9+ Best Laptop For Hacking 2021 | Pentesting and Ethical Guide

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

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Best Laptop For Hacking | 2021 Products Overview

Product Overview:

The Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT is a mid-range laptop designed for everyday use, productivity, and light gaming. It features an 11th generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor, which delivers unmatched speed and intelligence, allowing for impressive creating, productivity, and gaming experiences. The processor can reach up to 4.1GHz with Turbo Boost Technology, making it capable of handling high-demand applications with ease.

The laptop comes with a 15.6″ Full HD display with 82.58% screen-to-body ratio and narrow bezels, providing a visibly stunning visual experience. The ergonomic design of the hinge lifts the keyboard for comfortable typing, improved cooling, and a better sound experience. Additionally, the laptop features 4GB DDR4 on-board memory with one slot available, and 128GB NVMe solid-state drive storage with one hard drive bay available to store your files and media.

Acer’s Purified.Voice technology features enhanced digital signal processing to cancel out background noise, improve speech accuracy, and far-field pickup, making calls clearer and talking to Alexa easier than before. Speaking of Alexa, the laptop has built-in support for the voice assistant, allowing for hands-free interaction.

The laptop comes with Windows 11 Home (S Mode), which is a secure operating system with advanced security features built right in, such as protections against phishing and malicious software, so you don’t have to think twice when navigating to a new webpage or downloading an app.

The laptop has plenty of ports for all your accessories, including 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), and DC-in for AC adapter. It comes with an AC adapter and power cord in the box.

Product Overview:

The ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop is a popular 15.6-inch laptop that comes in a sleek slate gray color. With a 4-way NanoEdge bezel display, the laptop offers a stunning 88% screen-to-body ratio, which means that users can enjoy an immersive viewing experience without any distractions. This laptop is compatible with Google Classroom, which is perfect for students who are learning remotely. Google Classroom can be run on Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer 11, which means that users can easily access their online classes.

The laptop is equipped with the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 CPU, which provides impressive performance with 4M Cache, and a turbo frequency of up to 3.4 GHz. The laptop also comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 128GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage, which allows for speedy data transfer and quick boot-up times. The laptop also features an ergonomic backlit keyboard with a fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello for improved security.

The ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop comes with an exclusive Ergolift design, which provides an improved typing position for comfortable typing over long periods. The laptop has comprehensive connections including USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 2.0, and HDMI, as well as Gigabit Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac). The USB transfer speed may vary depending on the device, and users can learn more about it on the ASUS website.

The laptop runs on Windows 10 Home in S mode, which means that it exclusively runs apps from the Microsoft Store. However, to install an app that isn't available in the Microsoft Store, users can switch out of S mode in three easy steps. There's no charge to switch out of S mode, which means that users can easily access all the apps they need.

Overall, the ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop is a powerful and versatile laptop that is perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who needs a reliable and efficient computing device. Its sleek design, powerful performance, and comprehensive connections make it a great choice for anyone looking for a high-quality laptop at an affordable price.

Product Overview:

The Alienware m15 R4 is a high-performance gaming laptop with top-of-the-line specifications designed to meet the demands of serious gamers. With a sleek Lunar Light design, this laptop boasts a 15.6-inch Full HD (FHD) display with a 300Hz refresh rate, 3ms response time, and 300-nits of brightness. The display has a 100% sRGB color gamut, providing vibrant and accurate colors for an immersive gaming experience.

The laptop is powered by a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870H processor, which is an eight-core CPU with a 16MB cache and can reach up to 5.0GHz with Max Turbo Frequency. It has 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe SSD for fast and responsive storage. The laptop is also equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, which has 8GB of GDDR6 memory, providing excellent visual performance with smooth and realistic gameplay.

This laptop has Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i 802.11ax 2x2 Wireless LAN and Bluetooth 5.1 for fast and reliable connectivity. The keyboard has a 4-zone RGB lighting system that can be customized to fit the user's preferences, providing a personalized gaming experience. Additionally, the laptop has a range of ports, including Thunderbolt 3, HDMI 2.1, Mini-DisplayPort 1.4, and more, ensuring compatibility with various devices.

The Alienware m15 R4 runs on Windows 10 Home, providing access to a vast library of games and applications. It has a robust thermal design, including Alienware Cryo-Tech Cooling v3.0, which maximizes performance and keeps the laptop cool even during extended gaming sessions. The laptop has a built-in 720p HD webcam and an array of microphones for easy communication during online gaming and video conferencing.

In summary, the Alienware m15 R4 is a powerful gaming laptop that offers top-of-the-line specifications for an immersive gaming experience. It boasts a sleek design, high-quality display, fast processing speed, and reliable connectivity, making it a top choice for serious gamers.

Product Overview:

The Razer Blade 15 Base Gaming Laptop 2020 is a high-performance machine that delivers an exceptional gaming experience. It comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor that can reach up to 5.0GHz Max Turbo and has 6 cores. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card is also included, which is a blazing-fast supercharger for today's most popular games. These two components combined make this laptop a supercharged gaming machine.

Incredible performance is paired with a fast 120Hz 15.6" Full HD thin bezel display that helps edge out the win. The display is thin and compact, with a CNC aluminum unibody frame that houses incredible performance in the most compact footprint possible, while remaining remarkably durable and just 0.78" thin. The laptop is also designed with ample connectivity including a webcam, wireless-AC, Bluetooth 5, 2X USB Type-A, 2X Type-C ports, and more.

This laptop is perfect for gamers who want to take their gaming experience to the next level. It comes with 16GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. There are also two other options for storage and graphics cards, including the RTX 2070 Super Max-Q | FHD 300Hz | 512GB SSD and the RTX 2080 Super | FHD 300Hz | 1TB SSD. The laptop comes in black and is designed with Chroma RGB lighting, adding a bit of flair to the overall design.

