Best Budget Laptop for Pentesting

Building web and mobile apps are more than just knowing how to code. It also includes Pentesting, which is an attempt to find out how vulnerable an application is.

At the very least, success in this area requires two things: deep knowledge of Pentesting and the best laptop for Pentesting.

What is Pentesting?

Pentesting, also known as pen testing or ethical hacking, is a cybersecurity technique used by organizations to identify, test, and highlight vulnerabilities in their security posture. These Pentesting tests are often performed by ethical hackers.

These internal employees or third parties imitate the strategies and behaviors of attackers to assess the hackability of an organization’s computer systems, networks, or web applications. Organizations can also use pen tests to test compliance.

What do pen testers do?

Pen testers are security professionals who make a living by breaking things. They are hired to probe computer networks and discover vulnerabilities that can be exploited by truly malicious hackers. Organizations hire pen testers to emulate advanced threat actors.

This allows them to simulate cyberattacks and attempt to break into networks and information systems. Insights from pen tester reports can help organizations fill these security gaps

 Pen testers are essential tools to mitigate future cyberattacks, protect the information security, and prevent organizations from facing serious asset loss.

What is the System Requirement of Pentesting?

Here are the Minimum and Recommended System Requirements:

Penetration testing cannot be run due to hardware limitations, and since the intended purpose of the laptop you are buying is for penetration testing, it’s a good idea to make sure it meets all the specifications required to run the program.

Minimum: The minimum system requirements to run Pentesting are a Core i5, 8 GB DDR4 RAM, and 256 GB SSD.

Recommended: Recommended system requirements for optimal performance are Core i7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB SSD.

What are the Best Budget Laptops for Pentesting in 2022?

In this post, we will take a look at the best laptops that students and professional security professionals can use to access data and resources without traditional means.

In short, if you’re on the market for a laptop that can be used for ethical Pentesting, you’ll love the following budget recommendations:

1. ASUS VivoBook S15

If you are looking for the most suitable budget laptop for Pentesting, the ASUS VivoBook S15 should be your first and last choice, especially in 2022. Because this is the cheapest and pro’s choice laptop on this list.

Its gorgeous design makes it an ideal laptop for users.

The VivoBook has a 15.6-inch Full HD display, a finger sensor for easy login, and a camera on top of the laptop.

Asus Vivobook S15 is equipped with a high-quality audio system, which makes entertainment tasks easier for testers.

Asus Vivobook S15’s backlit keyboard helps you type for longer hours without difficulty.

The laptop has a powerful Intel Core i7 processor.

The Asus Vivobook S15 is an ideal laptop for multitasking due to its turbo performance during long hours of work.

It has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage space for penetration testers to store data and download files for efficient operation.

Asus Vivobook S15 consists of a lithium polymer battery that provides super-fast charging and a longer working time.

The S15 VivoBook also has a USB Type-C HDMI port, USB 3.1, and an SD card reader.

According to Techradar, Vivobook S15 is ideal for those who can’t afford to spend too much money on buying a laptop for Pentesting. As always Laptops bring the best laptops that fit your needs with a great price range.

2. ‎HP ENVY 17t

The HP 17.3 let you customize your own, you can upgrade this laptop upgrade hard drive from 1TB to 2TB, Ram from 8GB to 32GB with 8GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive.

The HP 17 is a rookie in the big multimedia space, characterized by a sleek and somewhat superior design.

Its foundation is at least vibrant and accessible to many uses with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U processor (quad-core, 8MB cache, 1.8GHz up to 4.0GHz).

What I noticed was the brightness and clarity of the huge 17.3-inch screen. Again, my expectations were a bit low given the screen’s maximum resolution of 1600 x 900, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it in action.

A 17.3-inch diagonal HD SVA BrightView WLED-backlit display with maximum screen resolution (1600×900) display and Intel HD Graphics 620 for more colorful and faster performance.

The manufacturer sticks to the basics of being comfortable, calm, and chic without being too bulky.

So the PC takes place in an all-metal case with every angle and stylish accents.

They appreciate this HP laptop for its sleek silver aluminum chassis and a 360-degree hinge that can gracefully transform the system.

It comes with the fastest 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U (quad-core, 8 MB cache, 1.8 GHz up to 4.0 GHz), processor.

