Best Linux Laptops (I Install Linux on Every Laptop I Test) (2026)

Here’s a list of its ports: 1 x USB 4.0 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, micro SD card reader, HDMI 2.0, 2 x Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4, and headphone/microphone combo. The webcam is 2MP, 1080p, which gets the job done, but feels a bit long at this point. Other than that, this is a great option for AMD fans.

Best for performance

the Kubuntu Fox Zr 1 (8/10, WIRED recommends) It’s a sturdy machine, but at 15 inches by 12 inches, more than an inch thick, and weighing 8 pounds, it’s not a laptop you casually carry around. But if your work requires serious computing power, whether that’s machine learning (running TensorFlow), on-premises LLMs, big data analysis workflows, or high-end video editing, the Zr Gen 1 saves power in a big way.

Inside, the Zr Gen 1 features a 24-core Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an RTX 5090 graphics card, 24GB GDDR7 RAM (expandable up to 192GB), two SSDs, one 1TB, and one 2TB (you can get up to 4 drives, one of which is PCIe GEN 5×4 NVMe). Along with the discrete GPU, there’s an integrated one as well, which means you can turn off the discrete card to maximize battery life. I spent about 90 percent of the time with the discrete card off and on when editing photos and video.

The display is a large 18-inch LCD (2560 x 1600 pixels, 168 ppi density) with a maximum brightness of over 500 nits and a matte finish that makes it easy to use even in bright light. It’s one of the best LCD panels I’ve used recently, and gamers will be happy to see the 240Hz refresh rate. You can also connect up to 4 external displays. Thanks to the Zr’s size, there’s plenty of room for a full-sized keyboard with numeric pad. The keyboard is user-configurable and features a 65,536-color LED backlight system that you can adjust to your liking using the focus tool.