Looking for best Linux laptops to buy that will work best for you? Don’t worry, we have created a complete guide for you which represents the best new laptops for Ubuntu and Linux based on user reviews, specs, and performance.
Linux is the most powerful and secure operating system and it can easily run alongside Windows OS. So, if you need Windows for doing your work and Linux for completing your projects, then one of these laptops will work best for you. Most of the laptops you will discover are based on Intel processors with HD graphics that support Linux too.
By choosing the best laptop for Linux or Ubuntu, you can easily work on your projects because of easy hardware compatibility. Both Ubuntu and Linux distro operating systems will run easily on Windows or Mac. So, if you are considering a Windows or Mac to install Linux, you need to look for the appropriate hardware peripherals such as RAM, graphics card, processor, disk storage capacity, etc.
To help you out finding the best Linux laptop through all the options, we compiled a list of best Linux laptops in 2021 ranging from high to budget-friendly models. If you are on a tight budget, then our budget laptops guide will help you save your money and find the best laptop for you.
So, without any further ado, let’s proceed to the details.
Top 10 Best Linux Laptops 2021
1. Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop
Dell XPS 13 is one of the most recommended laptops for Linux and Ubuntu available right now. With a slim and lightweight design, the laptop comes with great Linux support. Although the laptop comes with Windows 10 operating system, it has Linux drivers for all of its features and the process of installing Linux on Dell XPS 13 is very simple.
If we talk about its hardware specifications, the laptop is powered by the Intel quad-core i7 processor paired with 32GB of LPDDR4x RAM. The laptop offers a 13.4-inch full HD display with 1920×1080 resolution to provide clear and wide-view images. For storage, it sports 512GB of a solid-state drive. If you want to install Linux, you’ll need to change your BIOS from RAID On to AHCI so Ubuntu can recognize the SSD.
This laptop is simply gorgeous with a slim and lightweight design. The laptop weighs only 2.7 pounds so you can easily carry it anywhere. Based on its solid performance, thin and light design, the Dell XPS 13 is definitely one of the best Linux laptops for developers.
Hardware Specifications of Dell XPS 13 7390 Ultrabook | |
Processor | 10th Generation Intel Quad-Core i7-1065G7 1.60 GHz (Turbo up to 3.9GHz) |
RAM | 32GB LPDDR4x |
Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe x4 SSD |
Display | 13.4″ Anti-Reflective InfinityEdge Touchscreen FHD (1920×1080) Display |
Graphics | Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
Battery Life | Up to 10-hours |
Weight | 2.7 pounds |
2. Star LabTop 13.3-inch Ultrabook
The Star LabTop brand may not be familiar to many of you but they are famous for manufacturing quality digital products. This laptop comes with a combination of power, packaging, and performance of a $1000 worth laptop. The laptop offers a powerful Intel Core i7 processor clocked up to 4.0GHz and paired with 8GB of RAM. It’s a 13-inch 1080p HD display is bright and vibrant which is great for editing videos and images. Its carbon fiber and magnesium design give it a premium look.
Its 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 480GB of SSD storage, giving it more than enough power to handle any distribution of Linux you choose to use. With 480GB of SSD, you’ll be able to boot Linux or Ubuntu even faster. The battery life is a huge plus as it offers 7 hours on backup. It comes with all essential ports and slots including the USB Type-C 3.1 port. While carrying only 2.87 pounds weight, the Star LabTop is the best Linux laptop for business people and students who are looking for a powerful machine.
Hardware Specifications of Star LabTop 13.3-inch Ubuntu Laptop | |
Processor | 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U Dual-Core Processor Up to 4.0 GHz |
RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
Storage | 480GB SSD |
Display | 13.3″ FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) LED-backlit Display |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
Operating System | Linux |
Battery Life | Up to 7-hours |
Weight | 32.87 pounds |
3. System76 Darter Pro
System76 is a well-known brand name in the Linux PC manufacturer industry. They offer an assortment of Linux compatible laptops and desktops. This System76 Darter Pro Laptop is a news release from the company packed with the Intel Core i5-10210U processor. The laptop sports a 15.6-inch full HD display with 1920×1080 resolution. The laptop comes with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 240GB SSD to boost performance.
It has a backlit keyboard which isn’t amazing but quite comfortable to work with. For connectivity, it has a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port, two USB 3.1, Ethernet, HDMI and mini display ports, and an SD Card Reader. The laptop weighs only 3.6 lbs which makes it a great choice for students and business people who travel a lot. With its premium specs and balance between performance and portability, the Darter Pro is one of the best Linux notebooks you can buy in 2021.
