Laptops have become increasingly popular and relevant in recent years time. Today, we have laptops to play games, watch movies, listen to music, whatever. Today we are going to talk about a particular branch of laptops: those used for hacking. So if you are looking for the best laptops for hacking, you have come to the right place.
Many people attribute all kinds of negative synonyms to piracy. This is mainly due to the fear of becoming a victim of piracy. However, there is a world of differences between a “professional” hacker and an “ethical” hacker.
Best Laptop For Hacking
Ethical hackers test the limits of laptop and laptop protection systems, and we’ll be talking about laptops that will help you make it as easy as possible for the least amount of cash. That is why we will talk about these hacked laptops here. Without further ado, let’s get right to it.
Best Laptop For Hacking | Comparison Table 2021
Image | Title | Brand | Buy |
---|---|---|---|
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT Slim Laptop | 15.6" Full HD Display | 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor | 4GB DDR4 | 128GB NVMe SSD | WiFi 6 | Amazon Alexa | Windows 10 Home (S Mode) | Acer | Check Price | |
ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6” FHD Display, Intel i3-1005G1 CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint, Windows 10 Home in S Mode, Slate Gray, F512JA-AS34 | ASUS | Check Price | |
Alienware m15 R4 RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop Full HD (FHD), 15.6 inch - Intel Core i7-10870H, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home - Lunar Light (Latest Model) | Alienware | Check Price | |
Razer Blade 15 Base Gaming Laptop 2020: Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, 15.6" FHD 1080p 120Hz, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, CNC Aluminum, Chroma RGB Lighting, Black | Razer | Check Price | |
MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFK-062 15.6" FHD 144Hz 3ms Thin Bezel Gaming Laptop Intel Core i7-10750H RTX2070 16GB 512GB NVMe SSD Win 10 (Renewed) | MSI | Check Price | |
Lenovo ThinkPad T480 14" HD Anti-Glare Laptop Computer, Intel Core i5-7200U, 8GB DDR4, 512GB SSD PCIe-NVME, Fingerprint Reader, USB 3.1 Type-C, Webcam, Bluetooth, HDMI, Windows 10 | Lenovo | Check Price | |
Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop PC, 15.6" FHD IPS w/ 144Hz Refresh, Intel i7-8750H, GTX 1060 6GB, 16GB DDR4, 256GB NVMe SSD, Aeroblade Metal Fans PH315-51-78NP | Acer | Check Price | |
2021 Newest Dell G5 15.6'' FHD Gaming Laptop, Intel i7-10750H, NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCIe Solid State Drive, HDMI, WiFi, Backlit Keyboard, Win10 Home | Dell | Check Price | |
Acer 2021 Flagship Predator Helios 300 Gaming 17 Laptop 17.3” FHD 144Hz IPS 10th Gen Intel 6-Core i7-10750H 16GB RAM 1TB SSD + 2TB HDD GeForce RTX 2060 6GB Backlit USB-C Win10 + iCarp HDMI Cable | Acer | Check Price |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Best Laptop For Hacking | 2021 Products Overview
1. Acer Aspire 5 A515
- Powerful Productivity: AMD Ryzen 3 3350U delivers desktop-class performance and amazing battery life in a slim notebook. With Precision Boost, get up to 3.5GHz for your high-demand applications
- Maximized Visuals: See even more on the stunning 15.6 Full HD display with 82.58% screen-to-body, 16:9 aspect ratio and narrow bezels
- Backlit Keyboard and Fingerprint Reader: Biometric fingerprint reader and Windows Hello sign-in options help keep your Acer PC secure
- Internal Specifications: 4GB DDR4 on-board memory (1 slot available); 128GB NVMe solid-state drive storage (1 hard drive bay available) to store your files and media
- Acers Purified.Voice technology, features enhanced digital signal processing to cancel out background noise, improve speech accuracy and far-field pickup, which not only makes calls clearer, but makes talking to Alexa easier than before.
- Using Alexa on your PC is as easy as asking a question. Just ask and Alexa can check your calendar, create lists, play music, answer questions, read the news and more.