Also, because higher frequencies increase computer processing speed, the base frequency is 4.0 GHz and the burst frequency is up to 3.7 GHz.

When talking about RAM, it supports different RAM specifications (eg a).

4GB to 32GB DDR4 RAM 1st HDD (boot), b) 128GB to 2TB SSD for better performance; and c) a second optical drive as required (optional).

A 1TB/2TB hard drive is also available for additional storage space.

It supports two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports dedicated for data transfer and one USB 2.0 port with an additional HDMI connection.

There is also Bluetooth connectivity for multi-format digital card readers.

3. Dell Inspiron 15 5593

The screen is a 15.6-inch FHD anti-glare LED-backlit with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The top surface of this laptop has a black soft-touch rubber finish and features a distinct red Dell logo.

On the left are the power connections, exhaust vents, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, and a headphone jack. And on the right is an SD card slot, another USB 3.0 port, a full-size HDMI 1.4, and an Ethernet jack.

And if you care, the SD card goes pretty deep. Some exhaust vents on the back have red metal fins inside and look cool.

The overall build quality is quite good. The hinges are solid, the keyboard area is surprisingly solid, and the screen has some ridges.

The keyboard has a number pad split that you might need to get used to, but the layout is great otherwise.

The arrow keys are well positioned, they aren’t surrounded by other keys, and the backlight is nice on this keyboard too.

There are high settings, medium settings, and off. The typing experience is the best.

The movement of each keystroke is sufficient and running Kali Linux is perfect.

Configuration 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7700HQ quad-core with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and a 512 GB hard drive.

Also, the 6 megabytes of cache is great for handling the most intensive tasks.

If you’re editing video, 1080p editing is very smooth, and 4K editing is still pretty good unless you’re using that stock drive.

Just like having two drive slots on a laptop, it’s fantastic for things like video editing and recording Pentesting scenes.

Keep your computer responsive. Penetration tests for the 960M are solid. You can still drop below 50 FPS at max graphics settings, but you can get 100/120 FPS in the sole lane.

The speakers are in the keyboard area here and they sound decent. The sound gets louder, but as the volume goes up, the higher frequencies start to break.

Interface options are plentiful, not only for avid gamers. I have no complaints about the fact that there is no USB-C port or mini display port.

4. Dell New XPS 13 9380

The Dell XPS 13 is another penetrating laptop with a compact size with a modern and stylish design.

When it comes to Pentesting, Dell has the best series of laptops.

The right choice for pen testers. It comes with a 13.3-inch screen with 3940 x 2160p resolution.

At the same time, touch screen technology makes it even more useful.

It has 16 GB of RAM and offers 512 GB of storage.

Storage space is an essential factor to consider when choosing a laptop for Pentesting.

However, you can multitask or customize them at once depending on your requirements.

In addition, the battery life is relatively better than other Dell laptops and it offers 52WHr battery power.

The Dell XPS 13 has a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor and can do all the penetration tests quickly.

The maximum RAM available is 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of the hard disk.

So users can customize RAM and ROM accordingly.

Lightweight and good portability. It has a 2.25mm webcam, a 3.5mm headphone port, a USB slot, and a micro SD card slot.

5. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon weighs about 1.1 kg and is 14.9 mm thick, so it is not burdensome even if you carry it with you or go on a trip.

This laptop has undergone 200 quality tests and is spill-resistant. Despite its small size, the display is large compared to other ultraportable.

The maximum resolution that can be set for a 14-inch display is 2560 x 1440.

There are also several display options to choose from, such as UHD displays of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 3820 x 2160 pixels.

An anti-glare setting is also available on the display, so you don’t have to think about eye-straining glare during a penetration testing session at night.

It comes with a 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-8665U processor, vPro, 16GB RAM, and 1TB of storage.

The built-in operating system runs effectively and efficiently with Windows 10 Pro.

Finally, the creators understand the importance of privacy and have added PrivacyGuard and PrivacyAlert features to the update.

In the previous update, it was difficult for someone to peek at your screen, but the new update adds a new feature that sends a notification message to the owner so that someone can’t peek at your screen.

6. MSI GV62

The MSI GV62 is another laptop that has made huge strides when it comes to penetration.

It’s a great laptop for penetration that allows users to easily run their jobs.

