Laptop deals: 1080p and gaming machines start at $499

Laptop deals this week include a touchscreen machine from Acer, a Lenovo gaming powerhouse, and a Mac laptop with Retina display. Laptop deals range range from $499 to $1,249. 

From hardcore gaming to non-stop media consumption, this week's best laptop deals offer a mix of 1080p machines and gaming powerhouses, such as the just-released Lenovo Y50, which includes an impressive NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 4GB graphics card. Also included in our roundup is a discounted Apple MacBook Pro 13.3" Retina machine and a quad-core 1080p desktop replacement from HP.

1. Acer Aspire Intel Haswell Core i5 1.6GHz 14" Touchscreen Laptop
   Store: Microsoft Store
   Price: $499 via coupon code "GRADUATION" with free shipping
   Lowest By: $100

   Is It Worth It?: The Aspire V5-473P got a quick mention in Engadget's 2014 Laptop Buyer's Guide, and this week it gets the top spot in our weekly laptop roundup. This budget system features a 14" 1366x768 touchscreen LCD, an Intel Core i5-4200U 1.6GHz Haswell dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. The Editors' Choice notebook is currently the cheapest 14" touchscreen laptop we've seen with a Core i5 Haswell CPU.

2. Lenovo IdeaPad Y50 Intel Haswell Core i7 2.5GHz 15.6" LED-Backlit Laptop
   Store: Lenovo
   Price: $1,249 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $250

   Is It Worth It?: Announced at CES and making its debut this month, the IdeaPad Y50 is Lenovo's successor to the Y510p. Described as a portable gaming powerhouse, this 5.3-lb. machine is cut from the same cloth as its predecessor, but with better, updated specs, one of which is its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 4GB graphics card. Under the hood, you'll also find an Intel Core i7-4710HQ 2.5GHz Haswell quad-core processor, 8GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive with 8GB SSD, and a built-in Blu-ray burner. Topping off this beauty of a machine is a 15.6" 1920x1080 LED-backlit LCD.

3. Lenovo IdeaPad Y410p Intel Haswell Core i7 2.4GHz 14" Laptop
   Store: Lenovo
   Price: $839 via coupon code "USPY4160514" with free shipping
   Lowest By: $460
   Expires: May 21

   Is It Worth It?: Don't need cutting edge specs for your gaming needs? The 5.5-lb. IdeaPad Y410p is a reliable option. Though its now replaced by the Y40, the Y410p still packs a mighty punch, starting with Intel's Core i7-4700MQ 2.4GHz Haswell quad-core processor. The 14" powerhouse also features a 1600x900 LCD, 12GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive with 24GB SSD, and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 2GB video card.

4. Apple MacBook Pro Haswell Intel Core i5 2.4GHz 13.3" Laptop with Retina Display
   Store: Best Stop Deals via eBay
   Price: $1,099.99 with free shipping
   Lowest By: $135

   Is It Worth It?: "For users interested in a powerful notebook with a high-resolution display, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is easy to recommend," says Apple Insider. Although it's 0.5 lbs. heavier than the 13.3" MacBook Air, the Pro model includes a stunning 2560x1600 Retina display. Also onboard, you get 4GB RAM, a 128GB SSD, Intel Iris graphics, 802.11ac wireless, and Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Even better, it's $200 cheaper than Apple's direct price.

5. HP ENVY Touchsmart 17-j142nr Intel Haswell Core i7 2.4GHz 17.3" Touchscreen Laptop
   Store: Microsoft Store
   Price: $899 via coupon code "GRADUATION" with free shipping
   Lowest By: $100

   Is It Worth It?: Sure, it's easy to find cheaper desktop replacements, but the ENVY Touchsmart 17-j142nr offers top-of-the-line specs at a modest price point. And unlike most desktop replacements, this one boasts a 17.3" 1920x1080 touchscreen LCD. The 7.1-lb. notebook also features an Intel Core i7-4700MQ 2.4GHz Haswell quad-core processor, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive.

6. Dell Inspiron 17 7000 Series Haswell Core i7 1.8GHz 15.6" Touchscreen Laptop
   Store: Dell Home
   Price: $1,149.99 via coupon code "HSK9115MZF8FTD" with free shipping
   Lowest By: $395
   Expires: June 2

   Is It Worth It?: "The Dell Inspiron 17 7000 Series offers impressively long battery life and solid performance in an elegant aluminum chassis," says LAPTOP. Even better, activate coupon code "HSK9115MZF8FTD" to cut $395 off this mainstream machine. The 5.7-lb. notebook features above-average hardware including a Core i7-4500U 1.8GHz Haswell dual-core processor, 17.3" 1920x1080 LED-backlit touchscreen LCD, a whopping 16GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 2GB video card.

Louis Ramirez is senior features writer for Dealnews.com, where this article first appeared: http://dealnews.com/features/best-laptop-deals/