Best Laptop For Penetration Testing

Finding the best laptop for penetration testing in the market is not a very hard task. But what confuses most people is their lack of knowledge about which laptop configurations to choose. Do you need a powerful PC for Pentesting?

Pen testing is very important in the industry, and it does need a powerful device to work with as the configurations are the ones that make or break a laptop deal. Best laptops for programming can also be used as penetration testing laptops as they hold all the best configurations that you might need in this field as well.

What Is Penetration Testing, Pen Testing, Or Ethical Hacking?

Penetration testing can also be called ethical hacking. A developer tries to break into their own created software to check how weak or strong the software’s security is. This is a way to find weaknesses in software so that they can be removed before someone breaks into it for the wrong cause.

Almost every big company, including banks, uses ethical hackers or pen testers to ensure that all the software they are using is secure enough that no one can get inside them. It protects software or a program from any kind of cyber attack.

Now that you know what penetration testing is now, you might ask, are penetration testers in demand? Well, if you haven’t figured that out on your own, the answer is YES. Every big firm, even the small ones, has a fear of getting hacked, and no one wants their data to get stolen.

Therefore, they need an ethical hacker to keep everything secure. Something else that people often ask about is what Kali Linux is and why do we need it.

What Is Kali Linux?

The Debian-based version of OS Linux in Kali Linux. It is especially dedicated to being used for penetration testing, as well as for other tasks of Digital Forensics. One of the most important advantages of Kali Linux is its pre-installed security tool suite that can be used for many security reasons, such as the testing of penetration and the use of.

Kali Linux is available for download at no cost. Therefore, no matter what device you get, Kali Linux will be an important part of your ethical hacking. Other things that people are curious about it is, is kali good for programming? Is 8 GB RAM enough for Kali Linux? Or what is a good laptop for Kali Linux?

Kali Linus is one of the first priorities of programmers and developers since it holds all the security tools that you need to create a solid program. Moreover, an 8GB RAM is great for getting started with Kali Linux. You can always go up, but 8GB will do just fine. Therefore, no matter which laptop you are getting, if it holds reliable configurations, then even a powerful gaming laptop is good for Kali Linux.

Now that you know what ethical hacking and Kali Linux you should have also realized how important the configuration of a laptop is. Which brings us to our next question which laptop is best for penetration testing?

You need to consider the processor’s speed, RAM, Storage, and much more if you want to get your hands on the best laptop for ethical hacking.

Which laptop is best for penetration testing?

Some of the main features that you need to look for in the best laptop for penetration testing includes:

RAM

If you are wondering how much RAM do I need for Pentesting? Or is 8GB RAM enough for Pentesting? We are here to help and answer you these questions. 8GB RAM is the starting point when it comes to pentesting.

If you don’t have to budget to improve and want to work on 8GB, it will work adequately. However, having more RAM is always better.

A 16 GB or more is always advisable to have the best and most satisfactory experience. Therefore, now is the time if you have the budget and can update your device.  

Storage

You do need solid storage in the best laptops for cyber security professionals. Starting from 512GB SSD, it is always better to get yourself a device that has SSD instead of HDD. The performance will be faster, and you will get the best necessary experience that everyone wants.

Getting an SSD lower than 512GB is not recommended; however, if you have a limited budget and you just want to get started, go on with whatever you have. But as soon as you get the budget to improve, move up.

Processor

With the range of processors that we get, one might ask, is i3 good for Pentesting? Well, the answer can be YES and NO. If you are just starting and learning pen-testing, an i3 processor will do for you.

However, if you are a part of the professional world, you will need a device that comes with an i5 processor or more. Pen testing is a difficult job and needs perfect configurations for you to work properly; therefore, a powerful processor is essential.

Above mentioned are the three most important things that you should look for in an ultimate pentesting laptop. Still, apart from that, a good battery life, display quality, budget, and other aspects are also very important to consider.

READ: What Makes A Perfect Flutter Development Laptop?

With that being said, some of the best laptops for penetration testing includes:

Best Laptops For Pentesting and Kali Linux

Lenovo ThinkPad X1

Specification:

• Weight: 2.51 pounds
• Processor: Intel Core i7
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 1TB HDD
• Battery Life: 20 hours

Body and Design

Same as the traditional ThinkPad design, ThinkPad X1 Carbon also features a rectangular, black raven shape and color theme. The slim chassis is constructed by a blend of carbon and magnesium, which is of solid quality. The laptop is pretty lightweight, making it quite travel-friendly. Moreover, if you are getting the laptop with a 3840 x 2400 display, you will get a carbon fiber weave as an option for the lid that provides the laptop with an elegant look and a more comfortable feel.

It features a 14 inches display, and the bezels are acceptably thin. At the top bezel, you will find the webcam. The keyboard is pretty comfortable to type on, and at the right top of the keyboard, you will find the power button. The touchpad is impressively large and pretty responsive as well. You will find two buttons right above the touchpad with a red lining along with a red nub at the middle of the keyboard.

Moreover, some of the ports that the laptops come with include two thunderbolts 4 ports, 2 USB Type-A ports, an HDMI port, and an audio jack. Built-wise, the laptop looks quite premium and durable.

Features and Performance

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 features all the best configurations that you require in the best laptop for pen-testing. You will get a RAM of 16 GB, which is great, and the storage capacity is no exception. The laptop features a 1TD HDD storage capacity, which will provide you with a smooth performance.

However, having an SSD would have been better and faster. Nevertheless, the performance remains quite appreciable, and you will experience no lag in your device. Furthermore, it comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, which is fast and powerful both at the same time.

Thus, getting the best pen testing experience is almost unavoidable using this pentesting laptop. Lastly, the most extraordinary thing about this laptop is its battery life. You will get a battery life of around 20 hours which is top-notch.

