Best Laptops for Kali Linux

HP Laptop 17-cn0021nr

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 17.3 inches FHD+ (1600 x 900 pixels) | Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7 (4 Cores, 8 Threads) | RAM: 8 GB DDR4, upgradeable | SSD: 256 GB NVMe M.2 SSD | Battery: 3-cell, 41 Wh Li-ion, (8 Hours plus) | Weight: 4.60 pounds (2 kg) |

The HP Laptop 17-cn0021nr is the most affordable Kali Linux laptop. Its design resembles with most expensive HP Elitebooks’ business-oriented notebooks, yet it costs only $500 for the rapid performance of 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7 Intel CPUs. The iconic HP characteristics are bound with a metallic finish, and its minimal appearance makes your first steps into Linux and business usage worthwhile.

The larger 17.3-inch HD+ screen has a resolution of (1600 x 900), giving it the appearance of a desktop monitor in a tiny package. It’s easy on the eyes, and it’s great for multitasking with two apps running side by side, something 13-inch displays can’t do. Furthermore, the anti-glare coating is suitable for outdoor users to view in direct sunshine.

You’ll get a longer battery life that can last up to 8 hours with heavy use, and programmers will appreciate the full-size keyboard integrated with Numpad, backlit keys, and decent-sounding speakers, as well as plenty of ports including Type-C, and exclusive HP fast charging that reaches 0-50 in 45 minutes, all at an unbeatable price, can not forget to say, the best laptop under $500 range.

Lenovo Ideapad 5i Pro

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 16 inches QHD+ (2560 x 1600) pixels) | Processor: Intel Core i5-11300H (4 Cores, 8 Threads) | dGPU: NVIDIA GeForce MX450 (2GB) | RAM: 8 GB Onboard 3200MHz DDR4 | SSD: 512 GB SSD | Battery: 75Whr, (11 Hours plus) | Weight: 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg) |

The Lenovo Ideapad 5i Pro is a budget-friendly option for all-around businesses; it is an ideal entry-level laptop for Kali Linux users who are just starting in cyber engineering and want to utilize Kali Linux for security analysis, security auditing, and penetration testing. This smart laptop has provided incredible capabilities to meet the needs of several vocations for a low price of $520.

It has a 16″ wide Quad HD (2.5K) IPS display, which is vivid, bright, and dynamic, and the platform’s main feature—2GB of dedicated graphics from the mobile platform Nvidia GeForce MX450 series—clearly demonstrates its advantages for handling information security tasks much faster than CPUs.

Since low-cost laptops serve as a glimpse of high-priced laptops. Even though the Lenovo Ideapad 5i Pro is capable of performing math work for file encryption and decryption as well as many other basic to advanced level tasks using entry-level dGPU, it has a mediocre construction, the touchpad feels cheap, a webcam is useless, and most importantly, the matte finish cover readily attracts fingerprints.

The single fan works best while you are doing intensive tasks, however, because there is one side vent on the bottom of the laptop, you shouldn’t place the laptop on anything that might obstruct the airflow. Additionally, it heats up in hot weather when gaming because of a single heat pipe design, however, the battery is surprisingly good and marks 11 hours on single usage.

MSI GF63 Thin GF63035

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080), IPS (60Hz) | Processor: Intel Core i5-11300H (4 Cores, 8 Threads) | dGPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650 Max-Q (4GB) | RAM: 8GB DDR4 2666MHz | SSD: 256GB NVMe SSD | Battery: 3 cells (51Whr), (6 Hours heavy usage) | Weight: 4.10lb (1.85 kg) |

The MSI GF63 Thin GF63035 is a nice little gaming laptop that can game and do a lot of Kali Linux for a reasonable price of $642.

The obvious reasons that could keep you hanging with MSI laptops are powerful components and portability, they are masters of taking care of consumers like a jack of all trades, which is true for this laptop offers. The high-performance Core i5-10300H has a turbo clock speed of 4500 MHz, which is good for compiling codes more quickly.

It also has an increase in VRAM from 2GB to 4GB GDDR6 with GTX 1650 Max-Q GPU, which makes digital evidence collection, examination, and live analysis much easier. With GPU cores running, the time required to complete these tasks will decrease by 50%.

