Best Laptops For Pentesting and Hacking in 2023 [Expert Picks & Ultimate Guide]

‘Pentesting’ or penetration testing is nothing but ethical hacking of a computer system. This is done to evaluate and research the security of a system. The essential item for conducting pen-testing is a laptop. But, a regular or traditional laptop would be of no use for this special purpose. You need a laptop with certain features and highlights to carry out pentesting activities. This ethical hacking activity can be conducted on any system, laptop, servers, scanners, networks, or any other electronic devices with an internet connection.

Let me tell you why a normal laptop in the market won’t suffice this use. A traditional laptop would be of fair specifications, like good battery life, processor, RAM, etc. But, to do a penetration test one has to have an extraordinary laptop of great specifications, as this job would require much more than normal specifications. The laptop you choose must be able to work much faster with great battery life. Buying just a costly laptop also will not be enough. You should go through each specification of the laptop before you buy it. 

A high-speed processor along with a good graphics card is an absolute requirement for pen-testing. You will have to install certain kinds of software on your laptop to do pen-testing. Only a laptop with exact specifications, which will be mentioned in this article, will able to cope up and work great for pen-testing. Pentesting is a legal activity that is carried out as a security research action. There are exclusive software programs available to conduct this process. 

When you are all set to do pentesting, you will arrive at a point where you will be confused to choose the best laptop with good features. A laptop that works flawlessly is important for your job. You do not want your laptop to have lags while you work in front of your clients. A laptop with fast processing speed and good battery life will save you from this embarrassment and offer you a great reputation at work and among your peers. We have made your job simpler and shortlisted some of the best laptops available in the market for pen-testing. 

Best Laptops For Pentesting and Hacking in 2023

Image	Product	Features	Price
	Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 20S0002NUS 14 inch Notebook	RAM: 8GB Storage: 256GB SSD Weight: 0.4 ounces	Check Price on Amazon
	LG gram Laptop	RAM: 16 GB  Storage: 1 TB SSD (2 x 512GB )  Weight: 2.4 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	ASUS VivoBook 15	RAM: 8GB Storage: 128GB SSD Weight: 3.75 lbs	Check Price on Amazon
	Dell Inspiron 13 5310	RAM: 8GB Storage: 512GB SSD Weight: 2.78 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop ( L340 Gaming series )	RAM: 8 GB DDR4 Storage: 512 GB SSD  Weight: 4.84 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	Apple MacBook Pro	RAM: 16 GB  Storage: 512 GB  Weight: 8.23 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	Dell Inspiron i5577 ( 7342BLK-PUS series )	RAM: 16 GB  Storage: 512 GB SSD Weight: 5.66 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	ASUS VivoBook ( Asus VivoBook F510 series )	RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM  Storage: 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD Weight: 3.7 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	MS Surface Laptop 3	RAM: 16 GB RAM  Storage: 512 GB SSD  Weight: 2.75 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	Acer Aspire E 15 (Aspire E series)	RAM: 8 GB  Storage: 256 GB SSD  Weight: 5.27 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 Thin and Portable Laptop (VivoBook Pro 17 N705 series)	RAM: 16 GB DDR4 Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD  Weight: 4.85 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	Acer Spin 3 Convertible Laptop	RAM: 16 GB DDR4 Storage: 512 GB SSD  Weight: 3.7 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	Lenovo Thinkpad E590 Laptop (E590 Notebook PC)	RAM: 16 GB DDR4 Storage: 256 GB SSD  Weight: 4.7 pounds	Check Price on Amazon
	Acer Nitro 5	RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB SSD Weight: 5.07 lbs	Check Price on Amazon

1. Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 20S0002NUS 14″ Notebook

• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 256GB SSD
• Weight: 0.4 ounces
• Color: Black

When it comes to pentesting, you want to invest in options that are not just the best in terms of performance but also superior in terms of the overall user experience and responsiveness. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 1 20S0002NUS 14″ Notebook take the cake with both.