Hardware Specifications of System76 Darter Pro Linux Laptop | |
Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U Quad-Core Processor (Turbo up to 4.2GHz) |
RAM | 8GB DDR4 (64GB Maximum) |
Storage | 240GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
Display | 15.6-inch full HD 1920×1080 matte Display |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
Operating System | Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (64-bit) |
Battery Life | Up to 10 Hours |
Weight | 3.6 lbs |
4. Acer Aspire 5 Best Seller
The Acer Aspire 5 perfectly fits every requirement whether it is college or schoolwork or office work. It is one of the most selling laptops on Amazon as it comes with many premium features under an affordable price range. If you are looking for a powerful yet budget Linux machine, then the Acer Aspire 5 may be just for you.
The laptop featured a 15.6-inch full HD display with a 1080p resolution. It’s an LED-backlit IPS display giving you beautiful computing experience. It is powered by the Intel Core i5-10210U processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. With 9.5-hours of battery life, you can stay productive all day. Overall, this Acer Aspire 5 is one of the most recommended budget laptops for Linux to install your favorite Linux distribution such as Ubuntu Mate, Linux Mint, BunsenLabs Linux, and Debian, etc.
Hardware Specifications of Acer Aspire 5 budget Linux Laptop | |
Processor | 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10210U Processor (Up to 4.2GHz) |
RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
Storage | 256GB SSD |
Display | 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-lit IPS Display |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
Battery Life | Up to 9.5 hours |
Weight | 5.27 lbs |
5. ASUS VivoBook F512
This is another great laptop in our list of best Linux laptop. Available in a budget range, the ASUS VivoBook F512 offers some powerful features making it compatible with all the Linux distros that you install. It’s powered by an Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor and 8GB of RAM, which makes it efficient to use for any Linux distro and provide a seamless and quick experience.
The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch full HD anti-glare display and offers up to 8 hours of battery life which is a huge plus. This model even includes a fingerprint reader for added security. However, getting this to work on Linux may be challenging but if you’re comfortable with unlocking your laptop traditionally using a password then ASUS VivoBook F512 is the best ultrabook for Linux to buy right now.
Hardware Specifications of ASUS VivoBook F512 Ultrabook for Linux | |
Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i3-1005G1 Processor (Turbo up to 3.4GHz) |
RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
Storage | 128GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
Display | 15.6 inch Full HD (1920×1080) NanoEdge bezel display |
Graphics | Integrated UHD Graphics |
Operating System | Windows 10 S |
Battery Life | Up to 8 hours |
Weight | 3.75 lbs |
6. Dell Precision 5530
Dell XPS series laptops are the most recommended laptops for Linux users. As we have previously mentioned the Dell XPS 13 in our list but, if you are looking for a large display laptop to run your Linux distro smoothly then Dell Precision 5530 model is a perfect fit for you. Like Dell XPS 13, this laptop also has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. The laptop is powered by Intel Core i5-8300H quad-core processor with Nvidia Quadro P1000 graphics card making it an ideal gaming machine that will run Linux well for your work.
Although the budget of this Precision 5530 is quite high, the laptop carries tremendous computing power. The laptop sports a 15.6-inch full HD touch display with 1920×1080 resolution. You’ll have up to 8 hours of battery life. It weighs only 3.9 pounds making it a portable machine for ease of work. All-in-all, if the budget is not an issue the Dell Precision 5530 is a great laptop for playing games and doing photo or video editing on Linux.
Hardware Specifications of Dell Precision 5530 Ultrabook for Linux | |
Processor | 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8300H Quad Core Processor (2.5GHz) |
RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
Storage | 256GB SSD |
Display | 15.6-inch full HD (1920×1080) InfinityEdge display |
Graphics | NVIDIA Quadro P1000 with 4GB GDDR5 |
Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
Battery Life | Up to 8-hours |
Weight | 3.9 pounds |
7. HP ENVY 13-ba0010nr
The HP ENVY 13-ba0010nr is one of the thinnest laptops on the market which offers good performance for its price. The laptop comes with slim and lightweight with silver metallic body giving it premium look. With the 10th generation Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor and 8GB of RAM, it has enough power for Linux and Ubuntu distros. Because of its 256GB of SSD storage, you’ll be surprised how fast Linux can run on hardware.
With a powerful processor and RAM, this laptop can easily handle multiple applications at the same time without slowing down. You can also use this laptop for other demanding tasks such as web browsing, photo editing, and even programming work without any particular issues. It offers 13.5 hours of battery life so you can take on the day without worrying about recharging. Overall, with a lightweight design and solid performance, the HP ENVY 13 is the best Linux laptop you can buy in 2021.
