10 Best Laptops For Penetration Testing In 2023

In this guide, we’ll be looking at the best laptops for penetration testing, the most important features that you’ll need to look for in a good laptop, and reviewing three of my favorite picks in each category.

Table of Contents

Best Laptop For Penetration Testing

Alienware 17 R5
HP Elite Dragonfly
HP Spectre x360
Lenovo ThinkPad P53s Laptop
Lenovo Legion Y720 Gaming Laptop
New XPS 13 9300 Laptop
Dell ChromeBook
Google Pixelbook Go
Razer Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop
Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop
ASUS Chromebook Flip C101PA-DS04
Dell Inspiron 15 5502

Best Laptops For Penetration Testing 2023

The purpose of this post is to help you select the best laptops so that you can do penetration testing on them in the future. To be very precise, the top 10 best laptops for penetration testing are as follows:

1-Alienware 17 R5

17.3-inch Full-HD Display
i7-8750H CPU
GPU GTX 1070
16GB Ram
Storage: 256GB SSD+1TB HDD
15.37 pounds in weight
The Windows 10 operating system
long battery life

The Alienware 17 R5 is a powerful laptop that comes with It has a 17.3-inch display screen, which is quite large and great for this type of work. The laptop also comes with an i7-8750H CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. This means that you will be able to work on your projects without any problems.

The laptop also comes with a GTX 1070 GPU, which is one of the best graphics cards available right now. This means that you can play games on it and enjoy them to the fullest extent possible.

Another great thing about this laptop is that it has a long battery life, meaning that you do not have to worry about charging it often or replacing its battery anytime soon after purchase.

The Alienware 17 R5 weighs 15.37 pounds and measures 16 x 11 x 1 inches in size, making it quite large but easy to carry around when needed for work purposes only (not too heavy).

2-HP Elite Dragonfly

CPU Intel Core i5
Windows 10 Pro Operating System
Memory: 16 GB RAM
620 equipped with Intel UHD Graphics 620
SSD Storage Capacity of 256 GB
13.3″ Display Screen size
Weighing 2.19 pounds
14 hours of long battery life

The HP Elite Dragonfly is a great laptop for penetration testers to use. It has a solid build and powerful specs that can handle all the tasks you throw at it. The lightweight, compact design makes it easy to carry around and use on the go.

The HP Elite Dragonfly has an Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics card and 16 GB of RAM, which is more than enough power to get any job done. The processor is an 8th generation i5 CPU, which will run any program without any issues or lag.

The 256 GB SSD storage is fast enough to store all your data and programs without any issues or lag. The laptop also comes with Windows 10 Pro OS preinstalled on it, so you don’t have to worry about installation or compatibility issues while using this product.

3-HP Spectre x360

13.3″ FHD Touch Display Screen
CPU Intel i7-8565U
16GB RAM
Intel UHD Graphics GPU
SSD Storage Capacity of 512GB
Fingerprint Reader
McAfee for three years
OS: Windows 10 Pro (Pre-Installed)
Weighing 2.92 pounds
Good battery life

The HP Spectre x360 is a 2-in-1 laptop with a 13.3″ touchscreen display, an Intel i7-8565U CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. The laptop has all the power you need for penetration testing.

It has a sleek design and a lightweight build. It weighs 2.92 pounds and measures just 0.52 inches thick. This makes it easy to carry around while traveling or at home during your leisure time.

The HP Spectre x360 comes with Windows 10 Pro preinstalled on it. You can choose to upgrade to Windows 10 Home if you want to use it as a standalone PC, or leave it as is if you intend to use it as a laptop or tablet hybrid device.

The HP Spectre x360 has an Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU and comes with 3 years of McAfee Antivirus protection (90-day trial).

4-Lenovo ThinkPad P53s Laptop (best laptop for pentesting 2023)

Intel i7-8565U 4-Core Processor
16GB RAM
Storage capacity of 512GB PCIe SSD
15.6 “Full HD (1920×1080) Display
Fingerprint Reader
Windows 10 Professional
GPU Quadro P520 2GB
8-hour battery life
3.9 pound weight

The Lenovo ThinkPad P53s is a top-notch laptop for penetration testers. It’s one of the most powerful laptops currently on the market, with an Intel Core i7-8565U 8th-generation CPU and 16GB of RAM.

It also has a 512GB SSD and a 15.6″ Full HD display with wide viewing angles. The battery lasts up to 8 hours, which is great for all-day use.

The Lenovo ThinkPad P53s comes with Windows 10 Pro installed and features a fingerprint reader for added security.

5-Lenovo Legion Y720 Gaming Laptop (best laptop for pentesting lab)

15.6″ Full HD Display Screen
Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU Processor
DDR4 RAM (16GB)
SSD Storage Capacity of 512GB
GPU GeForce GTX 1060-6GB
Windows 10 Signature Image Operating System
4 hours of average battery life
7.04 pound weight

The Lenovo Legion Y720 Gaming Laptop is a powerful gaming machine that is also a great laptop for penetration testing. The laptop has an Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage.

