This article will give you insights into the most affordable and budget laptops for pentesting and ethical hacking available today. So, you’ve decided to buy a laptop exclusively for pentesting and maybe to learn or improve ethical hacking skills, install Kali and a custom Linux distro for normal use, but tight on the budget.
If you are a Penetration Testing Pro or just a Kali Linux fan, you know that Kali Linux is a powerful Linux distribution based on Debian OS. You are probably looking for a laptop for advanced security penetration testing and research, computer forensics, and other highly secured areas over the internet. With all this in hand, it is an immensely powerful operating system and requires some of the powerful and expensive machines.
The Linux distribution systems are associated with most hackers (both ethical and unethical). Companies all around the world are looking for security experts who can perform penetration testing to find out any loopholes in their security systems. Best free online cybersecurity & hacking courses
If you want to earn a competitive salary and have high job security in the cyber security industry, then pentesting might be the career for you. According to PayScale, the average salary of penetration testers is $87,845. To qualify for a high salary, you will first need to invest in one of the best laptops for pentesting. How to become an Ethical Hacker in Nigeria step-by-step
This guide will cover the best laptops for pentesting. We will also discuss the essential components of a good pentesting laptop and the requirements for installing Kali Linux on your system. Read on to discover the best options for pentesting laptops along with great choices for cheap laptops for pentesting.
| Laptop | Manufacturer | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Pro | Apple | $2,499 | 16-inch display, 64GB of memory, 512GB SSD storage |
| Razer Blade Stealth 13 | Razer | $1,999 | 512GB SSD, 11th Generation Intel, Quad-Core processor |
| Alienware M15 R7 Gaming Laptop | Dell | $1,550 | 512GB SSD storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX, 12th Generation Intel |
| Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop | Acer | $1,300 | 11800 H processor, 512GB SSD storage, IPS display screen technology |
| HP Envy 17t-ch000 | HP | $1,200 | 512GB SSD, 11th Generation Intel, Intel Iris Xe graphics |
| HP Pavilion 15 Laptop PC | HP | $1,000 | Intel Core i7 processor, 512GB SSD |
| Acer Nitro 5 – 2022 | Acer | $800 | 256GB SSD storage, 10300H processor, 15.6-inch screen with full HD display |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 | Microsoft | $800 | Windows 11, 19 hours of battery life, Intel Core i5 processor |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 AMD | Lenovo | $680 | Integrated AMD Radeon graphics, 256GB SSD storage, fingerprint reader |
| Acer Aspire 5-A515-43 | Acer | $650 | Quad-Core processor, 512GB SSD, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 |
What are the best laptops for Kali Linux and hacking in 2022?
Apple MacBook M1 Pro
- Best for: High-performance battery and multitasking
- Price: $2,499
According to Canalys PC Market Pulse statistics, Apple desktop and laptop shipments saw annual growth of 28 percent in 2021. The popularity of Apple’s MacBook Pro is constantly rising across the tech community. The reason for this popularity can be attributed to its excellent performance and graphics processing units, as well as its elegant design.
The MacBook Pro is an amazing laptop for pentesting and ethical hacking purposes. It has dedicated RAM for graphics, around 14 hours of battery life, and amazing speed for pentesting. The device also has exceptional sound quality.
Alienware M15 R7 Gaming Laptop
- Best for: Heavy processing and multitasking
- Price: $1,550
A gaming laptop offers efficient performance and amazing speeds that are essential components for a pentesting laptop. This Alienware M15 R7 gaming laptop offers Cryo-tech cooling and dual fan design technology that will allow you to use the laptop for heavy software. This laptop also includes multiple graphics processor ports and long battery runtime.
Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop
- Best for: Daily pentesting tasks
- Price: $1,300
The Predator Helios 300 gaming device is yet another powerful laptop for pentesting that supports Kali Linux OS, has ample storage space, and has an Intel Core i7 processor needed to handle ethical hacking tasks. It has a 15.6-inch display size and a dedicated graphics processing unit making it an ideal choice for cyber security purposes.
HP Envy 17t-ch000
- Best for: Use as a general pentesting and ethical hacking laptop
- Price: $1,200
Whether you want to become an ethical hacker or a cyber security analyst, having a laptop with the fastest processor, most RAM storage space, and efficient performance is something to look for. This HP Envy 17t has Iris Xe Intel graphics, an Intel Core i7 processor, a backlit display, fingerprint sensor, and a fast battery recharge time. In addition, it has an attractive design.
