Linux will work on nearly any PC. I imply that actually. Remember the Intel Pentium 4 processor? It’s nonetheless supported by Debian Linux. That stated, Linux runs higher on some laptops than others. These days fairly just a few big-name PC makers even supply official help for Linux, that means you may have someplace to show if issues go awry.
To assist you determine the most effective Linux laptop computer on your good rig, I’ve been putting in (or attempting to put in) Linux on each laptop computer I’ve examined for the previous three years. Almost all of them labored nice, however some have been simpler to get operating than others. More than just a few of my favorites include Linux proper out of the field.
Be positive to take a look at our different shopping for guides, like Best Laptops, Best Cheap Laptops, Best MacBooks, and How to Choose the Right Laptop.
Table of Contents
- Best for the Minimalist
- Best for the Maximalist
- Best Repairable
- Best for Hackers
- Best for Sysadmins
- If Your Budget Is Tight
- What to Look For in a Linux Laptop
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Dell’s XPS 13 Developer Edition was one of many first big-name laptops to ship with Linux and it stays the lightest, smallest laptop computer with Linux put in. This configuration sports activities a Twelfth-Generation Intel i7-1250U processor, 32 GB of RAM (soldered), and a 1-TB SSD. It ships with Ubuntu Linux 20.04, however in my testing, it would fortunately run any distro from Fedora to Arch (Dell help applies solely to Ubuntu although). When you are on the product web page, be sure to select Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS as your working system (it defaults to Windows).
For extra particulars on the {hardware}, see our assessment of the Windows model (6/10 WIRED Review). While efficiency was not nice with Windows, I’ve not discovered the identical to be true utilizing Ubuntu. The predominant downside to this machine is the shortage of ports. There are two USB-C ports, one in every of which is your charging port. There is not even a headphone jack.
If the Dell’s lack of ports leaves you wanting, that is the laptop computer for you. System76’s Pangolin (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a 15-inch, AMD-powered monster of a laptop computer with each port a sysadmin might hope for. This config ships with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U, 32 GB of RAM (soldered), and a 250-GB SSD. You can configure the Pangolin with as much as 8 TB of storage.
The battery life is nice for the dimensions—it lasts all day in most use circumstances—but it surely’s not so good as the Dell. The keyboard, however, is unbelievable and an actual pleasure to sort on. The one draw back is the quantity pad, which makes the trackpad off-center. The port choice is the place the Pangolin actually shines. There’s Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port (with DisplayPort help, however not Thunderbolt), three USB-A ports, a 3.5-mm headphone/microphone combo jack, and a full-size SD card reader.
Most Repairable and Future-Proof
If you desire a laptop computer you may improve, Framework’s Laptop is the most effective Linux rig for you. There are just a few flavors obtainable. I examined the second launch of the 13-inch mannequin (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and liked it. Right now you may preorder an AMD Ryzen 7 7040 or Intel Core Thirteenth-Gen sequence system with 32 GB of RAM, a 2-TB SSD, and whichever mixture of ports fits your wants for round $1,400. That will ship with no working system. When it arrives you may set up Linux your self (or decide to ship it with Windows if you must twin boot). The solely catch is that the AMD mannequin ships within the third quarter of the yr, although the Intel model will ship in June. If you are okay with the previous-gen chips, you may seize one in the present day.
I examined Ubuntu, which Framework helps, and Arch Linux, and each labored nice (although Framework doesn’t formally help Arch). My solely gripe about utilizing the Framework is my gripe about nearly any Linux laptop computer: Battery life might be higher.
The System76 Oryx Pro is available in both 15-inch or 17-inch fashions with Twelfth-Gen Intel processors and Nvidia graphics (both the 3070 Ti or 3080 Ti GPU). There are choices for a shiny, OLED 4K display screen, as much as 64 GB of RAM, and as much as 8 TB of SSD area. It’s not low-cost, however the Oryx Pro is by far essentially the most highly effective laptop computer on this web page. Like the Pangolin above, the Oryx ships with both System76’s Pop_OS! or Ubuntu Linux. Unlike the Pangolin, the Intel chip within the Oryx Pro means it ships with Coreboot, and open supply firmware.
OK, OK, it is corny, however there’s one thing in regards to the Lenovo X1 Carbon Linux version that makes me wish to set up Kali Linux and begin probing the espresso store Wi-Fi. Whatever the case, it is a slick laptop computer for these of us who suppose ThinkPads are, ahem, slick. That slickness comes at a critical value although. For nearly double the value of our different picks, you get a Thirteenth-Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a 256-GB SSD (a lot of that is customizable).
On the plus facet, you do get a pleasant 2K (2,880 X 1,800), OLED, anti-glare display screen. I’ve not had an opportunity to check this newest mannequin, however I actually just like the earlier launch (8/10, WIRED Recommends,) and the brand new model is primarily a spec bump. It’s regularly on sale.
Photograph: Lenovo
One of the beauties of Linux is that it requires fewer assets and maintains help for older {hardware} far longer than Windows or macOS. That means you needn’t lay our a fortune on a brand new laptop computer; you may breathe life into an previous one or seize a used laptop computer off eBay. I’ve been doing this for years, working my method via Lenovo’s X-series laptops (beginning with an X220, now an X14 Gen 1), however previous Dell and Asus laptops are additionally nice for Linux. If you decide to purchase used, take a look at our information to purchasing used on eBay to be sure to get a very good deal.