The Legion Y720 comes with the GeForce GTX 1060-6GB GPU, which is good for any type of graphics-intensive work, including penetration testing. The laptop also comes preloaded with Windows 10 Signature Image OS, which is based on Windows 10 Pro and designed to meet the performance needs of gamers and PC enthusiasts.

The battery life on this laptop is about 4 hours, which might not be enough for all-day use, but it still does a pretty good job when compared to other laptops on this list.

This laptop weighs about 7.04 pounds, so it can be heavy if you are carrying it around all day. The Lenovo Legion Y720 Gaming Laptop is currently unavailable, but we expect it to be back in stock soon!

6-New XPS 13 9300 Laptop (best budget laptop for pentesting)

13.3″ x 13.4″ 4K UHD+ Touch AR 500-Nit Display
Intel Comet Lake Core i7-1065G7 CPU, 10th Generation
Storage capacity of 2TB SSD
32GB Ram
Graphics Intel® Iris Plus
Windows 10 Pro Operating System
Weighing 2.68 pounds

The XPS 13 9300 is a new laptop from Dell that has lots of upgrades over previous models. This includes a new Intel Comet Lake CPU, which is based on the 10th generation Intel Core series. The new XPS 13 comes with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD storage drive, which is plenty of power for any penetration testing job.

The display is amazing, with a 4K UHD+ touch screen that has 500 nits of brightness and can be viewed in direct sunlight without issue. There’s also an option to upgrade to an OLED display if you want even better color reproduction and viewing angles.

The battery life of this laptop is excellent, with up to 15 hours of usage on one charge! This makes it perfect for long days out in the field when you don’t have access to power outlets or charging stations.

The new XPS 13 weighs only 2.68 pounds, making it one of the lightest laptops on this list so far! For comparison, the MacBook Air weighs just 2.75 pounds but has a smaller 12″ display compared to the 13″ display on this laptop. If weight loss is important to you, then this might be the best choice for you!

7-Dell ChromeBook (best desktop for pentesting)

11.6-Inch HD (1366 x 768) Display Screen
CPU Intel Celeron N2840
Intel HD Graphics GPU
SSD Storage Capacity of 16 GB
DDR4 RAM (4 GB)
2.8 pound weight
5 hours of average battery life
Chrome OS

The Dell Chromebook 11 CB3-131 is a lightweight laptop that is ideal for penetration testing. It features an Intel Celeron N2840 CPU, Intel HD Graphics GPU, 16 GB SSD Storage, 4 GB DDR4 RAM, and weighs 2.8 pounds.The average battery life is 5 hours.

The Chrome OS on this laptop makes it ideal for penetration testing because it allows you to run multiple applications at once without slowing down your system or draining your battery life quickly. You can also run virtual machines on this laptop without any issues thanks to its powerful hardware specifications and fast performance speed.

The Dell Chromebook 11 CB3-131 is perfect for penetration testers who want a lightweight laptop with great performance but don’t want to spend a lot of money on their new device!

8-Google Pixelbook Go (best laptop for pentesting)

Up to 12 Hours of Battery Life
Intel UHD Graphics GPU.
13.3-inch LCD Display
SSD Storage Capacity of 128 GB
Chrome OS
2.33 pounds
RAM: 8 GB

The Google Pixelbook Go is a powerful laptop with a sleek design and all the latest technology. This is a lightweight device that can be easily carried around. It has a 13.3-inch display with a resolution of 3000 x 2000 pixels and supports touch input. The Pixelbook Go is powered by an Intel UHD Graphics GPU and an 8th generation Intel Core i5-8500T processor, along with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of SSD storage. The battery life on this device is up to 12 hours, which makes it ideal for work on the go.

The Google Pixelbook Go comes with Chrome OS, which offers more than 1 million apps, games, and extensions from the Google Play Store and Microsoft Store, making it easy for users to get their favorite apps at their fingertips.

It also supports Android apps on Chrome OS, which allows users to run Android apps seamlessly on their Chromebooks without making any modifications or changes to their devices.

9-Razer Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop (pentesting laptops)

8-Core Intel Core i7-10875H CPU
GPU NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q
17.3″ FHD (300Hz) Display Screen
16GB RAM
SSD Storage Capacity of 512GB
CNC Aluminum
Thunderbolt 3
long battery life
10.12 pound weight

The Razer Blade Pro 17 is a powerful notebook that is capable of handling all your needs. From playing games to editing videos, this laptop can do it all.

It has an 8th generation Intel Core i7-10875H CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q GPU can handle any game you throw at it.

The 17.3″ FHD 300Hz display screen is bright and crisp, with one of the best displays on the market today. It also has a 16GB GDDR6 Graphics Memory, so you won’t have to worry about lagging or slowdowns when playing games or editing videos.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution for gaming and work, this is the best option for you!