Hardware Specifications of HP ENVY 13-ba0010nr Notebook | |
Processor | 10th Generation Intel Core i7-1065G7 Processor (Turbo up to 3.9GHz) |
RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
Storage | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
Display | 13.3-inch diagonal FHD (1920×1080) IPS WLED-backlit Display |
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
Operating System | Windows 10 |
Battery Life | Up to 13.5 hours |
Weight | 2.88 lbs |
8. ASUS C302 Chromebook Flip Best Chromebook for Linux
Chromebooks are cheap alternatives for Linux users because ChromeOS comes with Linux compatible drivers. The ASUS C302 Chromebook is one of the budget-friendly laptops that has more than enough power to drive a superb Linux experience. The laptop is powered by Intel Core m3 processor paired with 4GB of RAM that will give you enough room to run any Linux distro you need. It has a brilliant 12.5-inch full HD touchscreen display having a resolution of 1920x1080p. With the 360-degree hinge, you’ll be able to fold it into a tablet that will truly give you a unique experience.
The laptop sports 64GB of SSD storage, which gives you enough room to store your necessary files and data. As this laptop comes has a touchscreen display so need to find the right Linux distro to work with. Based on its performance and features, the ASUS C302 Chromebook is the best laptop for Ubuntu and Fedora Linux distributions.
Hardware Specifications of ASUS C302 Linux Chromebook | |
Processor | Intel Core m3 Processor (Up to 2.24 GHz) |
RAM | 4 GB DDR3L |
Storage | 64GB SSD |
Display | 12.5″ Full HD Touchscreen 1920×1080 Display |
Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 515 |
Operating System | Google Chrome OS |
Battery Life | Up to 10-hours |
Weight | 2.65 lbs |
9. Lenovo 2-in-1 Chromebook
The Lenovo 2-in-1 Chromebook is another budget-friendly Chromebook that is compatible with Linux distros. This is a premium Chromebook from Lenovo offering powerful features available at an affordable price. The laptop comes with an 11.6-inch touchscreen display with an aluminum chassis.
It has a MediaTek MT8173C quad-core processor and 4GB of RAM, which is pretty standard for Chromebooks. It’s 4GB RAM is sufficient enough for running Linux smoothly. Although, the lack of an SD card slot with only 32GB of storage, you may not have enough space to save a lot of files. The laptop weighs only 2.6 lbs and offers battery life up to 11 hours. All-in-all, this Lenovo Chromebook is a great affordable laptop for those people who don’t rely on heavy media manipulation and code compilation applications.
Hardware Specifications of Lenovo 2-in-1 Chromebook | |
Processor | MediaTek MT8173C Quad-Core Processor, 2.16GHz |
RAM | 4 GB LPDDR3 |
Storage | 32GB eMMC SSD |
Display | 11.6″ Anti-glare Multi-touch IPS Display (1366×768) |
Graphics | Integrated PowerVR GX6250 Graphics |
Operating System | Google Chrome OS |
Battery Life | Up to 11-hours |
Weight | 2.60 lbs |
10. Acer Swift 3 SF314
The Acer Swift 3 is a powerful machine built for work and school. It comes with an aluminum metal chassis with the great build quality. The exterior body is made of aluminum and inner chassis is built from plastic. With premium looking lightweight design, the laptop is perfectly fit for handling the mist of demanding tasks like video and image processing and designing, etc.
While you may not have access to the traditional Windows apps if you choose to run Linux, this laptop is still capable of running most of the same things on Linux. It is featured with AMD Ryzen 7 4700U processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. It comes with a minimal Linux Distribution called Linpus without a graphical desktop environment which is an added advantage. Hence, the Acer Swift 3 is the best laptop for Linux which offers plenty of powerful features that are hard to find at an affordable price range.
Hardware Specifications of Acer Swift 3 SF314 Laptop | |
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core Mobile Processor (Up to 4. 1GHz) |
RAM | 8GB LPDDR4 |
Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
Display | 14″ Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit (1920 x 1080) display |
Graphics | AMD Radeon Graphics |
Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
Battery Life | Up to 11.5 hours |
Weight | 2.65 lbs |
These are our most recommended best laptops for Linux to buy in 2021. Based on extensive research and user reviews, we have taken care of the requirements as well as the budget. All these laptops including affordable Chromebooks work well with Linux distro and Ubuntu operating systems. We hope that one of these laptops in this list will suit your requirements and you’ll become more productive with your new Linux laptop.
We think our short review of the best Linux laptops will help you to find the best machine. If you still need any suggestions or guidance related to the laptops, feel free to ask and leave a comment below.
I am doing virtualization on my windows. is there any suggestion which laptop would be the best for me?