Hey, I was in almost the exact same boat last year with a dying TUF and a tight budget.

Story: I watched “early Black Friday” deals for about 3 weeks. I jumped too early on an ASUS TUF with an RTX 4060 at $1,299 from Amazon… then the exact same model dropped to $1,099 on actual Black Friday at Best Buy and Micro Center. Same specs, just a different SKU name. Hurt a little ngl.

Based on that:
- Early deals were *okay* but not the best. The real dip for ASUS (TUF/ROG) hit the week of Black Friday + Cyber Monday.
- Best Buy and Micro Center beat Amazon for me on price and warranty perks. ASUS store was decent but not the lowest.

If I were you, I’d:
- Track 2–3 specific configs (e.g. 4060/16GB/1TB, 4070/16GB) in a price history tool now.
- Wait until the main BF week *unless* you see a 4060 around ~$1,000 or a 4070 ~ $1,300 from a big retailer with easy returns.

Lesson learned: don’t trust the “early Black Friday” tag by itself – compare against last month’s prices and make sure there’s at least a $150–$200 drop before pulling the trigger.

Hope this helps a bit – planning ahead already puts you in a way better spot than panic-buying like I did. 😅

Hey, I’m in almost the same price bracket as you and I’m pretty stingy about “fake” sales, so here’s how I treat ASUS Black Friday stuff from a pure value angle:

1. **Set your “buy it now” prices:**
- 4060 TUF/ROG (16GB RAM): I personally aim for **$950–$1,050**.
- 4070 TUF/ROG (16–32GB): **$1,200–$1,350** is usually a legit deal.
If you see those numbers or better from a decent retailer, that’s already Black Friday–level in my experience.

2. **Track the “fake deal” baseline:**
- Right now, search the exact models on **PCPartPicker, Honey, or Keepa (for Amazon)** and see the 3–6 month price history.
- If the “early Black Friday” price is only $50–$80 below what it was in, say, September, I’d wait. If it’s $150–$250 off the normal floor, I’d jump.

3. **Retailer value (not just price):**
- **Best Buy**: Actually good for ASUS because of **easy returns** + occasional **totaltech / student** stacking. I’ve saved an extra $50–$100 this way.
- **Micro Center**: Best *raw* prices if you can go in person. They sometimes do crazy bundle prices on 4060/4070 laptops, but stock is hit or miss.
- **ASUS store**: Good for **refurbs** and last-year models. I got a Zephyrus for ~30% off once and it’s been solid.

4. **Timing pattern (from watching the last 3–4 years):**
- Early “Black Friday” (late Oct / early Nov): **Decent but safe** discounts, usually on older configs (last gen CPU / GPU, or weaker screen).
- Week of Black Friday: The **best “doorbuster” prices** appear, but on a few specific configs and they go out of stock fast.
- Cyber Monday: More like a second chance on similar prices, not always better.

So if you’re flexible on the exact model and can quickly pull the trigger, waiting until the week of Black Friday can save another **$100–$150** sometimes. If you want a specific config (e.g. 16" ROG 4070, 1440p, 16GB+), I wouldn’t gamble too hard on stock.

5. **Little value hacks:**
- Don’t stress too much about 32GB RAM being pre-installed. If you find a great deal with **16GB and 1 free RAM slot**, it’s often cheaper to buy it and add another 16GB yourself later.
- 1440p screen + 4060 is kind of a sweet spot for value right now. 4070 is nice but the price jump isn’t always worth it unless you find one in the $1,200–$1,300 range.

**My personal recommendation:**
- Decide your “instant buy” numbers (like 4060 @ ~$1k, 4070 @ ~$1.3k) and use price trackers starting now.
- If you see something from Best Buy / Micro Center around those numbers **before** Black Friday, I’d grab it rather than chase a maybe extra $100 off and risk either worse configs or no stock.

FWIW, every time I tried to hold out for the absolute rock-bottom price, I either missed the deal or ended up compromising on screen / build / thermals. Getting a solid ASUS deal a bit early has usually been the better move for my sanity and wallet.

