Best Linux Laptops (2026)

TL;DR

• Best overall: ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (AMD) — Check price on Amazon

Every pick here comes from outlets that tested the laptop and checked how Linux runs on it: ZDNET and WIRED's Linux laptop guides, Phoronix's Linux benchmarks, and lab reviews from Notebookcheck and Tom's Hardware. The market splits two ways. Linux specialists such as System76 and TUXEDO ship their own Linux installs, and Framework sells a DIY Edition with no operating system at all; mainstream makers such as Lenovo offer Fedora and Ubuntu as factory options on business models like the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6. [src1, src5, src7, src11, src13, src21]

The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (AMD) stays the top pick. ZDNET names it its best Linux laptop overall after testing it, and Phoronix's Linux testing found the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 model running well on Ubuntu 25.04 and Fedora, averaging about 14 watts and running cooler than every other laptop it tested. Its weak points are a 1,920 x 1,200 display that ZDNET and Phoronix both found underwhelming for the price, and memory soldered to the board. The Amazon listing we link had no purchasable new offer in our daily checks through 2026-10-05. Lenovo has since launched the ThinkPad T14s Gen 7 (AMD), which Notebookcheck rated 90%; no outlet we read has tested the Gen 7 on Linux yet, so it is not a pick here. [src1, src2, src3, src20, src21]

For repairability, the Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300) is WIRED's most repairable pick and a great Linux laptop in Phoronix's testing, though its battery life trails other ultrabooks. Framework's redesigned Laptop 13 Pro fixes that: Tom's Hardware calls it the definitive version of the laptop and measured 15 hours 55 minutes, but memory prices make it very expensive right now. For a laptop that ships with Linux from a Linux company, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 (AMD) is WIRED's best MacBook replacement and the model Notebookcheck tested. WIRED still names the System76 Lemur Pro its pick for most people. Its reviewer has long called the Lemur Pro his favourite Linux laptop but had not finished testing the 2026 model, so we list it as an alternative until the 2026 model is fully reviewed. [src5, src6, src7, src8, src9, src14, src16]

Avoid ARM unless you enjoy tinkering. ZDNET picks the Snapdragon-based Dell XPS 13 (2024) as its most configurable Linux laptop, but in July 2026 Phoronix found GPU acceleration and battery monitoring broken on another Snapdragon X Elite laptop under Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. [src1, src19]

Best Overall: Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (AMD) -- Check price

ZDNET names the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 AMD its best Linux laptop overall and says it tested it; ZDNET credits Lenovo's Linux support and the range of configurations, and puts the price at about $1,500 in its guide and around $1,560 in its review. ZDNET's review unit had the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, Radeon 880M graphics and 32GB of RAM. It ran about 12 hours in Lenovo's Best Power Efficiency mode and 7.5 hours in Best Performance, and an hour's charge restored about 70%. ZDNET found the 1,920 x 1,200 display disappointing at the price. [src1, src2] Phoronix tested the same chip in a 21M1001VUS (32GB of LPDDR5X-7500, 1TB SSD, 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 400-nit display) on Ubuntu 25.04 with Linux 6.14. In Lenovo's default balanced profile the chip averaged 14 watts, the least of the laptops tested, and the T14s ran the coolest at a 62°C average. CPU performance landed near the previous-generation Ryzen 7 7840U because Lenovo's defaults are conservative. Phoronix says it has been running well with Ubuntu 25.04, Fedora 41 and the Fedora 42 beta, and recommends Fedora 41 or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with the HWE stack or newer. [src3] Notebookcheck rated its Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 unit 88%, measured 14 hours 7 minutes in its Wi-Fi test at 150 nits and calls it a great choice for anyone who wants to avoid the compatibility issues of Lenovo's Snapdragon version; it lists soldered RAM and a fan that runs quietly most of the time as drawbacks. [src22] XDA scored it 8.5/10 but measured under six hours in PCMark 10's battery test. [src4] Lenovo offers Fedora and Ubuntu preloads; memory is soldered (16, 32 or 64GB); weight starts at 1.25 kg (2.76 lb) with the Ryzen AI 5/7 PRO 340/350 and 1.30 kg (2.86 lb) with the PRO 360. [src21] Availability: the Amazon listing we link is the Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 configuration, which Lenovo's spec sheet lists alongside the PRO 360 the reviewers tested [src21]. It had no purchasable new offer in our daily checks through 2026-10-05. Lenovo has since launched the ThinkPad T14s Gen 7 (AMD). Notebookcheck rated it 90%, saying it is lighter and runs longer on battery while performing only slightly better. No outlet we read has tested the Gen 7 on Linux yet. [src20] Best you can buy today instead: the System76 Lemur Pro below, which System76 listed at $1,999 and as purchasable when we checked on 2026-10-07. [src13]

