in any respectable gamers rig – were in short supply.

Are graphics card prices back to normal now?

Yes and no. One glance at the above graphics card prices chart will tell you that some cards are still overpriced whereas some (particularly AMD cards) are actually below MSRP in some regions. We’re in a weird place right now thanks to the continuing popularity of Nvidia’s cards – which is the case due to their slight edge in Ray-Tracing performance versus their AMD counterparts.

Generally speaking though, we’re headed in the right direction. For context, our sister site PCGamer published a piece recently stating that graphics card prices have fallen a whopping 50% on average in the past year. With the average price dropping so dramatically, we’ve got hopes that Nvidia cards will fall in more line with AMD prices by the end of 2022.

What’s the best bang for the buck graphics card?

(Image credit: Future)

Right now, we’re liking the look of the mid to upper-range AMD cards for outright value. In particular, the slightly older RX 6700 XT and RX 6800 are offering fantastic bang for the buck for their asking prices of around $369 and $559 (£329 and £529 in the UK). Compared to their RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 counterparts, these cards are offering equivalent performance for around $200 / £120 cheaper, which is an absolute steal if you’re not fussed about the slight drop in Ray-Tracing chops.

If you’re really on a budget, then it’s also difficult to overlook the standard RX 6600, which retails for around $269 / £250 currently. This fantastic (and slightly older) card is the closest thing we have to a truly cheap graphics card deal right now if you’re looking to build a machine in the sub $800 / £800 range. 

The best online retailers for graphics cards

Here’s a list of the best retailers to check in for graphics card prices specifically. We’ve linked directly to the relevant pages, so all you need to do is follow these links and bookmark them.

In the US:
Nvidia
Best Buy
Amazon
B&H Photo
Newegg
In the UK:
Nvidia
Overclockers
Scan
Novatech
Ebuyer
In Australia:
Scorptec
Mwave
PLE Computers

As a first port of call, for Nvidia cards we’d recommend checking in at the official site primarily for both the US and UK. They sell founders edition cards for their retail price, so you absolutely won’t get upcharges for buying direct. As you’d expect, however, Nvidia sells out very quickly indeed and you’ll have to be prepared to jump on a card if you see one for a normal price.

Best Buy, B&H Photo, Amazon and Newegg are all good retailers to check in on in the US, although you’ll want to keep an eye out for inflated prices at the latter two. In the UK, we’d recommend going to Overclockers specifically and signing up to price notifications on the specific graphic card deals your looking for.

If you’re looking for an RTX 3080 specifically, we’ve got a separate where to buy Nvidia RTX 3080 guide that’s updated daily with the latest information – we recommend checking in there if you’re looking for this premium card.

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This week’s best deals on Dell’s super-premium XPS 13 and XPS 15 laptops

If you’re wondering what the best Dell XPS deals are or where to find the cheapest prices you’ve come to the right place. No matter what size or configuration of this incredible Ultrabook you’re after, you’ll find options here from all the big retailers as well as our top tips for scoring a good deal right here.

Right now, we’re still in the process of updating this page for 2023 with all configurations for the latest Dell XPS 15 model. As of writing, only a few configurations are available on the market but you can easily compare them to the existing entries below. There are plenty of awesome XPS machines from 2022 and 2021 that are still relevant and well worth your time.

Don’t discount these machines just because they’re a little older – they might not pack the latest components but they’re still fantastic laptops all around. Because of their age, finding decent laptop deals on these models also tends to be easier overall – especially around big retail events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. 

If you’re undecided on which Dell XPS deal is for you, don’t worry, we’ve got a direct comparison just down below. Scroll down to see a full list of available specs, as well as a price comparison.

Dell XPS 13 & 15 deals: latest models

(Image credit: Dell)

Dell has split out its XPS 13 range this year into two models. First up on our list is the ‘standard’ Dell XPS 13 for 2022, which is essentially a continuation of last year’s model with updated components. We have ‘standard’ in quotation marks here because as you’d imagine – this is still one of the best laptops money can buy with an incredible design and beautiful borderless display.

Inside this year’s model are the latest 12th generation Intel Core chips, with the choice of either the entry-level Core i5-1230U or high-end Core i7-12750U. Both these speedy processors support Intel Iris XE graphics and a bump in overall performance and battery life. It’s essentially an iterative upgrade to help keep the XPS 13 at the head of the Windows ultrabook crowd.