10-Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop (penetration testing laptop)

Intel Core i5-10300H 10th Generation CPU
GPU NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti
15.6″ Full HD IPS 144Hz Display
RAM: 8GB DDR4
NVMe SSD storage capacity of 256GB
Backlit Keyboard
9-hour average battery life
Weighing 2.64 pounds
Windows 10 Home Edition

The Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop is one of the best laptops you can get for penetration testing. It has a powerful processor and graphics card, which means that you can run all of your favorite penetration testing tools with ease.

The Acer Nitro 5 is a great laptop for penetration testing because it comes with an Intel Core i5-10300H CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and 256GB of NVMe SSD storage. This means that you can run multiple virtual machines at once without any issues.

You will also love the 15.6″ Full HD IPS 144Hz Display on this laptop because it gives you a clear view of everything on your screen. You’ll be able to see all of the details in your tools, and you won’t have to deal with any glare or reflections while using them!

If you want to be able to connect to Wi-Fi networks when out in public places, then this laptop will come in handy! The Acer Nitro 5 comes with NFC technology so that you can simply tap on it with another NFC device to connect automatically! This makes connecting easy and hassle-free!

This laptop also comes with a backlit keyboard so that you can type in dim light without having to worry about missing keys.

11-ASUS Chromebook Flip C101PA-DS04 (best laptop for penetration testing 2023)

Display Size: 10.1 Inch
2.0GHz Processor
4GB Memory
32GB storage
Play Store by Google
9 hours of battery life
ARM Mali-T860 MP4 GPU
2 pound weight
Chrome OS

The ASUS Chromebook Flip C101PA-DS04 is a lightweight and compact laptop that is perfect for penetration testers. It has an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen display. The Chromebook Flip also comes with an ARM Mali-T860 MP4 GPU, which makes it suitable for playing games and watching videos.

The Chromebook Flip has the Google Play Store pre-installed, so you can install software such as Kali Linux and Metasploit Framework on the device. You can also access your favorite websites like Facebook or Twitter straight from your laptop!

It is great for traveling because it only weighs 2 pounds, which makes it easy to transport around without any hassle. The Chromebook Flip also comes with 9 hours of battery life, so it will last all day long without having to recharge it!

12-Dell Inspiron 15-5502 (best laptops for pentesting 2023)

15.6-inch Full-HD Display
CPU Intel Core i5-1135G7
8GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM
SSD Storage Capacity of 512GB
Iris Xe Graphics GPU
Windows 10 Home Edition
7-hour average battery life
3.78 pound weight

The Dell Inspiron 15 5502 is a solid choice for anyone looking to jump into penetration testing or security research. The laptop has a 15.6-inch FHD display screen, an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and an Iris Xe Graphics GPU.

The laptop also comes with Windows 10 Home OS out of the box, so you can install any software you want on it without any issues. This laptop is also quite lightweight at 3.78 pounds, making it easy to carry around with you wherever you go.

One thing I didn’t like about this laptop is that it only has an average battery life of 7 hours, which isn’t very good compared to other laptops on this list, which have much longer battery lives than this one does!

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Laptop Specs For Penetration Testing:

-CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2 GHz)

-RAM: 16 GB DDR4

-Hard Drive: 512 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD

-Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5

-Display: 15.6″ Full HD IPS Anti-Glare Display with 1920 x 1080 Resolution

-Operating System: Windows 10 Pro (64 bit)

How Often Should Penetration Testing Be Done?

Penetration tests are used to detect vulnerabilities in computer networks. Penetration testing is a method through which an authorized individual attacks a network from the outside to attempt a break in. Penetration testing is used to test for security vulnerabilities and shortcomings on a regular basis. Test should be performed on a regular basis at least monthly. Penetration test is an ongoing process and the system should be revisited on a regular basis. There should not be a long gap between two or more tests.

What Laptop Should I Buy Test?

If you are looking to buy the best laptop, you will have to consider a lot of factors. You will have to determine the laptop’s use first. If you are looking for a laptop that is great for everyday use, you should not go and buy a gaming laptop. If you are looking for a laptop that is meant for gaming and video editing, you should not go and buy a laptop that is meant for everyday use.

How Much Ram Do I Need For Pentesting?

If you’re just into testing for the first time, you will only accept the least and you should be fine with around 2 GB of RAM. If you’re already into pentesting, we recommend you to look for decent amount of ram, around 4GB should do fine. If you are going to be into heavy pentesting, then we recommend you to get more. You should be looking for around 8GB and above for heavy pentesting. More ram, better performance

What Degree Is Best For Penetration Testing?

Security is one of the most important fields of work. So it’s important to be familiar with all of the most useful and cutting edge techniques in the industry. The right degree can help you with that, plus it can also help open up doors to the job market. I’d suggest that you take a look at the following degrees:

IT
cybersecurity
bachelor’s
Or master’s degree in computer science

The Verdict: Best Laptops For Penetration Testing In 2023

This is the list of our top 10 best laptops for penetration testing in 2023, before we tested this Lenovo laptop. I hope this new Lenovo laptop will be number one on this list and you’ll never miss it. Again, we would like to remind you that you can always follow us on Twitter for more updates about security.