Hope this helps! If you find a specific model you’re eyeing, drop the exact SKU and people can sanity-check the price for you.

Hey, I’m kinda in the same camp as you and I’m gonna be the slightly more cynical voice here.

From what I’ve tracked the last 3–4 years (and yeah, spreadsheet nerd here):
- **Early “Black Friday” ASUS deals are usually ~10–15% off** MSRP.
- **The real BF/Cyber Monday drops hit more like 18–25%**, *but* only on a few specific configs and stock gets sketchy fast.

Technically speaking, if you’re aiming 1080p/1440p for a few years:
- **RTX 4060 (115W+) + 16GB** is fine now, but it’s already borderline for heavier 1440p in newer titles.
- **RTX 4070 (at least 120–140W) + 32GB** is the actual sweet spot for “future proof-ish”. A lot of cheaper TUF/ROG models quietly use lower TGP GPUs, which is where I’ve been disappointed – looks great on paper, performs meh.

Retailers I’d watch specifically:
- **Best Buy**: often has *exclusive* higher-TGP ROG Strix/Zephyrus units that don’t look special from the name but benchmark better.
- **Micro Center** (if you’re near one): in-store only deals on open-box ASUS can be stupidly good, like 4070 rigs in your price range.

If you see a 4070 ROG/TUF around **$1,300-ish with 16GB and at least 1TB SSD**, that’s already solid. I’d only wait longer if you’re okay with:
- Potentially losing that config
- Or being forced into the weaker 4060 versions that stay in stock

My rule now: if it’s the **right GPU wattage + decent cooling + price in target**, I pull the trigger on an early deal instead of chasing that extra $50–$80 later.

Hope this helps! If you find a specific model, drop the exact SKU and I can tell you if the specs are actually good or just marketing fluff.

Hey, so one angle I haven’t seen mentioned yet is the safety / reliability side of chasing Black Friday ASUS deals.

Background: I’ve been through 3 ASUS gaming laptops over ~8 years (2 TUF, 1 ROG). All bought around BF/Cyber Monday because “great discount!”. Unfortunately, 2 of the 3 had heat / fan issues within the first year. One TUF literally warped around the exhaust area and the charger got crazy hot.

Why it matters: with modern GPUs (4060/4070+), cheap configs on sale sometimes cut corners on cooling, power brick quality, or even QC. That’s not just noise and throttling – you’re talking:
- Fans running max 24/7 (early failure, dust buildup, bearing noise)
- Keyboard/top plate getting uncomfortably hot
- Chargers that run hotter than they should (red flag)

Solution / what I’d do in your shoes:
- **Prioritize cooling over specs** in your price range. For ROG/TUF, look for multiple heatpipes + dual-fan designs and vents on both sides/back, not just one corner.
- **Check user reviews specifically for “heat”, “coil whine”, “fan fail”, “charger gets hot”** on the exact model. Don’t just look at star rating.
- **Buy from somewhere with an easy return window** (Best Buy, Amazon) and stress test ASAP: run Cyberpunk/Starfield + HWInfo, see temps and surface heat. If CPU/GPU are constantly in the 90s and the brick is roasting, return it.
- I’d actually *not* wait until the absolute BF weekend if you can avoid it – you get slammed stock, rushed shipping, and less time to test before return windows close.

So yeah, early deal is fine **if** you can safely test it and send it back. Don’t keep a “good price” laptop that feels sketchy thermally. It’s not worth cooking your hardware (or outlet) for $100 off.

Hope this helps!

Hey, so I’m gonna zoom out a bit and look at this from a market / brand comparison angle rather than just “ASUS vs time your purchase.”

**Option A – Stick with ASUS (ROG/TUF)**
Pros: Early BF usually has *lots* of ASUS SKUs in that $1k–$1.4k band, especially 4060/4070 TUFs. Retailers like Best Buy and Micro Center tend to use ASUS as their “headline” gaming deals, so you do see genuine 20–30% cuts on older configs. Cons: thermals and fan noise can still be a thing, and ASUS doesn’t always drop prices as aggressively as competitors on the *newest* models until closer to BF/Cyber Monday.