Not only is it one of the best lightweight and portable devices in the market, but it also stands out in terms of design and structure, something that many users consequently rave about. Besides the overall performance, the device is powered by the latest 10th Gen. Intel core processor.

The sleek all-black narrow bezel design is supported by a 14” FHD display with 1080p screen resolution for heightened responsiveness like never before. Not just that, the 1.80 GHz clock speed with the processor is something that you will never once have to compromise on.

The only downside to this device is the fact that lacks a responsive backlit keyboard. Besides that, the device also comes with a 256GB SSD of storage with 8GB RAM for the ultimate performance and responsiveness with efficient RAM management.

2. LG gram Laptop

• RAM: 16 GB 
• Storage: 1 TB SSD (2 x 512GB ) 
• Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Color: Dark silver

LG Gram laptop comes with a 15.6 inch full HD display. The laptop produces crystal clear display quality. The best feature of this laptop is its touch screen feature. The laptop is also very lightweight, making it extremely comfortable to carry around. The battery life is long-lasting and works for about 18 hours after each charge. 

LG Gram laptop uses the 8th generation i7 – 8565U processor. The laptop provides 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD storage space. It has a fingerprint reader to provide you data security. You do not have to worry about anyone using your laptop, as you can lock it with the fingerprint option. The keyboard has backlit features. 

The laptop comes with Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, making it efficient for data transfer. You can make fast-speed data transfer via multiple ports provided. The laptop is quite costly than its peers, but the specifications of it make it worth buying. 

The touchpad in the laptop supports up to four fingers and multi-touch gestures. Overall, the laptop offers premium performance, making your multitasking a piece of cake. It is an ideal choice for pentesting if you don’t have any budget issues. 

3. ASUS VivoBook 15

• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 128GB SSD
• Weight: 3.75 lbs
• Color: Black

If there’s one laptop from ASUS that is never going to go out of style, it is the ASUS VivoBook 15. The device is designed for the best and brings you the best of both worlds, especially when you are consistently looking for the ultimate user experience.

A device is a versatile option that works well for students, content creators, and ethical hackers. As for the display, it is equipped with a 15.6” FHD 4-way nano edge display with an 88% screen-to-body ratio and a vibrant visual experience.

The VivoBook 15 is powered by the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU and features the ultimate ErgoLift hinge for a flexible and comfortable user experience, especially when you are managing work for extended periods and want to have a comfortable typing experience.

Besides the performance, even the design of this laptop is the best with a lightweight and sleek design for a superior mobile experience, especially if you are on the go. The ultimate flex of this device has to be the nano-edge display with a backlit keyboard.

As for storage and memory, users get to make the most out of their pentesting experience with 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD of storage. You also get to make the most out of the device with both the wireless and I/O connectivity choices.

4. Dell Inspiron 13 5310

• RAM: 8GB
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Weight: 2.78 pounds
• Color: Platinum Silver

Although priced a little over $1000, the Dell Inspiron 13 5310 is worth every penny you spend on the device. From the sleek and compact design to the ultimate and uninterrupted performance, the device manages to take over any other laptop for pen-testing.

The first standout feature of this device is the 13.3-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and 1600p screen resolution for the ultimate user experience. Besides that, it is also backed with an anti-glare non-touch display with 300 nits brightness.

As for the performance, the Dell Inspiron 13 5310 is powered by the latest 11th Generation Intel Core i7-11370H Processor with NVIDIA MX450 GPU for the ultimate graphics and visual output and uninterrupted performance from the device.

Elevate the overall performance with 512GB SSD of storage and 16GB RAM and you will never once want to back out and ask for anything else in your life. The best part of this amazing device hands down has to be the portable and mobile experience it provides the users with.

Besides the standard configuration, the Inspiron 13 is further backed with the latest connectivity options with the wireless connection and the array of I/O ports that help make the most out of the device’s performance.

The device is further integrated with Amazon Alexa for better voice command operations, in case you are on the lookout for the same.

5. Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop ( L340 Gaming series )

• RAM: 8 GB DDR4
• Storage: 512 GB SSD 
• Weight: 4.84 pounds
• Color: Black 

Lenovo IdeaPad L340 gaming laptop comes with a 15.6 inch full HD display. The laptop uses the 9th generation Intel Core i5 processor. With an i5 processor on board, the laptop offers good speed with fast performance. With the i5 processor, you will experience no lags or hanging during your work. 

The laptop provides 8 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB NVMe SSD storage. With NVIDIA GeForce graphics the laptop provides commendable visuals. The display comes with a 1920 * 1080 screen resolution. You will have a splendid visual experience with this laptop while you work.

The laptop uses Dolby Audio technology to deliver amazing sound quality. You can switch between various modes according to your work. Though it is a gaming laptop, it’s ultra-fast performance and speed makes it the best one for pen-testing. 

The laptop comes with a backlit keyboard. A keyboard with the backlit feature will help you work even during the nights with the utmost ease. The laptop’s processor makes hacking software run in it with fast speed. The laptop also has a special vintage eye care mode to protect your vision when you use it for a long time continuously.

6. Apple MacBook Pro

• RAM: 16 GB 
• Storage: 512 GB 
• Weight: 8.23 pounds
• Color: Silver 

If you belong to the Apple family, then Apple MacBook Pro will undoubtedly be the best choice for your pen-testing. Apple MacBook Pro uses the ninth generation 6 core Intel Core i7 processor. The MacBook is the best in every aspect. 

It has a 16-inch retina display designed with true-time technology to produce original and brilliant colors. This model comes in two colors: Silver and space grey. It provides you 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. The MacBook uses AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics to deliver brilliant visuals. You can expand the storage in the future up to 8 TB. This is by far the highest storage in any notebook. 

The six-speaker sound system will deliver great audio quality. It works with extraordinary speed to impress you with your business works and pen-testing. The MacBook is known for its fast processing speed. It automatically cools down and has heat dispersing fins to work for more hours. 

You can open up to 100 files at a time and experience no lags in this MacBook. With all the brilliant features, the MacBook comes with a higher price. If you do not have any financial constraints, you can go ahead purchasing this efficient piece of work. 

7. Dell Inspiron i5577 ( 7342BLK-PUS series )

• RAM: 16 GB 
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• Weight: 5.66 pounds
• Color: Black

Dell Inspiron i5577 is a gaming laptop that is also ideal for pen-testing. Many gaming laptops are designed with a high-performance feature that is also suitable for business purposes such as pen-testing. This laptop also belongs to that type.

It comes with the 7th generation Intel Core i7 Quad-Core processor. It provides 16 GB RAM, which can be expanded up to 32 GB. It provides sufficient SSD storage up to 512 GB. The laptop weighs about 6 pounds. 

The laptop has a 15.6 inch full HD display. The display is an anti-glare LED-backlit display. It comes with Windows 10 Home Operating system. The laptop has a good battery life. It uses NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics to produce amazing visuals. The rear web camera resolution on this laptop is 2 MP.

The laptop is very sensitive to commands and delivers amazing speed and effective performance. It comes in a complete attractive black finish. This laptop is a bit costly, but worth every penny. The laptop has no built-in optical drive to connect DVDs or CDs. It is of medium weight and easily portable. You can carry it in your backpack anywhere you go. 

8. ASUS VivoBook ( Asus VivoBook F510 series )

• RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM 
• Storage: 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD
• Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Color: Grey

ASUS Vivobook is a thin and lightweight laptop that is easy to carry around with utmost ease. It comes with the 8th generation Intel Core i5 – 8250U processor. The laptop provides 8 GB of expandable RAM and 128 GB SSD storage and 1 TB HDD storage. It has a fingerprint sensor to provide security. 

You can lock your laptop using this feature to prevent data theft or anyone from using it. Vivobook comes with a 15.6 inch full HD display that produces crystal clear visuals. The keyboard is made of ergonomic design to elevate your comfortability. Vivobook has multiple ports such as USB 3.1, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI, and SD card ports.

