The 5 Best Laptops for Linux—I Install It on Every Laptop I Test

Lemur Professional isn’t the perfect for graphics-intensive duties like gaming or video enhancing (see beneath for some extra highly effective rigs with devoted graphics playing cards), however for all the things else, this is likely one of the nicest laptops you may get.

Tuxedo’s InfinityBook Professional 14 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a svelte, light-weight laptop computer that is devoted to the open supply world. Tuxedo relies in Germany (which is why the value is in euros), and like System76, it has a protracted historical past of offering wonderful help for Linux. The InfinityBook Professional is Tuxedo’s light-weight, on a regular basis laptop computer, with an Intel i7 chip, help for as much as 64 GB of RAM, and as much as 4 TB of SSD storage. There’s additionally an choice so as to add devoted graphics within the type of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 card.

The spotlight of the InfinityBook to me is the beautiful 2,880 x 1,800-pixel-resolution display screen that is matte (anti-glare). At 400 nits it is a lot vibrant sufficient to work wherever. In my testing, the InfinityBook Professional had loads of energy for many duties and carried out effectively for enhancing high-res video due to its dual-fan cooling design. The battery life is strong, lasting all day, and the customized instruments for fine-tuning the facility settings are the perfect I’ve used. Tuxedo’s customized OS (primarily based on Ubuntu) is a good Linux expertise, and the web site provides in depth documentation and assist for brand new customers.

Dell’s XPS 13 Developer Version 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 Thirteenth-Era Intel i7-1360P processor, 16 GB of RAM (soldered), and a 512-GB SSD. It ships with Ubuntu Linux 22.04, however in my testing, it should fortunately run any distro, from Fedora to Arch (Dell help applies solely to Ubuntu, although). While you’re on the product web page, be sure to select Ubuntu Linux 22.04 LTS as your working system (it defaults to Home windows).

For extra particulars on the {hardware}, see our assessment of the Home windows model (6/10, WIRED Review). Whereas efficiency was poor with Home windows, it ran effectively with Ubuntu. The principle downside to this machine is its lack of ports. There are two USB-C ports, certainly one of which is your charging port. There is not even a headphone jack. Dell just lately added the XPS 14 and XPS 16 to the XPS line, however up to now there’s been no phrase on whether or not both could have a Linux model.

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’ll be able to configure the Pangolin with as much as 8 TB of storage.

The battery life is sweet for the dimensions—it lasts all day in most use instances—nevertheless it’s inferior to the Dell. The keyboard, then again, is implausible and an actual pleasure to sort on. The one draw back is the quantity pad, which forces the trackpad off-center.

Here is a listing of its ports: Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-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.

If you would like a laptop computer you’ll be able to improve, Framework’s Laptop computer is the perfect Linux rig for you. There are a number of flavors obtainable. I examined the second launch of the 13-inch mannequin (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and liked it. The Intel Core Thirteenth-generation sequence chips with 32 GB of RAM, a 2-TB SSD, and whichever mixture of ports fits your wants begin for round $1,400. That may ship with no working system. When it arrives you’ll be able to set up Linux your self (or decide to ship it with Home windows if you must twin boot). I have not had an opportunity to check it but, however an AMD version is also available. Framework can be taking preorders for a new 16-inch model. The 16-inch mannequin is offered with an AMD Ryzen 7040 Collection processor.

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 virtually any Linux laptop computer: battery life might be higher.

The System76 Oryx Professional is available in both 15-inch or 17-inch fashions with Twelfth-generation Intel processors and Nvidia graphics (both the 3070 Ti or 3080 Ti GPU). There are alternatives for a shiny, OLED 4K display screen, as much as 64 GB of RAM, and as much as 8 TB of SSD house. It is not low-cost, however the Oryx Professional is by far essentially the most highly effective laptop computer on this web page. Just like the Pangolin above, the Oryx ships with both System76’s Pop_OS! or Ubuntu Linux. In contrast to the Pangolin, the Intel chip within the Oryx Professional means it ships with Coreboot, and open supply firmware.

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. You’ll have completely different ideas if you see it, however it is a slick laptop computer for these of us who assume ThinkPads are, ahem, slick. That slickness comes at a steep value, although. It prices twice as a lot as a few of our picks. This configuration provides you get a Thirteenth-Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a 256-GB SSD (a lot of that is customizable). This model can be now two releases behind the Home windows X2 Carbon, however seems to nonetheless be the one X1 with Linux as an choice.

I actually like the good 2K (2,880 x 1,800 pixel decision), OLED, anti-glare display screen. I’ve not had an opportunity to check this mannequin, however I actually just like the earlier launch (8/10, WIRED Recommends,) and the brand new model is primarily a spec bump. It is regularly on sale for round $1,300.

One of many beauties of Linux is that it requires fewer assets and maintains help for older {hardware} far longer than Home windows or MacOS. Which means you needn’t lay our a fortune on a brand new laptop computer; you’ll be able to breathe life into an outdated one or seize a used laptop computer off eBay. I’ve been doing this for years, working my means by Lenovo’s X-series laptops (beginning with an X220, now an T14 Gen 1), however outdated Dell and Asus laptops are additionally nice for Linux. Should you decide to purchase used, take a look at our guide to buying used on eBay to be sure to get a superb deal.