Otherwise, it’s essentially business as usual with this new iteration. You’re still getting a gorgeous aluminum milled chassis, a bright and vibrant display with next to no borders, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports for easy connectivity. Starting at around $999 / £999 for the baseline Core i5 model, the 2022 Dell XPS 13 also comes in at around the same price at launch as previous models. 

Sales tend to be quite rare on the latest models due to their desirability but it’s well worth keeping an eye out during retail events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. It’s early in this model’s life cycle but we’ve seen price cuts of around $100 / £100 with previous iterations, which are fairly significant discounts.

(Image credit: Dell)

Available from March 2023 is a brand new Dell XPS 15 model, complete with the latest 13th generation chips from Intel and RTX 4000 series graphics cards from Nvidia. As of writing, not all configurations have been released (they’re coming ‘Spring’ according to Dell), but we’ve put an initial entry down in our guide to show you what’s available right now – and the relevant prices.

Alongside the latest components from Intel and Nvidia, the latest Dell XPS 15 2023 also includes the option to configure your machine all the way up to 64GB RAM and 4TB SSD, plus the option for a lavish 3.5K OLED display. As you’d imagine, these specs come with an incredibly high asking price and it’s also unlikely we’ll see any substantial deals for the time being. Stay tuned, however, as discounts will be inevitable once this model has been on the market for a while. 

(Image credit: Dell)

As if the standard Dell XPS 13 wasn’t premium enough, the brand has released a new high-end laptop for 2022 in the form of the Dell XPS 13 Plus. It’s not a massive step up from the standard XPS 13 model for 2022, but it’s got some really nice little improvements across the board for those looking for the best of the best.

To start, its ever so slightly lighter than the XPS 13 overall, features a haptic touchpad and keyboard layout improvements, and slightly better entry-level specs. For context, the 13 Plus starts with an Intel Core i5-1240P versus the standard 13’s i5-1230P, so you’ll get a slight edge in performance with the baseline model. The Intel Core i7-1280P that’s available on the top-of-the-line 13 Plus spec is also faster than the best chip available on the standard model. It’s worth noting that all 13 Plus specs also come with touchscreen displays, although the resolution options are generally the same as the standard models.

Is it worth it? Generally speaking, these machines start at around $1,300 at launch so you’re definitely paying a premium for some quality of life features here. Personally, we’re hoping sales events like Black Friday shave some serious bucks off the hefty price tag this year.

(Image credit: Dell)

The 2022 Dell XPS 15 model brings a couple of excellent upgrades – mostly internal – to the existing mid-tier of premium ultrabooks from the firm. With this edition, Dell is giving users the latest 12th gen Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, as well as the choice to include an RTX 3000 series graphics card if they go for one of the higher-end configurations.

While it’s a stretch to call it a gaming laptop with an RTX 3050 or RTX 3050 Ti, having a dedicated graphics card is going to be a useful addition if you’re planning on engaging in any content creation tasks with the new Dell XPS 15. Having the option to upgrade to a beefy Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM makes this one an absolute dream too if you need a powerful machine for work.

As of launch, this particular machine costs $1,420 on its core baseline spec, which isn’t cheap and pricier than the previous iteration. It’ll also be a while until we see some truly big price cuts on this one, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November likely to be the best time to snag one.

Dell XPS 13 & 15 deals: older models

(Image credit: Dell)

The previous flagship XPS 13 model in the range is the ‘Dell XPS 13 9310’ – a refreshed version of the excellent early 2020 Dell XPS 13 model. In a sensible move, Dell has kept the absolutely stunning near bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display and overall design while focusing on packing these gorgeous machines with the latest components from Intel.

All 2021 models feature 11th generation Intel Core chips with Thunderbolt 4 compatibility, 8 to 16GB of RAM, and between 256GB to 2TB of SSD capacity. These are right in line with what you’d expect from an up-to-date Windows ultrabook and will have no problem with any task you throw at them – save intensive gaming applications.

As with most brand new XPS 13 models upon release, the latest 2021 XPS 13 debuts at around $1,000 to £1,000 on the baseline Core i3 / 8GB RAM model. It is, however, well worth waiting for big sales events like Dell’s July sale, Black Friday, or Cyber Monday as we’ve seen prices drop dramatically – especially in the US where the record is around $799. 

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 (late 2021)

(Image credit: Dell)

Debuting in early 2020 was the refreshed new-look Dell XPS 13 for that year – the first model to feature the new (at the time) brand new bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display, which remains pretty much untouched on subsequent models.