NanoEdge display makes the screen look incredible. The modern technology incorporated in the Vivobook optimizes visuals and you can view the screen in any mode. The modes are normal mode, vivid mode, eye care mode, and manual mode. 

Vivobook’s fast processor and storage make it deliver amazing performance with super-fast processing speed. The display also optimized the brightness, contrast, and sharpness. This ASUS Vivobook model doesn’t have a backlit keyboard like its peers. The Ethernet port is also missing in the Vivobook. 

9. MS Surface Laptop 3

• RAM: 16 GB RAM 
• Storage: 512 GB SSD 
• Weight: 2.75 pounds
• Color: Platinum / Matte Black / Cobalt Blue / Sandstone

The Microsoft Surface 3 laptop is a thin and extremely light-weight laptop. It has a 13.5-inch display. The Microsoft Surface 3 laptop comes with a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor. I7 processors are generally known for amazing speed and efficient performance. 

The laptop comes with an attractive design, which is also available in many colors. The laptop has a good battery life. It will work up to 12 hours after each charge. The laptop is suitable to install hacking software programs. It is one of the ideal choices for you to carry out your pentesting activities. 

The laptop provides up to 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage capacity. This is indeed a great capacity to carry out as many activities as possible. The laptop has 2 USB ports: USB C type and USB A-type. It uses Intel Iris Plus Graphics to deliver amazing picture and video quality.

The laptop supports fast charging. You can charge it soon if you are running late or when you have an emergency work or something. It takes just about an hour for the laptop to charge up to 80 percent.

Ultimate Buying Guide To Choose the Right Laptops For Pentesting in 2023

To carry out pentesting or security research on a system, a laptop should have a fast processing speed to deliver uninterrupted performance. This is very important as you will be working on multiple software programs on your laptop. Decide your budget and make sure your laptop compulsorily has these specifications to deliver an amazing performance. You can also prefer to purchase laptops that have good brand value rather than opting for a new brand. Reputed brands always tend to deliver satisfactory performance to impress their customers and maintain their integrity in the market. Apart from the brand value, take a look at these specs mentioned below on the laptop you are going to purchase. 

1. Budget

Budget is the first factor you should decide before reviewing other technical aspects of a laptop. This is relatable to any electronic device, irrespective of laptops. But, for the pen-testing budget is important, as the prices of laptops suitable for this activity are usually higher. Pentesting is a high profile activity and not carried out by everyone you see. Laptops that are best for ethical hacking come with prices higher than usual. They are generally a bit costly than your usual laptops, as the specs are special. But, you can always choose a laptop from the wide varieties within your budget. So, it is necessary to first decide your budget range and then start hunting for laptops. Then, it will be easy for you to find the laptop with good specs under your budget.

2. Processor

The processor is the foremost important factor for a laptop, as it decides the laptop’s speed and performance quality. You need a fast working processor in your laptop to carry out pen-testing. Pentesting requires installing hacking software on your system. A laptop with an i5 or i7 processor will be able to give you the desired performance you expect. Laptops with these processors make sure your computer runs smoothly with great speed. Though laptops with the i7 processor are a bit costly, it will give you amazing performance with great battery life. If you have any budget constraints, you can prefer the i5 processor. Laptops with the i5 processor comes a bit cheaper than those with the i7 processor. 

3. RAM and Storage

The next factor is the RAM and Storage of your laptop. Ethical hacking software requires at least 15 – 20 GB of space on your laptop. To install such software programs and to do multitasking you will need high storage and RAM. You will require a minimum of 4 GB RAM to carry out pentesting activities. Though 8 GB is a great choice, it is a bit costly. If you don’t have financial restrictions, you should opt for a laptop with 8 GB RAM. Coming to storage, you can either opt for SSD or HDD. SSD will offer you great boot time than HDD. But, it has its price. SSD storage laptops are costlier than HDD laptops. A minimum of 250 GB storage is mandatory. You can choose SSD or HDD based on your budget.