- Secure Operating System: Windows 10 Home (S mode) comes with advanced security features built right in, like protections against phishing and malicious software so you dont have to think twice when navigating to a new webpage or downloading an app
- Connections: 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz featuring MU-MIMO technology; 10 100 1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN; Bluetooth 5.1
- Ports For All Your Accessories: USB 3.2 Type-C, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 (1 Power-off Charging), USB 2.0, HDMI 2.0 with HDCP support, headphone speaker line-out jack, Ethernet (RJ-45), DC-in for AC adapter
- The Right Fit: 14.32 W x 9.86 D x 0.71 H; 3.99 lbs; One-Year International Travelers Limited Warranty (ITW); Up to 10 hours of battery life
2. ASUS VivoBook 15
- 15.6 inch Full HD (1920x1080) 4-way NanoEdge bezel display with a stunning 88% screen-to-body ratio
- Compatible with Google Classroom; run Google Classroom on Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer 11
- Latest 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU (4M Cache, up to 3.4 GHz)
- 8 GB DDR4 RAM and 128 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
- Ergonomic backlit keyboard with fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello
- Exclusive Ergolift design for an improved typing position
- Comprehensive connections including USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 2.0, and HDMI; Gigabit Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) (USB Transfer speed may vary. Learn more at ASUS website)
- Windows 10 in S mode exclusively runs apps from the Microsoft Store. To install an app that isnt available in the Microsoft Store, simply switch out of S mode in three easy steps. Theres no charge to switch out of S mode
3. Alienware m15 R4
- 15.6-inch FHD (Full HD 1920 x 1080) 300Hz 3ms 300-nits 100% sRGB color gamut
- 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870H (8-Core, 16MB Cache, up to 5.0GHz Max Turbo Frequency)
- 16GB 2933MHz DDR4 , 1 TB PCIe SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6
- Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 802.11ax 2x2 Wireless LAN + Bluetooth 5.1
- Weighing in as low as 4.65 lbs., under 20.5mm thin, 360.3mm wide and 276.2mm long
- Alienware m15 includes an improved surface coating engineered to reduce fingerprint smearing and other typical stains without changing the hue or color.
- Advanced Alienware Cryo-Tech, is an engineering approach where an Alienware system’s gaming performance is never compromised by means of electrical and mechanical methods while maintaining system stability during the highest performance states
4. Razer Blade 15
- More Power. The 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor provides the ultimate level of performance with up to 5.0GHz Max Turbo and 6 cores
- Supercharger: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics is a blazing-fast supercharger for today’s most popular games
- More Frames: Incredible performance paired with the fast 120Hz 15.6 Full HD thin bezel display helps edge out the win
- Thin and Compact: The CNC aluminum unibody frame houses incredible performance in the most compact footprint possible, while remaining remarkably durable and just 0.78 thin
- Ready To Connect: Fully loaded with ample connectivity including a webcam, wireless-AC, Bluetooth 5, 2X USB Type-A, 2X Type-C ports, and more
5. MSI GL65 Leopard
- 15.6 FHD IPS-Level 144Hz 72%NTSC Thin Bezel close to 100%Srgb NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8G GDDR6
- Intel Core i7-10750H 2.6-5.0GHz Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201(2*2 ax)
- 512GB NVMe SSD 16GB (8G*2)DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets Max Memory 64GB
- USB 3.1 Gen2 Type C *1 USB 3.2 Gen1 *3 Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key+ silver lining 720p HD Webcam
- Win10 Multi-language Giant Speakers 3W*2 6 cell (51Wh) Li-Ion 230W
- Customize each key to your liking and receive real-time in-game status through keyboard lighting, or even watch the lights dance to your favorite tune
- Dedicated thermal solutions for both the CPU and GPU with a total of 7 heat pipes ensure maximum performance under extreme gaming.
- The fastest gaming display brings you the most vibrant visuals so you never miss a beat.