What you might want more is to upgrade the 8GB RAM to 16GB for a better user experience, but the low battery life of 6 hours may be difficult. Nonetheless, MSI provides other perks, such as the MSI App Player, very high-resolution audio with integrated codecs (Nahimic 3 / Hi-Res Audio), and Dragon Center for gaming mode.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080), (120Hz) | Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (6 Cores, 12 Threads) | dGPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650 (4GB) | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | SSD: 256GB NVMe SSD | Weight: 6.74 pounds (3 kg) |

Higher screen resolution is pleasing to the eyes, but a quick refresh rate is brilliant for the depth of the scene, which is why we chose the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for its 120Hz screen. It makes media consumption at a superlative degree, plus smooth surfing, and casual gaming.

This is Lenovo’s most affordable workhorse for steady computing, credit to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU, an APU of goodness with 6 Cores and 12 Threads, and a dGPU of 4GB, all for a solid budget of $659.

Despite being designed for gamers, IdeaPad Gaming 3 is remarkably thin, can do a wide range of professional activities with a minimalist design that has no gaming ascents other than a small badge, and we can conclude that Lenovo never skimps on keyboards and this one has comfortable keys with 100% N-key rollover, which may benefit programmers and computer forensics experts who create scripts to counter threats to computers and networks.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 15.6-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080), (144Hz) | Processor: Intel Core i5-10300H (up to 4.5 GHz) | dGPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650 (4GB) | RAM: 8GB DDR4 SO-DIMM (2933MHz) | SSD: 512GB PCIe SSD | Weight: 2.30 Kg (5.07 lbs) |

The Asus TUF is a unique laptop with a clicky trackpad and an upgradeable design to benefit future projects. It boasts outstanding durability—you might even say military grade—and is ideal for conducting serious business, whether it’s gaming or pen-testing.

Although it is not as stealthy as Asus advertised, it still looks like a standard gaming laptop coated in additional plastic and aluminum. This is not a terrible thing given how well it performs day-to-day work, but such durability cost weight and thickness.

The positive aspect of this computer is the outstanding care provided by Asus for the warranty, software support, driver updates, and other things. Given that it includes a quick i5-10300H and GTX 1650, the two turbo fans cool the system very well, improved since the last generation, which is welcomed for intense workloads.

HP Victus 15-fb0028nr

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, | Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8 Cores, 16 Threads) | dGPU: GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4GB) | RAM: 16 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM (2 x 8 GB) | SSD: 512GB PCIe SSD | Battery: 4-cell, 70 Wh Li-ion polymer | Weight: 2.2 Kg (5.06 lb) |

It is a unique laptop that HP created for productivity using OMEN hardware, giving us a magic potion for play, more business and speedy rendering, and most importantly, perfect for doing pen-tests with RTX 3050Ti, which is capable of performing at a reasonable price tag of $800.

In comparison to the Spectre X360, which has a more opulent look, this machine can work harder with Kali Linux to save time by quickly discovering potential security flaws using the forensic tools that are included in Kali Linux, plus the benefits are enormous for college programs that emphasize design work, Solidworks, or illustrations.

GIGABYTE A7 K1

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, | Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8 Cores, 16 Threads) | dGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB) | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 (2 x 8 GB) | SSD: 512GB PCIe SSD | Battery: 4-cell, 48.96WHrs (Last 6 hours) | Weight: ~2.48 kg (5.47 lb) |

It is quite effective for a laptop to execute ethical hacking on the move by employing a discrete GPU, which gains consistent performance and reduces the pursuit to a minimum of effort. The Gigabyte A7 K1 is our choice for the best laptop for Kali Linux experts because it is a powerhouse with a ton of goodies for $999.

The RTX 30 Series Laptops are the greatest in the GPU industry and they increased the number to thousands of CUDA cores to meet your computing demands and speed up the process. In this instance, the Gigabyte A7 K1 offers 6GB VRAM and 3,840 CUDA cores with an RTX 3060 GPU, giving it plenty of capacity to handle a large number of password-cracking operations simultaneously and do other activities on your commands.

Aside from the strong hardware, the aesthetics won’t be bothered by your personality because of the design’s simplicity. The 17.3″ widescreen with narrow bezels on this MSI laptop is rocking in black, and it keeps you busy for more work.

The advantage of attaching up to three separate displays allows you to multitask more effectively, and we appreciate the full-sized, colorful RGB backlit keyboard that is ready for quick typing and has a clicky trackpad for strong control at your fingertips.

Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 14-inches (1080 with 100% sRGB), | Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800U (8 Cores, 16 Threads) | dGPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti (4GB) | RAM: 16 GB LPDDR4X | SSD: 512GB PCIe SSD | Battery: 58.96WHrs (Last 9 hours) | Weight: 1.39 kg (3.0 pounds) |

With a 14-inch thin profile, the Acer Swift X beats out the Swift 3 from the previous year. This is a more recent design that prioritizes a lightweight, and extremely thin design. It also has numerous new functions and completely redesigned hardware for more rendering with the capable processor and dedicated graphics chips, a high-quality screen that is easy on the eyes, and a more premium chassis that can carry all the necessary technology while still being extremely small, stylish, and comfortable.

Its aluminum unibody is unlike others (17.9 mm thin) and has a good assortment of ports, including Type-C, HDMI, and USB-A Gen 3.2, making this laptop better valued than an Apple MacBook Air, although it lacks an SD card slot that was formerly available.

The screen, nevertheless, is worth the money; it is an FHD non-touch screen with thin bezels that don’t sacrifice color and blue light filters, making it a healthy option for office workers and preferred for those who are stuck to computers most of the time.

We recommend the Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6 as the best budget lightweight ultrabook for professionals, who don’t want to sacrifice power for something incredibly small.

Apple MacBook Air 13 (M2 chip)

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 13.6-inches Retina (500 Nits Brighter), | Processor: M2 (8 Cores, 8 GPU) | RAM: 8 GB Unified | SSD: 256GB PCIe SSD | Battery: 52.6 watt-hours (Last up to 18 hours) | Weight: 1.24 kg (2.7 pounds) |

With an M2 processor, the new Apple MacBook Air 13 is an impressive breakthrough from Apple. It is quicker than Intel CPUs and has even greater battery life, but it is on the other side of the most expensive ultrabooks. However, hardware features are cutting-edge combinations, including an 8-core CPU coupled with an 8-core GPU and a 16-core neural engine in addition to 8GB of unified memory, It is the best high-end lightweight laptop since it can handle almost everything and costs less than its brother, the Macbook Pro.

The excellent thing about the Mac Air is that it has a taller 13.6-inch Retina display, which makes scrolling and reading code much simpler. Scripts can benefit from the easy view, and social media will have the same advantages. The reason we favor Macs over Windows is their long battery life, which can run Kali Linux utilizing Parallel Desktops or any other VMWARE for up to 18 hours in real-world use. This is because Mac OS is restricted for background loads, unlike Windows.

ASUS ZenBook 14X OLED

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 13.6-inches Retina (500 Nits Brighter), | Processor: Intel i7-1165G7 (Up to 4.7 GHz) | dGPU: NVIDIA GeForce MX450 (2GB) | RAM: 16 GB LPDDR4X on board | SSD: 512GB PCIe SSD | Battery: 63WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion (Up to 7 hours) | Weight: 1.40 kg (3.09 lbs) |

The Asus ZenBook 14X OLED is a high-end ultrabook that costs a lot more for a good reason. A complete pleasure to use, with no cheap sensation. Asus carefully crafted it for the luxury of conducting business. You can get a lot out of using Kali Linux software for security research if you can efficiently run complete forensic software tools like Paraben and Forensic ToolKit (FTK) and handle the crime scene.

The portable and slim ZenBook 14X OLED is a special edition laptop with a 16:10 ratio 4K touch-display, innovative with a secondary display that also works as a trackpad and it delivers maximum productivity with both using the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors and discreet Nvidia GPU for unobstructed business.

MSI Prestige 14 Evo

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 14” Full-HD (Matte finish 1080), close to 100% sRGB | Processor: Intel i7-1165G7 (Up to 4.7 GHz) | dGPU: NVIDIA GeForce MX450 (2GB) | RAM: 16 GB LPDDR4X on board | SSD: 512GB PCIe SSD | Battery: 3 cells (52Whr) (12 hours plus) | Weight: 1.29kg (2.8 lbs) |

Similar to the well-managed ZenBook 14X OLED from Asus, MSI’s Prestige 14 Evo is more of a battery powerhouse for productivity that can outperform Dell XPS laptops in its class with more than 12 hours of work shifts. It is exceptionally thin and light, with MSI technology that serves as an inspiration to the business world.

It is the best elite laptop for programming with inspired aesthetics, made with high-quality materials, and has a diamond-cut edge and sandblasting texture to be distinctive and graceful in a tiny footprint. It simply fits a businessman’s personality with sleek and fashionable finishes and fulfills the requirement of a laptop with a long battery.