As you’d expect, this one looks still looks stunning in 2021, with the only main differences being internal specifications. So, if you don’t mind getting your hands on a machine with a slightly older 10th generation Intel processor, or perhaps smaller SSD capacities, then this slightly older model is still a fantastic choice.

You may find these particular machines a little hard to get a hold of now Dell has mostly discontinued them or repurposed the chassis for 2021 models with updated components. If you do spot one, however, then you can expect them to be a good £100 to $100 cheaper than the 2021 entries, with savings even reaching the £200 to $300 mark on big sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 2020

Interestingly, Dell didn’t simply retire its older pre-2020 design, it actually turned it into a slightly more budget-orientated model alongside the flagships you see above. We’ve designated this the ‘2019’ model, but it’s technically an older design with upgraded internals. It’s not uncommon to see this older chassis with 11th gen Intel Core i5 chips and other up-to-date components in fact.

While it’s still sporting the thicker bottom bevels, the 2019 Dell XPS 13’s screen is essentially the same quality as the new entry, making it more of an aesthetic upgrade rather than a purely functional one. You’re still getting 10th to 11th generation Intel Core i5 / i7 processors here as well and often for around $100 / £100 cheaper than a similarly equipped 2020 model. 

Altogether you can pick up a 2019 XPS 13 deal for as little as $700 / £800 if you’re lucky and we definitely recommend checking out this great ultrabook – especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, where you can often pick up a steal.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 

(Image credit: Dell)

The new 2020 Dell XPS 15 debuted as TechRadar’s best laptop of 2020 when it launched and it’s easy to see why. Not only is it now sporting the same beautiful bezel-less design as its smaller 13-inch sibling, but it stands tall amongst the competition in regards to outright performance and premium design appointments.

Unfortunately being the best comes with a hefty asking price – $1,200 / £1,200 on the base models in this case, which very much puts them above the XPS 13 in the price leagues.

That said, we’re sure that these beautiful 15-inch ultrabooks will be receiving some tasty price cuts in the near future, possibly over Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November. Make sure you bookmark this page for the latest, as we’ll be updating it with the best Dell XPS prices daily.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 (2020)

The 2019 XPS 15 is essentially just an upscaled XPS 13 variant, so subsequently you can expect the same design appointments – and in this case that chunkier bottom bezel. 

As such the 2019 XPS 15 very much looks like ‘last years model’ but don’t let that put you off this awesome ultrabook – it’s still packing some seriously powerful up-to-date processors from Intel.

What’s more, these 2019 models start at an asking price of $1,050 / £1,050 – much cheaper than the brand new entries. Being the older model as well means that Dell is much more likely to throw in the odd discount, which means you can sometimes pick these up for well under a grand – especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 15

(Image credit: Dell)

Another fantastic option for those looking for the versatility of a 2-in-1 notebook, the newest Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 manages to not only boast a gorgeous display, but also still packs in some of the latest components from Intel.

Interestingly enough, right now it’s also one of the cheapest Dell XPS laptops you can buy, coming in at around $900 / £900 – albeit for a stripped-down Core i3 / 4GB RAM variant. 

For plenty of users, those specs will still do the business so it’s a great buy for those who want a premium ultrabook but can’t afford the heady heights of the XPS 15. What’s more, it’s one of the older XPS’s in the range so Dell is also willing to serve up some great XPS deals – especially around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which we expect could be up to $150 / £150 off the standard asking price.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Now, discover the best laptops the world over

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Here are the Verizon plans to offer the best of unlimited data, prepaid access, or even 5G.

The best Verizon plan for you is going to depend on a variety of factors. For example, are you a single user on a budget? Perhaps you’re looking for a plan for your entire family. Well, no matter your needs we’ve laid out all your options and provided plenty of pointers in this guide to this month’s best Verizon wireless plans.

Like most carriers, Verizon plans generally fall under two categories – postpaid and prepaid. We’re covering both in this guide right here, so if you’re not sure how much data you’ll need but have an idea of how much you want to spend then you’ll find tons of handy info here. You’ll also find a handy frequently asked questions section just below, where we’ll tackle topics like coverage, price, and 5G access.

As a carrier, Verizon is generally considered to offer the best nationwide coverage on its service, and, while you’ll find its plans generally on the pricey side, they do offer some rather excellent streaming-focused perks. Going postpaid is definitely pricey, but often worth it – not least because the selection of Verizon phones is particularly good if you go for an unlimited plan. You’ll also find that most of the current Verizon deals are also exclusively available on post-paid unlimited plans, although you shouldn’t let this discourage you from checking out the other plan types also.