Best Modular: Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300) (from $799) -- Check price

WIRED's guide makes the Framework Laptop 13 its most repairable Linux laptop. Its reviewer types on one running Arch Linux and notes that Framework officially supports Ubuntu and Fedora. WIRED lists it from $799 and says it takes up to 96GB of DDR5-5600, but faults the port count and finds the build less premium than System76's or TUXEDO's. [src5] WIRED's review of the 2025 AMD model scored it 7/10 and credits its "incredible repairability". The Ryzen AI 7 350 unit lasted roughly 11 hours in a video-loop test but about 7.5 hours of WIRED's typical work. Replacement mainboards cost $449 to $999. [src6] Tom's Hardware tested the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 version: it led its comparison group in Geekbench but lasted 9 hours 11 minutes in Tom's battery test, against 17 hours 29 minutes for the Dell XPS 13 (9350). Tom's Hardware concludes that if all you want is modularity and easy upgrades, "Framework remains your only option", and reports that Framework supports Fedora 41, Bazzite and Project Bluefin out of the box. [src7] Phoronix ran the same chip on Ubuntu 25.04 for a week, reported no issues and calls it a great Linux laptop. [src8] The DIY Edition comes without RAM, SSD or an operating system; the review-time configurations were priced from $899 (Tom's Hardware, WIRED) and the HX 370 review unit came to $1,986. [src6, src7]

Best Linux-First: TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 (AMD) (from €936) -- Check price

TUXEDO is a German company with a long record of Linux support. WIRED names the InfinityBook Pro 14 the best MacBook replacement among Linux laptops and lists the Gen 10 AMD from €936. WIRED has not tested the AMD model; its 9/10 review was of an earlier Intel version. [src5] That review found 9 to 10 hours of average use, 6.5 hours in a video-loop test and an "excellent Linux experience", and praised the power tools in TUXEDO's Control Center. [src10] Notebookcheck tested the Gen10 AMD with a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 128GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD (€1,879 as configured; from €1,199 at the time). It rated it 85%, praising very good performance, an accurate 120Hz 2,880 x 1,800 IPS panel, two RAM and two SSD slots, Ethernet and plenty of ports. The marks against it: one USB port is only USB 2.0, there is no Wi-Fi 7 or 6GHz band, and the fans get loud under full load. It ran 9 hours 18 minutes in Notebookcheck's Wi-Fi test at 150 nits and weighed 1.49 kg (3.29 lb). [src9] TUXEDO installs Ubuntu or its own Ubuntu-based TUXEDO OS, and offers the Ryzen AI 7 350, Ryzen AI 9 365 and Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, up to 128GB of DDR5-5600, an 80Wh battery and a choice of ISO or US ANSI keyboard layouts. Its spec sheet notes that the HDMI port runs at HDMI 2.0b (4K at 60Hz) under Linux. [src11] Prices are in euros because TUXEDO is based in Germany. [src5]

WIRED's Pick for Most People (2026 Model Not Yet Fully Tested): System76 Lemur Pro -- Check price

WIRED has long called the Lemur Pro its favourite Linux laptop and keeps it as its pick for most people, citing its balance of size, weight, power and price. Its reviewer had not finished testing the 2026 model at the September 2026 update ("I'll be testing it very soon"). So far WIRED is impressed by the Arc B390 graphics in the Core Ultra X7 version, and its one complaint is that memory is fixed at 32GB. [src5] The July 2026 Lemur Pro (lemp14) moves to Intel's new Core Ultra 5 325 or Core Ultra X7 358H and adds a 16-inch QHD+ 165Hz model beside the 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 one. It has Wi-Fi 7, one M.2 slot for up to 4TB and a 73Wh battery that System76 rates for up to 18 hours. It ships with Pop!_OS 24.04 (COSMIC) or Ubuntu 24.04 or 26.04, and the 14-inch weighs 2.2 lb. [src13] When we checked on 2026-10-07, System76 listed it from $1,999 as purchasable; WIRED notes a price hike on the new model. [src5, src13] It sits below the tested picks only because no outlet we read had fully reviewed the 2026 model.