Built to give gamers the best-supported for as well penetration.

It has a 15.6-inch Full HD eDP IPS-Level display screen size, is lightweight, and can be taken anywhere without stress.

The LCD screen has amazing colors and the maximum display size is 1920 x 1080 pixels.

It is equipped with 8GB RAM, and a 1TB hard disk.

The MSI GV62 has an Intel Core i7-8750H processor running at 2.2-4.1 GHz.

Since this is a gaming laptop, the thermal aspect has been modified and exclusive Cooler Boost technology with 6+ heat pipes has been added to the laptop.

It includes a functional keyboard with DDR4 memory and tactile multi-key input and Steel series red backlit keys.

It comes with Windows 10 (64-bit) operating system that will give you a fantastic experience.

Performance is increased by 20%, making it much more efficient and running very fast than the previous generation.

Overall the MSI GV62 is a mid-range penetration laptop in 2022. It’s important to keep in mind that those on a tighter budget should not ignore this series in its entirety.

7. Lenovo Ideapad Y700

The Lenovo IdeaPad Y700 is also the cheapest laptop for Pentesting for those on a slightly tighter budget.

Of course, this includes the powerful GTX 960m 4Gb version and the all-new Skylake 6700HQ processor.

It’s running an NVIDIA GeForce with a GTX 960M, cools quietly at idle, and isn’t too noisy at full load.

It can handle light games with ease, so the Ultra setting still delivers over 60 frames per second.

Moderately demanding games should reduce their graphics settings to stay at 60 frames per second.

With a 60-watt-hour battery and pretty good battery life on a full brightness screen.

The speakers are a good JBL brand if they are large, clear, and well-positioned.

On the right side, there is a large number of ports, there is a USB 3s HDMI output and Ethernet, on the left side there is a power connection USB 2 SD card audio jack and a system restore button, there is no Thunderbolt 3 connection.

The keyboard has pretty good arrow keys positioned slightly closer to the adjacent keys.

The backlight is red, and even without a backlight on the side of the key, it’s red, so red isn’t your favorite color tube head.

Best FAQs About Pentesting Laptops

Is penetration against the law?

Penetration and Kali Linux are not illegal in any way. For testing and trial purposes, security researchers and other users in the web realm use Kali Linux.

Are Gaming Laptops Good for Pentesting?

Yes, gaming laptops have high ram, fast CPUs, and good graphics cards. This configuration is ideal for performing various hacking activities.

Is 8GB RAM enough for Kali Linux/Pentesting?

The minimum requirement for Pentesting/Kali Linux is at least 2 GB of RAM to run smoothly. It runs on 8GB RAM dual-booted with Arch Linux.

Are Macs good for cybersecurity?

Many programmers and security professionals prefer Apple computers, especially MacBook Pros, for software development and cybersecurity tasks.

What is the safest laptop?

Purism’s Librem 14 is the most secure laptop in part because it provides all source code to the full operating system and software with PureOS where all security and testing can be verified.

Are Macs still more secure than Windows?

Let’s be clear. Macs are generally slightly more secure than PCs. macOS is generally based on Unix, which is more difficult to exploit than Windows. However, while the design of macOS protects you from most malware and other threats, using a Mac cannot protect you from your mistakes.

Does your laptop have built-in security features?

Each operating system only provides basic antivirus protection, so most laptops don’t come with: Real-time malware protection. Advanced malware scanning.

Are Chromebooks more secure than Windows?

Compare to 1,111 for Windows 10 and a whopping 2,212 for OS X on Mac. Declaring the Chromebook as the safest option is a very simple matter, as it has 5% more vulnerabilities than its closest competitor.

Is your Mac good for Pentesting?

Yes, People who use Apple devices already know about the build quality and support. For beginners, the build quality is good and the support gets the job done.

Is it worth using antivirus in Windows 10?

Antivirus is necessary even if you are using a Mac or Windows device, and both have some level of virus protection built-in. For complete protection with endpoint protection and response, and blocking malware and unwanted programs, it is best to install third-party antivirus software.

Conclusion-Budget Laptop for Pentesting 2022

Penetration testing is a difficult task, and you need the right tools to make it as smooth as possible. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best laptops for penetration.

The laptops mentioned above are the best option for users looking for a budget laptop to buy for penetration in 2022.