If you find this week’s best Verizon plans a little too pricey, we’ve also included some honorable mentions from our best cell phone plans guide at the bottom of the article. There you’ll be able to see how Verizon stacks up against the competition, and also check out some of the best prepaid plans from cheaper services.

The best Verizon plans: current lineup

Verizon unlimited data plans

Verizon’s plan service leads with its unlimited post-paid options – which serve as a sort of ‘flagship’ offering from the service. In a nutshell, these unlimited data plans provide Ultra Wideband 5G access (except Start Unlimited), access to the premium network (meaning prioritized speeds), and a ton of streaming and cloud storage perks. These are the best Verizon plans currently available, although as you’d expect carry a pretty premium price tag. We’d recommend these to someone who really uses their phone a lot and would make the most of that unlimited data allowance.

Verizon prepaid plans

Verizon prepaid plans are flexible non-contract plans that you pay for on a renewable monthly basis. In short, they don’t require credit checks and have pretty reasonable prices but don’t feature most of the perks you find on postpaid plans like streaming services. They’re also subject to slower data speeds all around, not being on the Verizon premium network. That said, they’re a viable choice if you’re strictly on a budget and don’t want to be tied down with an annual contract.

Verizon connected and accessory plans

In addition to phones, Verizon also has plans for a number of smartwatches, tablets, and any number of cellular gadgets it calls connected devices. In general, you can add these to existing Verizon plans for around $10 each, however, if you want a standalone plan, those are also available, here’s a quick list with prices:

Tablets
Unlimited – $20/mo

Unlimited Plus – $30/mo

Smartwatches
Unlimited – $10/mo

Laptops
Unlimited – $20/mo

Unlimited Plus – $30/mo

Other gadgets you can hook up with a Verizon Connected plan include cars, hotspots, sat navs, and streaming cameras – generally for the same rates as above. 

Verizon prepaid data plans

Verizon prepaid data plans are a somewhat newer addition to the carrier’s site and are essentially replacements for the old shared data plans. They’re designed for multiple cellular devices to use (tablets, smartwatches, etc) but don’t feature any of the usual minutes or texts you’d get with a standard phone plan. Unlike the old shared data plans, they’re also prepaid now instead of postpaid, which makes them pretty flexible in regard to contracts. 

Note, Verizon prepaid data plans are best used as add-ons to an existing prepaid phone plan. Upfront, these plans are quite pricey but adding them to an existing account means a $30 per month discount per line. Here’s the pricing:

5GB plan –$40/mo ($10 as additional line)

25GB plan – $60/mo ($30 as additional line)

100GB plan w/ Ultra Wideband 5G – $80/mo ($50 as additional line)

150GB plan w/ Ultra Wideband 5G – $100/mo ($70 as additional line)

As you can see, the two pricier tiers (100GB and 150GB) feature unlimited access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. All plan tiers, however, have HD video steam as per standard. 

Verizon plan pricing: postpaid vs prepaid

Like most carriers, Verizon plan pricing falls into two categories – postpaid and prepaid. With the postpaid plans, you’re going to be signing up for a long-term (24 months) contract and be paying your bills at the end of the month until your term is up. Generally speaking, these plans also entitle you to any number of awesome Verizon deals each month, which will allow you to upgrade or bag a new phone for a cut down rate.

Going prepaid means you’ll generally be paying at the start of each month and won’t be tied down into a lengthy contract. That gives them more flexibility in general, although Verizon does operate a loyalty scheme that reserves the best rates for those who carry on their plan for longer. This is of course a little cheeky as it’s looking to tie people in, offsetting that prepaid flexibility, and it’s also worth noting that Verizon tends to reserve its deals on new phones for postpaid customers only.

Visible wireless plans: FAQ

(Image credit: Future)

What’s Verizon’s coverage like?

Verizon is generally considered to have the best coverage nationwide out of all the major carriers – with most sources putting their overall coverage at about 70% for its 4G LTE network. Things, however, do get a little more complicated when you start to think about the 5G network – which is still in its inception right now at most major carriers. In this regard, Verizon currently only has about 11% coverage nationwide, mostly in the big cities. If you’re looking for coverage in your area specifically, you can see the current up-to-date coverage map right here – including the option to input your local Zip Code.