**Option B – Lenovo Legion / HP Omen / Dell G-series**
These often undercut ASUS on price-per-spec. Legion 5/Pro and HP Omen 16 with 4060/4070 routinely hit your price range on early promos. Pros: usually better cooling and quieter under load, plus frequent stacking coupons (Lenovo, HP direct). Cons: you lose ASUS ecosystem/ROG branding, and some models have meh screens out of the box.

**Option C – Wait for cross-brand undercuts near BF**
From watching this the last few years:
- Early November: ASUS/TUF/ROG get “okay” deals; competing brands respond with slightly better value.
- BF week: the *best* price-per-frame deals often aren’t ASUS, they’re Legion/Omen with similar specs.

**What I’d do in your shoes:**
- Set a baseline: 4060, 16GB, 144Hz+ 1080p or QHD. Track 1–2 ASUS models *plus* 1 Legion and 1 Omen with similar specs.
- If an ASUS 4060/4070 dips into $1,050–$1,150 with decent cooling (TUF 15/16, G14/15-ish configs), that’s a fair early buy.
- If not, I’d wait until closer to BF and be ready to jump on whichever brand hits your spec at ~25–30% off, not just ASUS.

So yeah, ASUS is a decent option, but in your budget range the market’s pretty competitive—best value might come from a rival brand during the actual BF week rather than an “early” ASUS deal.

Hope this helps!

If you’re even slightly DIY‑inclined, I’d look at **Option A: upgrade/refresh what you can now** vs **Option B: wait for a full new ASUS on BF** vs **Option C: grab a mid‑spec ASUS early and DIY‑upgrade it**.

**Option A – Squeeze your current TUF a bit more**
Pop in **32GB RAM + NVMe SSD** and repaste the CPU/GPU with decent thermal paste (or liquid metal if you’re confident). Costs maybe $80–$150, huge drop in temps/fan noise, and sometimes you can get Cyberpunk/Starfield playable at lower settings.
**Pros:** super cheap, buys you time to wait for truly good 2025 deals.
**Cons:** 5‑year‑old GPU is still the bottleneck, so it’s a band‑aid, not a real upgrade.

**Option B – Full new laptop, no DIY**
Just hunt for a ROG/TUF with RTX 4060/4070, 16GB, 1TB SSD in that $1k–$1.4k range and call it a day.
**Pros:** less hassle, full warranty intact.
**Cons:** you often pay extra for 32GB RAM / 2TB SSD vs doing it yourself.

**Option C – My favorite: buy the cheaper config and self‑upgrade**
Look for a **4060/4070 ASUS with 16GB + 512GB/1TB** that’s on “early BF” sale (Best Buy and Micro Center are usually good for these). Ignore the inflated 32GB/2TB configs. Then:
- Add another **16GB stick** or replace with a **2×16GB kit** (check it’s DDR5 vs DDR4, speed, and voltage match).
- Drop in a second **PCIe 4.0 NVMe** (2TB is the sweet spot right now).

On ASUS ROG/TUF this is usually just **one screw, bottom panel off**, two SODIMM slots and one or two M.2 slots. No soldering, just plug‑and‑play. For most models you’re still fine warranty‑wise as long as you don’t damage anything (check the manual, but ASUS typically allows RAM/SSD upgrades).

**Pros:**
- Early BF “meh” deals become **good** once you factor in cheap DIY upgrades.
- You can grab a 4060 system closer to $900–$1,100 and end up with 32GB/2TB for less than the “premium” SKU.

**Cons:**
- You need a small screwdriver, 20–30 min, and a bit of YouTube.
- You’ve gotta pay attention to specs (DDR5-4800 vs 5600, single vs double‑sided, etc.).

Given your budget and tech comfort, I’d personally: **watch early deals for a solid 4060/4070 base ASUS, then DIY RAM/SSD** instead of waiting for unicorn BF discounts on maxed‑out configs. You get the performance you want, the price you want, and you’re not at the mercy of whatever bundle ASUS decides to discount.

Hope that helps you plan it out a bit more logically than panic‑buy week! Let me know if you want specific config suggestions to target for DIY upgrades.