6. Lenovo ThinkPad T480
- 15.6 HD (1366 x 768) anti-glare display; 720p HD Camera with ThinkShutter and microphone; Fingerprint Reader; 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7200U Processor (2.50GHz, up to 3.10GHz, 3MB Cache); Integrated Intel HD Graphics 620; No optical drive.
- 8GB DDR4 2400MHz; The DDR4 memory boosts transfer rates while using less voltage, making your run faster and more efficiently. 512GB Solid State Drive, PCIe-NVME OPAL2.0 M.2; 512GB SOLID STATE DRIVE (SSD) - While offering less storage space than a hard drive, a flash-based SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production and power draw on the battery.
- Wireless Connectivity - Connect to a Wireless-AC router for speed nearly 3x faster than Wireless-N. Bluetooth 4.1 - Wirelessly transfer photos, music and other media between the desktop and your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or MP3 player, or connect Bluetooth wireless accessories.
- Intel Dual Band 8265 Wireless AC (2 x 2), Bluetooth 4.1 with vPro, RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet; 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (one Always On), 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort, Data transfer), HDMI, Headphone and microphone combo jack, Dolby Audio Premium; 4-in-1 Micro SD card reader (SD, MMC, SDHC, SDXC).
- Windows 10 operating system - Windows 10 brings back the Start Menu from Windows 7 and introduces new features, like the Edge Web browser that lets you markup Web pages on your screen.
7. Acer Predator Helios 300
- 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.1GHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Overclockable Graphics with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM
- 15.6 Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC )
- 16GB DDR4 2666MHz DRAM Memory & 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD | Extra empty accessible slot for 2.5 inch hard drive or SSD.Maximum Power Supply Wattage:180 W
- Gigabit Wi-Fi |Backlit Keyboard | USB 3.1 (Type C) | Dual All-Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan Cooling | Metal Chassis.Battery Capacity:3320 mAh
- Up to 7-hours of battery life
8. Newest Dell G5 15.6”
- 【Display】15.6 inch FHD(1920x1080) 300nits WVA Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display(non-touch), 60Hz refresh rate
- 【10th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor】10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H (12MB Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 6 cores), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB GDDR6
- 【High Speed RAM And Enormous Space】RAM Is 16GB DDR4 Memory For Multitasking Adequate High-Bandwidth RAM To Smoothly Run Multiple Applications And Browser Tabs All At Once; Hard Drive Is 512GB PCIe Solid State Drive allows to fast bootup and data transfer
- 【Tech Specs】1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Headset jack, 2 x SuperSpeed USB 2.0, 1 x Wedge lock slot, 1 x SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet, 1 x USB-C with DisplayPort Alt-Mode
- 【Operating System】Windows 10 Home-The Windows 10 Home operating system offers built-in security and app like Mail, Calendar, Photo, Microsoft Edge, and more to help keep you safe and productive
9. Acer Flagship Predator Helios 300
- 【CUSTOMlZED, Professional Upgraded to】: 64GB RAM | 1TB SSD
- Equipped With The Most Powerful and Fast 10th Gen Intel 6-Core i7-10750H (Base Clock 2.6GHz, Max Boost Clock Up to 5.0GHz, 12MB Smart Cache, 12 Threads)
- Decide which calls to you: blistering FHD at up to 360Hz1 or pristine QHD at 165Hz. The 3ms overdrive response3 also makes kicking this laptop into high gear a tear-free, seamless experience with minimal ghosting.
- 3 x USB-A 3.1, 1 x USB-C 3.2 ( Up to 10 Gbps, USB charging 5 V 3A), 1 x HDMI, 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
- Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit), Backlit Keyboard, WIFI6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, Webcam, Up to 6 hours of battery life【iCarp HDMI Cable】
- Through strategically placed thermal foam, we are able to optimize airflow, increase overall cooling, and reduce the skin temperature of the device.
- Decide which calls to you: blistering FHD at up to 360Hz1 or pristine QHD at 165Hz. The 3ms overdrive response3 also makes kicking this laptop into high gear a tear-free, seamless experience with minimal ghosting.