Does Verizon have 5G on all its plans?

On paper, yes, all Verizon plans do have access to the services 5G network, although it’s worth noting that not all 5G data plans on Verizon offer equal speeds across the board.

Verizon actually offers two tiers of 5G access – a standard “5G” network, which ruins simultaneously with the existing 4G LTE network, and a fancy pants “5G Ultra Wideband” network, which runs on a different band altogether. In a nutshell, the cheaper Verizon plans make use of the standard 5G network while the pricier ones get full access to the Wideband one. As you’d expect, you’ll get blazingly fast speeds on the Wideband network although it’s worth noting that it’s not that widely available outside of the big cities yet.

Why are Verizon plans so expensive?

Cell phone plans via the major carriers in general tend to be a lot pricier than those offered by the smaller prepaid carriers like Visible and Mint Mobile. This is generally explained by the fact the big carriers physically operate the networks that all carriers, both big and small, use to provide service and therefore have to spend more to maintain them. Verizon has particularly pricey plans, however, which are somewhat offset by the fact that they tend to offer the best speeds and perks overall on their plans.

If you’re looking for a more cost-effective option, we recommend checking out our section on Verizon vs the competition just down below.

What’s the best Verizon plan for families?

Generally speaking, the best Verizon plan for families is going to be one of the postpaid unlimited plans, which come with the benefit of not having to worry about limitations, having tons of perks, and also feature discounts for multiple lines added per plan. 

The Verizon unlimited postpaid plans also feature a unique ‘mix-and-match’ option that will allow you to add lines under a different tier of plan if you like. Using this, for example, you could have two plans under the basic ‘Start Unlimited’ plan, one under the premium ‘Get More’ plan, and then an additional ‘Just Kids’ plan – which is a unique child-friendly plan only offered in addition to at least one other unlimited data plan.

What’s the best Verizon plan for seniors?

Verizon only operates one plan for Seniors – its 55 Plus plan, which currently starts at $60 for one line and $80 for two lines. It’s actually a very generous plan for Verizon, but currently it’s open to Florida residents only unfortunately. If you’re a senior living outside of Florida, we recommend checking out our alternatives just down below.

Verizon vs the competition

(Image credit: Getty)

The best AT&T plans generally offer the hottest competition for Verizon each month by offering a very similar service, and, on the whole ever-so-slightly cheaper prices across the board. Like Verizon, AT&T has an ever-expanding 5G network and a focus on offering speedy unlimited data plans. When it comes to coverage, AT&T is slightly behind on 4G, however, and it also tends to offer more ‘stripped-down’ plans without the sort of perks that Verizon offers – like free streaming service subscriptions for example.

A really, really great low-cost alternative to Verizon is Visible – which is a smaller prepaid carrier that Verizon actually owns and operates as a sub-network. Visible’s claim to fame is their all-inclusive unlimited Visible wireless plan for just $40 a month – which is absolutely amazing value. Unlike Verizon customers on the main network, however, Visible users will be subject to deprioritization and slower speeds when the network is busy, so bear that in mind.

Also worth checking out is this week’s Mint Mobile plans, which is another top choice if you’re looking to save on your bills. With plans starting at just $15 a month, and an unlimited data plan for just $30, Mint is definitely a good option for those on a budget or for seniors in particular. However, this prepaid carrier operates under the T-Mobile network, so some Verizon phones may not be compatible unless they’re specifically unlocked.

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Whether you want the fastest phone or a great deal, these are the best AT&T phones to check out.

There’s such a vast array of good phones available right now on AT&T, so many in fact that you might even have trouble deciding. No worries though, we’ve researched and reviewed all the options to determine which are the best AT&T phones for most users.

Everything’s been sectioned out just down below – with options for both iPhone and Android preferences. All budgets are being considered here, not just the most expensive phones, so if you’re feeling the pinch right now don’t worry – there’s plenty of options for cheap or even free phones.

Since we’ve reviewed many of the best phones, giving them substantial hands-on time to figure out what makes them truly compelling devices, we know which of AT&T’s phones are worth your consideration. We’ve looked at the many phones on offer and picked out a variety of options, from the best of the best to the value champions.

We’ve also considered what kinds of deals AT&T has available to bring the price of the phone down, so you can be sure you’re getting a good phone and a good deal.