HP Pavilion 15 Laptop PC – Best Laptops for Pentesting Under $1,000
- Best for: Daily pentesting tasks
- Price: $1,000
If you are in search of a budget laptop with Windows 11 OS, an Intel Core i7 processor, and Intel Turbo Boost technology, then this HP Pavilion 15 is an ideal choice for pentesting. It has a fingerprint sensor, fast-charging battery, energy efficiency certification, and Iris Xe Intel graphics desirable for pentesting. You can also run Kali Linux on this device.
Acer Nitro 5
- Best for: Daily pentesting tasks
- Price: $800
The Acer Nitro 5 offers an affordable price for a laptop for pentesting and ethical hacking purposes. It has a 4GB graphics Intel dedicated memory, 256GB solid-state drive storage, and an Intel Core i5 processor. It is an excellent choice for pentesters looking for a lithium-ion battery with wide display size, ample connectivity options, and amazing performance.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
- Best for: Long battery life
- Price: $800
The Microsoft Surface 4 laptop with two processors including AMD Ryzen and 11th generation Intel Core processor makes it a powerful and budget-friendly penetration testing laptop. It offers a high battery capacity and a powerful graphics processing unit for amazing performance for cyber security tasks. In addition, there are multiple color options.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 AMD
- Best for: Pentesters on a budget
- Price: $680
If you are looking for a lightweight laptop that is portable with an integrated graphic card, then this Lenovo IdeaPad Flex is a great option. Though less powerful than the Lenovo ThinkPad, this convertible laptop is flexible and has a Windows 11 OS with an AMD Ryzen processor and a fingerprint reader. It also comes with an SD card reader, a 14-inch FHD display, and 256 GB SSD storage, making it a great laptop for hacking.
Acer Aspire 5
- Best for: Pentesters on a budget
- Price: $650
Acer Aspire 5 is a budget laptop that offers powerful graphics cards, a dual-core processor, a high-quality display, a large screen size, and ample RAM storage space at an affordable price. It also has IPS technology and seven-hour battery life. If you have a limited budget but are looking for a high-performing hacking laptop, then this Acer model is worth considering.
Kali Linux Minimum & Recommended System Requirements
Well, you can’t run the Kali Linux if there are hardware limitations! Since the main purpose of the laptop you are going to buy will be using Kali Linux, make sure that it meets all the minimum required specifications to run it. We have mentioned the minimum system requirements to run Kali Linux and recommended system requirements for the best performance. Let’s get into the specs?
| Minimum System Requirements | Recommended System Requirements | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 8th Gen Intel Core i5 | 9th Gen Intel Core i7 or better |
| RAM | 512MB | 8GB+ |
| Storage | 128GB SSD | 512GB SSD |
| Disk Space | 2GB | 20GB |
| Display | 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) | 15.6-inch FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) |
| Graphics | 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX150 | 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 |
| Battery | Up to 4 hours | Up to 8 hours |
- Processor: A powerful processor is the biggest asset for running this powerful Linux operating system. Every CPU is compatible with the Kali Linux system. Either be it dual-core or multi-core processor or either of i3/i5/i7 processors. But we would recommend going for the Intel i5 or i7 processor. The reason we would not recommend i3 would be that it could slow down the entire process and it would be useless overall.
- RAM: The minimum requirement has to be 2GB to only run the Kali Linux on a laptop. But if we would recommend it has been more than 8GB RAM. Assuming the fact that isn’t any kind of a drill, but a serious work that needs a proper memory capacity.
- Storage: Firstly, during the installation process, about 20GB of space will be taken by Kali Linux. On further processes such as penetrating testing, it will need a hell of a lot of free space. The more the better. So, anything that is above at least 128GB space. Could go to even 1TB space which will be an incredible option altogether.
- Graphics Card: There aren’t any specific requirements when it comes to graphics cards. But still, it is always better to have a good option at the best cost. Well, the biggest name for this is the NVIDIA graphics card with the best in the name.
- Battery Life: The fact that we know is, this is going to be a powerful system along with a powerful laptop. It is very necessary to have a good laptop with excellent battery power to last long. An average laptop provides 6-7 hours of battery power, but using Kali Linux will drain the battery easier. So, make sure the laptop you consider has longer battery life.
- Weight: It is applicable to every laptop. If the laptop is thin, it is preferred more than the others. People travel each day and they would love any laptop that has a stylish yet thin structure. Lightweight laptops would be perfect to be taken from place to place.
- Brand: This isn’t something of a necessity. But brand name surely speaks for itself. We always prefer to go for trusted laptop brands such as Apple, Dell, MSI, Acer, Lenovo, HP, etc. There are always good chances that some of these brands may not suit you at their best. So it is your call in the end.
Well, these are some of the basic requirements along with the recommended requirements that will guide you to choose the best option there is for Kali Linux.