Hardware requirements for hacking a laptop:
Obviously, you cannot use almost any PC or laptop to learn how to hack, let alone perform the plethora of complex operations on it. You will need a strong processor unit, a solid graphics card, and plenty of rams because most hacking tools will eat you up in no time.
In this section, we will talk about the minimum and recommended requirements in terms of the components your laptop needs for hacking and penetration testing.
CPU power:
Generally speaking, you need at least a gigabyte of CPU to run the most basic hacking and pen testing tools. However, the bare minimum will only get you so far. Most people who really know a thing or two about hacking would recommend at least a 1GB dual-core processor unit (each).
As you get better at hacking, you will start using more advanced hacking tools and emulators. Eventually, you will start using them simultaneously. That is why you have to stock up on quantity and cores if you want to ensure good performance from your laptop.
Graphics card:
It seems a bit paradoxical that a graphics card is needed to hack. Visually, most hacking tools are not “heavy” so some people even ask “is GPU needed?”
Simply put, it is not only necessary, but it can make your hacking life a lot easier. That is, CPUs are multi-core at best, while GPUs have hundreds, sometimes even thousands. These little cores are of course different in many ways compared to CPU cores.
It would be better if you had a decent GPU because this particular component does the instant calculations on thousands of threads. In simple words, the CPU does the “heavy lifting” while the GPU does many smaller operations.
RAM:
Memory is perhaps the most important element of your hacking laptop. It “feeds” the tools it uses, as well as the operating system it is on. It’s pretty safe to say that you won’t even be able to run most hacking tools without at least a gigabyte of RAM.
In this case, “the bigger the better” is the best application. The more RAM you have, the more complex operations you can perform. Most hacking tools gobble up a substantial amount of RAM initially. The further you go, the more threads you use, the more RAM you need. For ethical hacking and pen testing, a gigabyte of RAM would suffice.
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 very small budget.
Network adapter:
You should not use your “normal” internet connection if you want to hack for obvious reasons. First, you will leave a lot of traces online, and secondly, you will need a stable connection, or all your efforts could go to waste at any time.
There are a couple of vital elements that a network adapter must give you if we are to call it “good”. First of all, a reliable adapter has a good antenna (or two in some cases, like Panda’s PAU09).
Second, you will want an adapter that has a sufficient operating range. The higher the range, the more stable the connection will be when it reaches its limit. Lastly, your adapter must be compatible with your laptop (the best connectivity is guaranteed with the USB connection).
Battery Life:
This is a crucial part of any laptop that a lot of 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.
What is a good operating system for hacking?
You should not use Windows to hack, either professionally or ethically. Windows will not allow you to play with its source code, while other systems will. That’s one of the main reasons you should try Linux (Kali, specifically) or Mac OS. But if you are thinking about your laptop security, we have a guide for you too.
Linux OS:
Generally speaking, the relatively new software called Kali operates on the Linux operating system. Currently, it is one of the most widely used and recognized hacking programs, not to mention that it is also the most accessible.
Linux is basically an open-source replica of the Unix operating system, so naturally, it offers numerous downloadable programs based on it. However, Linux has a relatively complex user interface and inferior gesture support, which is why more and more people are turning to Mac OS.
Mac OS:
The first good thing about Mac OS is the “amount” of anonymity you can take advantage of. By using this operating system, it will be much more difficult to track it compared to using Linux, let alone Windows operating systems.
Additionally, Mac OS allows you to work in terminal environments. You will be able to access things that are generally inaccessible with any other system. Beyond that point, that also means that Mac OS is a bit more difficult for beginners to use.
Conclusion
Many laptops are labeled “good” or “best for hackers.” The truth is that most of them were “gaming laptops” with high settings. If you are looking for the best hacking laptops, you can go for any of these laptops.
We have selected seven models from six of the biggest names in the industry, knowing they possess the leading technologies. Acer’s Aspire 5 offers a budget and best option; Apple MacBook Air is really adequate but expensive. Now relax and choose, these are among the best laptops for hackers.
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