Go straight there: AT&T’s phones page

Pick your plan: The best AT&T plans available this month

Score a deal: The best AT&T deals right now

AT&T phones: iPhones

Best Apple phone

Best value

Best for power users

AT&T phones: Android

Best for most users

Best non-Samsung Android

Best value

Best of the best

Best AT&T phones: FAQ

Image Credit: TechRadar (Image credit: Future)

AT&T phones: Your options explained

TechRadar’s guide to finding the best AT&T phone for you

We’ve reviewed the contenders for best AT&T phone, and compared the value to the price. Ignoring any personal preferences and/or biases towards specific operating systems, be it Android or iOS, we’ve picked AT&T’s best phones in a number of categories. 

All of these phones are available through an AT&T installment plan, which spreads the cost of the phone over a set amount of time. For this article, we’ve looked at the AT&T plans that spread the cost of the phone over 30 months, with an option for upgrade after 80-percent of the device’s sales price is paid off.

How to choose the best AT&T phones for you:

From zero installments to $30 or more a month, AT&T’s best phones come in at all prices. And, you always have the option to pay the full price of the device upfront. How much you want to pay for a new phone is up to you, but the best phones don’t come cheap.

For the maximum value, we always recommend trading in your older device. While trade-in rebates can vary drastically depending on the age and also price of the older phone, it’s a great way to shave some cost off. If you’re not looking to trade in then there are also a ton of discounts available on certain devices when you pick them up with a fresh plan. These devices don’t tend to be the latest or most feature-laden devices on the market, but there are a number of good flagships still available via this method.

Now find the best AT&T plan

Once you’ve picked out the best AT&T phone, you’re going to want to pair it with the best AT&T plan. We’ve looked at all AT&T has to offer and have all the details on AT&T plans here. If you’re interested in casting the net out further, then check out the best Verizon phones available right now, or alternatively save some cash with this week’s best cell phone deals. 

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These are the best unlimited data plans from carriers with a balance of features and price.

If you’re researching the best unlimited data plans on the market then our list of recommended carriers could be just what you need to find the right one for you. There are, of course, many excellent options on the market right now but we’ve narrowed it right down to the five carriers we think you should consider this month, factoring in coverage, speeds, perks, and price. Subsequently, our list of the best unlimited data plans should cover most bases and give you plenty to consider. 

As you’d expect, there’s no one-size-fits-all best unlimited data plan out there as requirements can differ drastically from user to user. That said, we’ve got options here for single-line users, families, and those on a budget – like really, really on a budget.

Because of these differing requirements, our best unlimited data plans list factors in options from both the big ‘postpaid’ carriers and the smaller ‘prepaid’ carriers. In a nutshell, if you’re looking for perks, prioritized data, and don’t mind spending a little more then you’ll want to check out the bigger carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. If you’re willing to forgo a few creature comforts, however, up-and-coming prepaid carriers like Mint Mobile and Visible are particularly great value right now.

If you’ve already got an idea of what type of plan you’d like, feel free to use the jumper links provided to skip right ahead. Otherwise, we’ll begin with a quick overview of our choices for the best unlimited data plans at the top of the page.

At the bottom of the page, you’ll also find some handy tips on saving cash as well as the basics on what these plans offer and advice on how to decide which is for you. If you’d like to see what other types of plans there are this week, then head on over to our main best cell phone plans for plenty more options.

best unlimited data plans: top picks

Verizon Play More – the best all-around

Visible – the best value

Mint Mobile – the cheapest decent unlimited data plan

AT&T Unlimited Elite – the best for streaming

T-Mobile Magenta – the best for families

The Best unlimited data plans this month

(Image credit: Verizon)

While Verizon itself, as with most larger carriers, isn’t exactly known for its value, the services Play More plan surprisingly offers quite a lot for the money. At $80, price-wise it sits somewhere in the middle of the postpaid unlimited data plans market while offering streaming services (Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+), unlimited access to Verizon’s premium WideBand 5G network, and a generous 25GB of 5G mobile hotspot data (with unlimited 600 Kbps speeds after). 

In comparison, AT&T’s equivalent Unlimited Extra plan (at $75/mo) comes in at slightly cheaper and with a similar mobile hotspot allowance but doesn’t include any streaming service subscriptions. T-Mobile’s equivalent Magenta plan (at $70/mo) includes a free Netflix subscription, but only standard definition streaming, plus a measly 5GB of mobile hotspotting allowance at 5G. By comparison, the Verizon Play More plan does come at a higher premium but manages to bundle in a ton of features that normally come with a significant upcharge at other carriers.