You can use this device for an entire day without having to charge. Therefore you can even go out with this device without having to worry that it will run out of charge any time soon.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 17

Specification:

• Weight: 5.95 pounds
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
• RAM: 32 GB
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Battery Life: 4 hours

Body and Design

With the impressive aesthetic and its gamer vibe, Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 will catch your eyes in no time. This is one of the best gaming laptops you can get in the market, but it makes a pretty amazing penetration testing laptop with its configurations.

It is not the most lightweight laptop you can get in the market. Having a weight of 5.95 pounds, this will feel like a burden travel around with it. But it targets more of the gaming audience and people who need a solid performing laptop for programming or coding.

Thus, its weight will not bother you very much. It features an aluminum lid with a black color theme and is impressively fingerprint-proof. Fortunately, you will get a huge display screen of 17 inches with this laptop.

And the bezels are relatively thin and do not take up a lot of space. Furthermore, you will get an RGB backlit keyboard with this laptop, which instantly catches your attention when you open the device. But the other thing that will blow your mind is that Asus has made half of the keyboard’s background translucent using black shaded plastic.

The keyboard will provide you with a satisfactory experience along with a very active touchpad. Lastly, you will see an RGB backlit line at the bottom of the device. The laptop sure will shine in the dark and is one of the most eye-catching laptops I have come across.

But if you are someone who prefers simple and more professional themed devices, this one is not for you. Lastly, some of the ports that it comes with include four USB Type-A ports, an HDMI port, an audio jack, and a USB Type-C port.

Features and Performance

With a solid 1 TD SSD, the laptop will run as efficiently as you can possibly imagine. Alongside comes a 32 GB RAM and an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, which means there is no chance that this laptop will lag even with some pretty heavy programs installed in it.

You can perform ethical hacking, install Kali Linux, and do gaming all day long without this device heating up or getting slower in performance. Unfortunately, what’s disappointing is its battery life. With such top-notch configurations, the laptop comes with a battery life of 4 hours which reduces to 2 to 3 hours when constant work is done on the device.

It would have been a deal-breaker for many people, but the company saved the device by providing it with some of the best specifications one could ask for in a laptop. Ignoring its battery life and considering its speed and storage capacity, this is the best laptop for penetration testing that you can get from the market.

MSI GL62M 7RD-1407

Specification:

• Weight: 5.29 pounds
• Processor: Intel Core i5
• RAM: 8GB RAM
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Battery Life: 7 hours

Body and Design

Most people look for a laptop that is lightweight and can be carried around easily. Well, this one is surely not lightweight with a weight of around 5.29 pounds, so if you don’t have a lot of traveling to do, this laptop will do just fine. This laptop is relatively thin, featuring a sleek black theme and a durable body.

It features a plastic body, and you will see some highlights of red here and there on this laptop. You will get a display size of 15 inches with this laptop, but the bezels are noticeably thick. With a quite decent and professional look, the keyboard features decent key travel, and the touchpad is of a reliable size as well.

The keys have a good punch to them, and the touchpad is also responsive to your touch. Moreover, you will get a couple of ports on this laptop. These ports include one USB Type-C port, three USB Type-A ports, a mini-display port, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot. This means you will get enough connectivity options on this laptop.

Features and Performance

This laptop features 8GB RAM and a 256 GB SDD storage capacity. This means you can not run very heavy software on it, but if you are just starting and still learning, this one can be considered as the best laptop for penetration testing for you as a beginner.

It features an Intel Core i5 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPU; therefore, many people also use it as a light gaming laptop. The performance you will get will be efficient, but it depends on your software.

If you are running heavy programs on it, there is a chance that its speed will get affected. But with adequately sized programs and software, the performance you will receive will be as good as any other.

Lastly, you will get a battery life of around 7 hours with this laptop which is quite adequate. Thus it can be considered as the best pentesting laptop for beginners.

Alienware AW17R4-7004SLV-PUS 17

Specification:

• Weight: 9.70 pounds
• Processor: Intel Core i7
• RAM: 16 GB
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Battery Life: 4 hours

Body and Design

Alienware AAW17R4-7004SLV-PUS 17 is quite an aesthetic-looking laptop with a silver-black color theme along with a tinge of red. The lid is silver with the Alienware logo and a rectangle-shaped to top of the lid.

The body looks quite durable, but it is a pretty heavy device. With a weight of around 9.70 pounds, you will surely have trouble traveling with this device. It features a red lining both at the side of the lids and the bottom of the laptop, giving the laptop a more eye-catchy look.

The laptop, fortunately, features a 17 inches display which is impressive, but the bezels are not the thinnest and will take up quite some space. The keyboard is quite spacious, and the key travel is adequate as well.

The alphabets and the numbers printed on the keys are of red color as well the touchpad which makes the laptop stand out. Lastly, you will get only three ports in this device; therefore, the connectivity options are a bit limited. 

Features and Performance

With a storage capacity of 256 GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, you will get enough space to download some decent-sized programs. Additionally, you will get 16 GB RAM which is quite adequate and will make your laptop run quite decently.

The laptop will feature an Intel Core i7 processor and will give you an adequate performance that will not leave you disappointed. Moreover, you will get the Nvidia GTX 1070 GPU on this device. Thus, you can also use it for light gaming. Lastly, you will get a battery life of 4 hours which is not appreciable, and it will reduce to 3 hours under heavy load.

But thanks to its configurations, battery life is not a deal-breaker. You can always use the device with the charger connected; thus, with a durable body and a reliable performance, this laptop will give you an adequate pentesting experience.

Conclusion

Everything you need to know about the best laptop for penetration testing is mentioned above. We hope you will get all your answers regarding the best ethical hacking device you can get from the market from the configurations you require and the devices you can get.