This laptop is a must-have for any serious gamer looking for a powerful and portable machine. It has received an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars rating with 1,091 ratings and 119 answered questions on the Razer Store. This is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a high-performance machine that delivers incredible gaming experiences. Please note that this laptop is designed for use in the US, and may require an adapter or converter for use in other countries.

Product Overview:

The MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFK-062 is a gaming laptop designed for high-performance gaming experiences. It features a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS-level display with a fast 144Hz refresh rate, thin bezels, and a color gamut close to 100% sRGB, making it perfect for immersive and realistic visuals. The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7-10750H processor with a base clock speed of 2.6 GHz and a maximum clock speed of 5.0 GHz. The processor is coupled with 16 GB of DDR4 2666 MHz RAM, and a 512 GB NVMe SSD that offers lightning-fast storage and quick boot times.

The MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFK-062 is equipped with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, providing high-end gaming performance and enabling the laptop to handle the most demanding games and applications. Additionally, the laptop features a per-key RGB Steel Series keyboard that provides anti-ghosting capabilities, allowing for precise and accurate inputs, and a 720p HD webcam.

The MSI GL65 Leopard 10SFK-062 also has multiple connectivity options, including USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C and USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, which allow for fast data transfer and connectivity to external devices. The laptop also supports Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (2*2 ax), which offers high-speed internet connectivity and faster downloads.

The laptop runs on Windows 10 Home and comes with a 6-cell 51Wh Li-Ion battery and a 230W power adapter. The laptop has a multi-language operating system and is equipped with giant speakers that deliver clear and powerful sound. The product has been professionally inspected and tested by Amazon-qualified suppliers and comes with a 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee. The product may have minimal scratches or dents and a battery with at least 80% capacity. The box may be generic, and accessories may not be original but will be compatible and fully functional.

Product Overview:

Product Overview:

The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a powerful gaming laptop that is designed for gamers who want the best performance and features. It is equipped with an 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750H processor, which has six cores and can be overclocked up to 4.1GHz. This processor ensures that the laptop can handle demanding games and applications with ease. The laptop runs on Windows 10 Home 64-bit edition, which is a modern operating system that offers excellent performance and features.

The laptop features an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card with 6GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM. This graphics card can handle the most demanding games and provide an excellent gaming experience. The laptop has a 15.6-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display that has a 144Hz refresh rate, 300nit brightness, and 72% NTSC. This display is perfect for gamers who want a smooth and immersive gaming experience.

The Acer Predator Helios 300 comes with 16GB of DDR4 2666MHz DRAM memory and a 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD. This memory and storage combination provides excellent performance and fast load times for games and applications. The laptop also has an extra empty accessible slot for a 2.5 inch hard drive or SSD, which allows users to add more storage if needed.

The laptop features gigabit Wi-Fi, a backlit keyboard, and USB 3.1 (Type C) ports. It also has dual all-metal AeroBlade 3D fan cooling and a metal chassis, which provides excellent cooling and durability. The laptop has a battery capacity of 3320 mAh and can provide up to 7 hours of battery life.

Product Overview:

The Dell G5 15.6'' FHD Gaming Laptop is a high-performance gaming laptop that features a powerful Intel i7-10750H processor and NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti graphics card, making it an ideal choice for gamers who need a fast and reliable computer for gaming. The laptop comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB PCIe Solid State Drive, which provides plenty of storage space for your games, applications, and other files.

The laptop's 15.6'' Full HD (1920 x 1080) display provides excellent color accuracy and contrast, making it perfect for gaming and other multimedia tasks. The laptop also comes with a backlit keyboard, which provides excellent visibility even in low-light conditions. Additionally, the laptop runs on Windows 10 Home operating system, which is user-friendly and provides access to a wide range of apps and software.

The Dell G5 15.6'' FHD Gaming Laptop is designed with connectivity in mind. It comes with an HDMI port, which allows you to connect the laptop to an external display for a larger viewing experience. The laptop also features Bluetooth and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which provides fast and reliable wireless connectivity. The laptop has a battery life of up to 10 hours, making it ideal for gaming on the go.

Although this laptop is currently unavailable, it has received a 3.8 out of 5 star rating from 16 customers, indicating that it is a high-quality and reliable product. However, it's important to note that products with electrical plugs are designed for use in the US, and may require an adapter or converter for use in other countries.

Product Overview:

The Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop is a high-performance laptop that offers an immersive gaming experience. It features a 10th generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-core processor, which can reach a clock speed of up to 5.0 GHz. This powerful processor is coupled with 16 GB of DDR4 2933MHz dual-channel memory, which provides plenty of capacity for gaming and multitasking.

The laptop also comes with an overclockable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card, which has 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM. This graphics card can deliver high-quality graphics with fast refresh rates, making it ideal for gamers. The 15.6" full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display has a 144Hz refresh rate, a 3ms overdrive response time, 300nit brightness, and 72% NTSC, making it an excellent choice for gaming, video editing, and other graphics-intensive tasks.

The Acer Predator Helios 300 also has a 512GB NVMe SSD, which provides fast boot and load times. There are two M.2 slots, with one slot open for easy upgrades, and one available hard drive bay. The laptop has a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, which provides a customizable lighting experience for gamers. The laptop also comes with a wireless Killer Double Shot Pro Wireless-AX 1650i 802. 11ax Wi-Fi 6, as well as a Killer Ethernet E2600 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN.

In terms of audio, the laptop features DTS X: Ultra-Audio, which delivers immersive 3D audio. The 4th Gen All-Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan keeps the laptop cool, even during intensive gaming sessions. The laptop also has Bluetooth connectivity, making it easy to connect to other devices.

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.