Wrap all those perks together, and you’ve got a very well-rounded plan that’s going to cover most users’ needs and offer some of the best coverage nationwide. 

Read more in our guide to the best Verizon wireless plans.

(Image credit: visible)

Visible is a great choice if you’re looking to keep those costs down but don’t want to make too many sacrifices in regards to perks or unwanted allowance caps. For $30, its basic plan tier includes all-you-can-eat unlimited data on the larger Verizon 5G network, including unlimited mobile hot-spotting, no hidden data caps, and no hidden upcharges.

On the surface, there’s a lot to like about Visible Wireless, although there are a few caveats to consider before you jump in. Firstly, being a smaller prepaid carrier means that your speeds will potentially get capped if you’re in a high-traffic area, specifically because Verizon will prioritize its own customer service over those who use the network via a third party. Also hidden in the small print is the 5Mbps speed cap for mobile-hot-spotting, which means that while your usage is unlimited, you’re not going to be getting those speedy 5G speeds if you’re sharing your LTE connection.

If you want to bump up your priority data, you can consider the second, more premium plan tier at Visible Wireless. With 50GB of priority data, this one is almost like a Verizon unlimited plan minus the streaming perks. It is, however, significantly more pricey than the basic plan tier at $45 per month. 

Read more about this carrier in our Visible wireless plans guide.

(Image credit: Mint Mobile)

Alternatively, for those really on a budget, we’d recommend checking out Mint Mobile – a popular smaller carrier that has recently just added an unlimited option to its suite of excellent prepaid plans. At just $30 a month, the Mint Mobile unlimited data plan is easily one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest unlimited data plan on the market currently. 

Mint Mobile operates a unique pricing scheme that offers the lowest rates for those customers who buy their data upfront for multiple months, with the lowest average rate being for those who buy a whole year at once. This slightly offsets that prepaid advantage of not having lengthy contracts, but it does mean Mint can offer dirt-cheap plans all around. No credit checks either, as you’re buying in an upfront purchase.

That said, compared to the Visible, Mint Mobile’s unlimited data plan is definitely more restricted. After 35GB of usage, for example, the service will cap out at just 128kbps speeds, which is just about enough for light browsing, but not much more. Mobile Hotspot allowance is also capped at just 5GB a month, which is much less than most unlimited plans – including Visible. Although, coming in at on average $120 cheaper per annum versus Visible makes Mint a very compelling option indeed. 

Read more in our guide to this month’s best Mint Mobile plans.

(Image credit: AT&T)

Coming in at $85 per month makes AT&T’s Unlimited Plus plan (previously the Unlimited Elite plan) the most expensive on our list. However, with a hefty 100GB of priority 5G data, 50GB of hotspot allowance, and unlimited 4K UHD streaming it’s also one of the most feature-laden.

By far the biggest perk with the Unlimited Plus plan is the high-definition streaming, which makes it a good choice for those who watch a lot of content. One slight bummer with this one is that this plan tier, previously called the Elite plan at AT&T, used to come with a free HBO Max subscription, although that’s no longer available as of early 2023.

Because of this, you may prefer to opt for the similar T-Mobile Magenta Max plan ($85/mo) or the Verizon Get More Unlimited plan ($90/mo), which offers NetFlix or Disney+, respectively. Both are also strong choices, although the included subscriptions aren’t the premium packages from the services, and the T-Mobile plan specifically has data speed caps after 40GB of usage per month.

Read more in our guide to this month’s best AT&T plans.

(Image credit: T-Mobile)

No list of the best unlimited data plans would be complete without T-Mobile’s offerings, and we think this carrier’s family plan options are particularly good if you happen to have a set of particularly data-hungry family members.

The standard T-Mobile Magenta plan is already quite good value by itself as a single plan, however, the savings really start when you start to add multiple lines since the carrier throws in the third line for free. At just $35 per line at four users ($140), the Magenta plan comes in at around $10 cheaper than the equivalent plans from AT&T and Verizon while offering arguably stronger perks all around.

For the price, you’re getting 100GB of priority 5G data, a free Netflix Basic subscription (standard definition, 1 screen), and unlimited data hotspotting – albeit at 3G speeds only after you’ve used your first 5GB of 5G data. Those are great perks, although the main selling point here is definitely that incredibly competitive pricing for the T-Mobile Magenta plan after three or more lines are added.

