In one of the recent laptop deals, quite a few people were commenting that a 3050ti at $1300 wasn't a great deal. Since then, I've been looking around for a 3060 at that price, but I basically haven't been able to find anything.
Where are people finding these monster laptops, and how good are the laptops really?
I actually wasn't familiar with static ice, thanks for the heads up
Agree completely with above, also got one of the HN Nitro5 3060 units incredible bang for buck. Sales are semi regular it will likely go cheaper than the current 1495 price (https://www.harveynorman.com.au/acer-nitro-5-15-6-inch-i5-11…)
Well you could grab one of these https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/174949902612 and use AFPYDY. Stack with 3% off eBay gift cards from Shopback etc gets you a 3060 < $1300.
Specs-wise this seems like a decent deal! I'd suggest OP look up some reviews and YouTube videos on the laptop for more info.
I'm curious - do you know if you're able to use that Afterpay code and 'check out with Afterpay' but use gift cards for the entire purchase price? (so you don't actually use Afterpay at all)
Good point about the stacking of gift cards and Afterpay code. Previously I have been able to pay the bulk on gift cards and pay a small remainder using Afterpay, but not sure if this is still possible. Might have to factor this in ~$40
Can confirm you are able to use gift cards + AFPDY. I just bought a Dell monitor and paid the bulk with gift cards and the small balance with Afterpay (couple of dollars + some cents). Still got the 15% off entire amount. I am not sure if you can pay 100% with gift cards as my gift card didn't cover the entire amount.
Awesome! Great way to get further discounts :)
Acer have the Nitro 5 3060 (refurb) for $1299 at the moment.
https://online.acer.com.au/acer-nitro-5-intel-core-i5-11gen-…
It doesn't appear to be on sale at the moment, but the Acer Nitro 5 with 3060 for ~$1,200 @ Harvey Norman has been absolutely amazing for me. Huge upgrade over my previous 1060 laptop, and probably strikes the best cost to performance ratio (i.e. incredible value for money) for a gaming laptop.
If you're not in a rush, holding out for a good deal is always nice. As to be expected, they'll likely only become cheaper as stores try to clear stock to make way for newer models (particularly with the 4000 series cards not far off). But eventually you just need to pull the trigger and enjoy the new purchase, lest you wait around forever with frustrating old tech.
The decision is yours. Only you will know what is the right balance between price and necessity, what aspects/features you're willing to pay more for, and those you're willing to compromise on.
Another couple of tips: set search alerts on OzBargain for '3060' so you keep abreast of any deals, and try using the site Static Ice to scour stock/prices across the Web easily.
Best of luck :)