Looking for a laptop for pentesting or ethical hacking? If you are a professional, ethical hacker, or even a newbie in this field looking to get the best laptop to run Kali Linux (or other GNU / Linux designed primarily for general computer security and auditing.) And do penetration testing, then I can assure you that you have come to the right place.
As you may already know, you can run Kali Linux by dual boot or using virtualization software like VirtualBox or VMware. Regardless of which method you choose to run Kali, you will need a laptop capable of running it without any issues. After reviewing various laptops and speaking with various security experts, I made a final list of the best laptops for Kali Linux and Pentesting of 2020. I won’t waste any more time, so let’s get started.
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- HP OMEN
- Dell Vostro
Laptop Buying Guide for Kali Linux (Pentesting and Ethical Hacking)
I have already talked about laptops for Kali Linux and Pentesting a few times, and if you are having a hard time choosing the right laptop, then I will share some tips that may help you choose a suitable laptop for you.
There are many aspects to look at on a laptop while finalizing it, but now I will cover only 3 main aspects. No matter what purpose you get a laptop for, you shouldn’t pick up a laptop with outdated or old specs.
I have already talked about laptops for Kali Linux and Pentesting a few times, and if you are having a hard time choosing the right laptop, then I will share some tips that may help you choose a suitable laptop for you.
There are many aspects to look at on a laptop for Pentesting and Ethical Hacking, but now I will cover only 6 main aspects.
1. Performance
No matter what purpose you get a laptop for, you shouldn’t pick up a laptop with outdated or old specs. Here are the three things that decide the performance of any laptop.
2. Processor
For Kali Linux or Pentesting, I would definitely recommend this for a laptop with Intel Core i5 processors. If you are on a higher budget, you can go for the Core i7 processor, but don’t go for the Core i3 processor, even if it costs cheaper. You will face a lot of performance issues while running Kali if you choose Core i3 processors.
3. RAM
a laptop with 8GB of RAM is the minimum I would suggest for this profession. A 16GB machine would be an ideal option, in my opinion. That is the reason why I have suggested most 16GB laptops in this post. Don’t go below 8GB unless you are ready to face some issues.
4. Graphics card
It is not mandatory to have dedicated graphics to run Kali Linux; an integrated one will do the job. But if you are getting a laptop for a longer period of time, I suggest looking for a dedicated GPU. That is why I have shared all laptops with a dedicated GPU.
5. Storage
A 256GB SSD laptop would be good enough, in my opinion. If you are on a tight budget, a hard drive will do the job. I will always choose an SSD drive over HDD unless I am on a minimal budget.
6. Battery Life
This is a crucial part of any laptop that many people don’t give much thought to before buying a laptop. If a laptop can give you at least 1 hour of battery life while using Kali, then that would be a good option, in my opinion. I’ve talked about laptops with good battery life on this list; you should check them out.
Conclusion
Choosing a perfect laptop can be difficult because not everyone has time to research them, know all its features, study them, and decide. That is why I chose to research on your behalf and presented you with these 3 best laptops for Pentesting in 2021.
Check out: Number of Linux Features are Built into Linux Lite 4.6