Best unlimited data plans: FAQ

(Image credit: Giphy)

Best unlimited data plan: deciding what’s right for you 

When considering what carrier to go for and which unlimited data plan is best for you, we strongly recommend you first determine what you value the most in the plan – cost, speed, coverage, and perks being the most commonly used criteria.

Cost is definitely the easiest criteria to start with – simply determine your upper budget each month and browse away. Remember, however, to factor in the cost of your handset alongside your plan as that can really depend heavily from carrier to carrier. 

Most of the bigger prepaid carriers, for example, may offer deals on handsets alongside their unlimited data plans, which could really help you bag a flagship device for cheap if that’s important to you. That’s contrasted by the smaller prepaid carriers, which don’t tend to offer discounts on devices, instead opting for cheaper monthly rates and flexible ‘bring your own device’ options.

Speed and coverage are two criteria that are going to depend heavily on your locale. Coverage especially should be checked over at the major carrier sites (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) if you’ve got your eye on a 5G plan as you might not be covered if you live outside a major city. 

Speed-wise, all the carriers featured on our best unlimited data plans list feature speedy 5G connections, but as a rule of thumb, the cheaper the plan, the more likely it is to be slowed down during peak traffic hours. This is especially true of prepaid carriers like Mint Mobile and Visible, which operate as sub-carriers on the various networks. 

What types of unlimited data plans are there? 

As with most cell phone plans, the best unlimited data plans fall into two loosely defined groups – postpaid plans and prepaid plans. 

Postpaid plans are those generally offered by the bigger carriers and more or less feature lengthy 2-year+ contracts (with credit checks), big or unlimited data allowances, deals on handsets, and bill your account at the end of the month. These are all quite loose criteria, but generally speaking, these are your pricier of the two options but look to offer a more premium service all around.

Prepaid plans, on the other hand, are the more basic option. For a lower monthly price, you’ll generally get fewer perks, data allowances, and a service that’s liable to caps on speed if the network’s busy. If you’re more of a light user or on a budget, these are likely your best bet, and they also come with the bonus of generally needing no credit check and simpler pricing schemes.

Do I really need an unlimited data plan? 

If you’re looking to save money on your monthly phone bills, The quickest way to cut down your monthly costs is to forgo an unlimited data plan and go for a more restricted or prepaid plan instead. 

Most people can check their monthly data usage by accessing their phone’s network settings. Here’s a quick guide on how to do that:

For iPhone:
Open your Settings app
Tap Cellular menu
Tap individual apps to see monthly data usage
For Android:
Open your Settings app
Tap ‘Connections’
Tap ‘Data Usage’

Checking your data usage directly on your device is especially useful because it will tell you how much of your data has been used via WiFi instead of a cellular connection. If you can’t find the above settings on your device, then most carriers also have data usage reports that can be easily accessed by logging into your account on their sites.

If you don’t have access to such a tool, we’d generally say, as a rule of thumb, if you’re streaming video every day, making regular video calls, or are always on the move and therefore don’t have access to WiFi, then you’ll probably want an unlimited data plan.

Here’s a quick overview of common apps average data usage per hour, referencing Whistleout’s excellent article.

TikTok & Instagram – 800Mb per hour

Youtube & Netflix – 300Mb per hour

Music streaming – 150Mb per hour

Facebook – 80Mb

Web browsing – 60Mb

Is unlimited data really unlimited? 

Hidden in the fine print of most carrier plans are caps on data usage, speeds, or other caveats you should be aware of. Unlimited data plans are no exception to this, despite the namesake.

A common usage cap for unlimited data plans, for example, is mobile hotspotting – which carriers love to charge that little bit extra for. You’ll also find soft-caps on data usage each month, where the carrier will look to slow down your speeds after you pass a certain threshold – anywhere from 30GB to 100GB being fairly common.

On paper, these data caps can seem like a real bummer, although in reality, not many users are likely to use up to 100GB of data in a month unless they’re constantly streaming high-definition content on their device. However, the mobile hotspotting caps can be more of a restriction since they tend to default to 3G speeds after their allowance is up. 

What’s the cheapest cell phone plan with unlimited everything? 

Visible is technically the cheapest carrier to offer a truly unlimited plan, with no speed bumps based on data usage or mobile hotspotting allowance. That said, its mobile hotspot speeds are indeed capped at 5Mps, which is half that of Verizon and AT&T after they cap out, and being a prepaid carrier, it’s also subject to deprioritization overall.

For more inexpensive options, we recommend checking out our page on this month’s best cheap cell phone plans specifically.

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