We have seen the fastest SSD inside, which is PCIe 4.0 capable of boosting throughput to 7.88GB per second for daily tasks. It also has higher signal integrity and stability for better performance, yet it is thin and is driven by powerful Intel Iris Xe graphics and Tiger Lake CPUs.

Razer Blade Stealth 13

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 13.3-Inches Full-HD OLED (Touchscreen with 120Hz) | Processor: Intel i7-1165G7 (Up to 3.9 GHz) | dGPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti (4GB) | RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X 3733 MHz dual-channel | Sound System: Quad Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp | SSD: 512GB PCIe SSD | Battery: 53.1 Wh (Last 7 hours plus) | Weight: 3.11 lbs / 1.41kg |

Razer is well-known for its premium aesthetic metal chassis laptops designed for optimum productivity, portability, style, and performance. The new Blade Stealth 13 reigns supreme among slim and powerful gaming laptops. It’s real, and we can tell you that the Razer premium line Stealth laptops are the thinnest gaming ultrabooks available—and they won’t disappoint.

When it comes to video cards, we all know that Kali Linux is a serious operating system. The difficulty is that security testers require CUDA cores from GPUs, not to play games, though they can if they want to. The necessity is being able to handle (a lot of math) problems such as brute-force security flaws and handles vulnerability assessment in less time.

Its high-end build laptop for hacking and complete with robust hardware (Intel Core i7-1165G7 and GTX 1650Ti) enables you to get started with Kali Linux tools right away, and once you’ve honed your practical cyber security skills, this machine can assist you with advanced Penetration Testing at any time. It’s unlike any other gaming laptop on the market, and it’s quite cool.

MSI Bravo 15

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080), 144Hz, | Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H (8 Cores, 16 Threads) | dGPU: AMD Radeon RX 5500M with 4GB GDDR6 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 dual-channel | Sound System: Quad Stereo Speakers with Smart Amp | SSD: 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD | Battery: 65 Watt hour (7 hours plus) | Dimentions: 398 x 273 x 24.2mm | Weight: 2.55 kg (5.62 pounds) |

MSI created the Bravo 15 with accuracy in mind for uncompromised business and gaming, using AMD’s discrete GPU, Radeon RX 5500M, and Ryzen 7 5800H 8-Core, 16-Threads CPU, it transforms into a laptop for constant usage and provides unsurpassed desktop-grade performance.

When you are serious about Kali Linux to benefit from full hacking accessories or getting professional with internet security testing, penetration testing, security research, computer forensics, and reverse engineering, MSI Bravo 15 is a little brother of flagship Alpha 17 and is a terrific machine that can help you with cyber security jobs. It also supports full upgradeability for WiFi cards and SSDs, as well as complete ports with Ethernet RJ45 jack for a speedier internet connection.

In several titles, the AMD Ryzen 5800H and Radeon RX 5500M surpass the NVIDIA RTX 2060 and RTX 3050Ti. Indicating MSI Bravo 15 supremacy. The AMD’s hardware inside included 4GB GDDR6 video memory, 1408 shading units (CUDA), 88 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs (DirectX Raytracing).

Overall, Alpha 17 is the complete kit of the best laptop for hacking and programming for practical work with Linux dual boot, but it’s a hefty machine with a little extra weight. The good news is that the beefy cooling system keeps the laptop operating day and night without affecting the performance graph, therefore it is our recommended laptop for Linux business.

MSI Stealth 15M

SPECIFICATIONS

Display: 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080), 144Hz, | Processor: Intel Core i7-11375H | dGPU: RTX 3060 with 6GB GDDR6 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 dual-channel | SSD: 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD | Battery: 3-Cell, 53.8 Whr (Up to 6 hours) | Weight: 1.8 kg (3.9 pounds) |

The MSI Stealth 15M is a steel box carved into a small casing that houses the most powerful technology for some incredible businesses. It is a tough, modern, and unibody option recommended for business people, programming students, hacking beginners, and SANS cyber security trainers, as well as professionals who want to carry less weight and prefer a more fancy appearance machine that does hard work with dGPU wherever it is needed.

The design is much-loved, attractive, well-made, and completely rectangular with the lid closed. It is supposedly the best laptop for Linux dual boot and is equipped with Thunderbolt 4, PCIe-4 SSDs, and the newest RTX 30 series GPUs to work as a desktop substitute. However, when subjected to intensive chores, it becomes a constant loud swirl and heated, and the battery lasts at least four hours without being plugged in, with light work lasting up to six hours.