Lemur Pro will not be one of the best for graphics-intensive duties like gaming or video modifying (see under for some extra highly effective rigs with devoted graphics playing cards), however for every thing else, this is among the nicest laptops you will get.
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’s going to fortunately run any distro from Fedora to Arch (Dell help applies solely to Ubuntu although). When you are on the product web page, ensure you select Ubuntu Linux 20.04 LTS as your working system (it defaults to Windows).
For extra particulars on the {hardware}, see our evaluation 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 essential downside to this machine is the shortage of ports. There are two USB-C ports, one in all 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 sweet for the dimensions—it lasts all day in most use circumstances—however it’s not so good as the Dell. The keyboard, alternatively, is improbable and an actual pleasure to kind 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 possibly can improve, Framework’s Laptop is one of the best 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 beloved it. The Intel Core Thirteenth-Gen 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 will ship with no working system. When it arrives you possibly can set up Linux your self (or decide to ship it with Windows if you could twin boot). I have never had an opportunity to check it but, however an AMD model can also be obtainable. Framework can also be taking pre-orders for a brand new 16-inch mannequin. The 16-inch mannequin is out there with an AMD Ryzen 7040 Series 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 could possibly 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, 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, this can be a slick laptop computer for these of us who suppose ThinkPads are, ahem, slick. That slickness comes at a severe value although. For virtually 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 continuously on sale for round $1,700.
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 need not lay our a fortune on a brand new laptop computer; you possibly can breathe life into an outdated one or seize a used laptop computer off eBay. I’ve been doing this for years, working my approach 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. If you choose to purchase used, take a look at our information to purchasing used on eBay to ensure you get a very good deal.