4. Battery life

This is another important factor to consider. Many laptop models tend to run out of battery soon. The higher the battery life, the higher it makes portability an easy task. You do not want your laptop to drain the battery very often. So, check the battery life of the laptop before you purchase it. You do not want to sit beside a plug-in all day. Pentesting requires your laptop to function for many hours. Good battery life is necessary to carry out this action. If you keep sitting near a plug point always to charge your laptop, it will affect the portability of the laptop. You won’t be able to move or travel anywhere.

5. Graphics card and WiFi

Make sure your laptop has a good graphics card that functions well. You can always opt for graphic cards that have a good brand value in the industry. Many laptops come with a graphics card that produces amazing visuals. You can check on them. Next is the WiFi. Internet connection is mandatory for any business-related activities. Therefore, a good WiFi feature is a mandatory thing for pen-testing. Check if your laptop has efficient WiFi connectivity options. You can also rely on external WiFi support for better functions. You will need an internet connection most of the time to carry out pen-testing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Best Laptops For Pentesting in 2023

1. Which processor is ideal for pen-testing on a laptop?

For pen testing or ethical hacking, you can choose a laptop with either i5 or i7 processor. i7 processors are generally costlier than i5. So, based on your budget, you can decide one of two processors. i7 processors work much faster than i5 processors.

2. Is pentesting an illegal activity?

No, not at all! Pentesting is a completely legal activity. It is nothing but ethical hacking done on systems with legal support. It is mostly carried out for security research purposes. There are exclusive Operating System and software designed for this use.

3. How long does it take for single pentesting?

Pentesting usually takes longer than your usual computer activities. Pentesting an application or small connection system takes about a few days to complete. Pentesting a larger network will take up to weeks or even a month. It also depends on the person who does it and his efficiency.

4. In what types of systems pentesting is conducted upon?

Pentesting is done on a wide range of systems such as servers, operating systems, wireless systems, fax machines, computers, printers, devices with an internet connection, workstations, virtual environment, etc. Mostly, security research will be done on these devices.

5. What is the minimum RAM and storage needed for penetration tests?

You will need a minimum of 4 GB RAM for pen-testing. As for storage, a minimum of 250 GB is mandatory for efficient performance. But, without budget constraints, you can always prefer 8 GB RAM and higher SSD storage. This is a very important factor because your pentesting software programs and other hacking activities need more space to work efficiently. 

Before checking on all the above factors, decide your budget for the laptop. Within the decided budget, make sure your laptop comprises of all the specs mentioned above. A fast processor, long-lasting battery life, high RAM, and storage are mandatory factors among the others. No more wait, you can begin to hunt down the laptop for your hacking activities.

6. Are gaming laptops good for running penetration testing simulations?

Yes, gaming laptops are an excellent choice for running penetration testing simulations because these high specs laptops allow you to run different kinds of complex computer programmes. Gaming laptops are expensive as they are loaded with features, but they will make running penetration testing simulation easy for you. If a gaming laptop is under your budget, you can efficiently conduct any vulnerability test like blind, white-box, double-blind, and internal and external tests. 

7. Is Kali Linux a mandatory software to have in a laptop for running penetration testing simulations?

As per security researchers, Kali Linux is the primarily used software and very helpful. Usually, pentesters use this to know the potential weakness of networks or services. They need to run many tests to check for any vulnerability; some of these tests are the Blind test, External and Internal test, Double-Blind Test, White Box Test etc. 

Kali Linux is a helpful software for running these testing simulations. Using this is 100% legal also; it is designed with open-source penetration testing software.

8. What is the ideal display size for pentesting laptops?

In order to find the vulnerability of any network or services, pentesters need to run some testing simulations where they need to access comprehensive data and to do that; they need a big-screen laptop. 

We suggest that when buying a laptop for pen-testing, the screen size should be 15 or above because, with the help of a bigger screen, you can easily eliminate any loopholes. It is very convenient for large-screen laptops while doing ethical hacking.