Best-Built Framework: Framework Laptop 13 Pro (from ~$1,600) -- Check price

The Laptop 13 Pro is Framework's redesign of the 13-inch: an aluminium chassis, a haptic touchpad, a 74Wh battery and, on its Intel Panther Lake boards, replaceable LPCAMM2 memory. Tom's Hardware calls it "the definitive version of the system, though it can get warm and is very expensive". Its Core Ultra X9 388H unit ran 15 hours 55 minutes in Tom's battery test and weighs 3.17 lb. Tom's found the X9 configuration backordered, and LPCAMM2 memory hard to get; Ryzen AI 300 versions of the 13 Pro take standard SO-DIMMs instead. [src14] Phoronix found it a great out-of-the-box Linux laptop on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, Fedora Workstation 44 and Arch. It lasted several hours longer than earlier Laptop 13s, and older Framework laptops can take its new mainboard. [src15] Engadget measured 16 hours 5 minutes and priced the Core Ultra 5 325 version with 16GB and 512GB at $1,600 ($1,800 with Windows). It calls the laptop a fantastic piece of equipment but hard to recommend right now, because memory prices have pushed it into an "unreasonable" price tier. [src16] It is not the best-modular pick because it costs far more to get into: the cheapest ready-built 13 Pro was about $1,600, against $799 for the Laptop 13 above. [src14, src16]

Best for Power Users: Framework Laptop 16 (2025) -- Check price

The Framework Laptop 16 takes a swappable graphics module. Its second generation pairs Ryzen AI 300 chips with an optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 module, and Radeon RX 7700S modules remain an option. Tom's Hardware calls it the most repairable and upgradeable laptop it has seen, with a matte 2,560 x 1,600 165Hz screen and an 85Wh battery. Its Ryzen AI 7 350 unit ran 8 hours 20 minutes with the RTX 5070 attached and weighs 5.29 lb with the module. Tom's also notes it costs more than other RTX 5070 laptops and still has some gaps and seams. [src18] Phoronix tested a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 unit with the RTX 5070 module, the new one-piece keyboard and the haptic touchpad. Everything just worked out of the box on Fedora Workstation 44 and Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, and the firmware lets you choose NVIDIA-only, hybrid or Advanced Optimus graphics. [src17]

ARM Option for Tinkerers: Dell XPS 13 9345 (Snapdragon X Elite) (from ~$1,120) -- Check price

ZDNET picks the Dell XPS 13 (2024) as its best configurable Linux laptop. It comes with a Snapdragon X Plus or X Elite, up to 32GB of RAM and an LCD or OLED screen of up to 3K, and ZDNET quotes 17 hours of battery life and an MSRP of $1,120 at the time it wrote. [src1] Linux on these chips is still rough. In July 2026 Phoronix re-tested a Snapdragon X Elite laptop, an Acer Swift 14 AI, on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS: GPU acceleration had regressed to software rendering and battery monitoring did not work. Phoronix names the XPS 13 9345 as one of the few models whose firmware the maker has upstreamed to linux-firmware, so Linux does not need to copy it from a Windows partition. [src19] Buy it for Linux only if you are prepared to troubleshoot. The Amazon listing we link had no purchasable new offer when our checker looked on 2026-10-05.

Head-to-Head Comparisons

ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (AMD) vs Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300)

Both run AMD's Ryzen AI 300 chips, and both worked well on Ubuntu 25.04 in Phoronix's testing. [src3, src8] The ThinkPad lasts longer: about 12 hours in ZDNET's power-saving test against 9 hours 11 minutes for the Framework in Tom's Hardware's test and about 7.5 hours in WIRED's typical use. [src2, src6, src7] The Framework is the one you can repair and upgrade. Its memory sits in two slots (up to 96GB), where the T14s's is soldered. [src5, src21] Lenovo will preload Fedora or Ubuntu; the Framework DIY Edition ships with no operating system. [src7, src21]

Pick ThinkPad T14s if: you want a business laptop with a factory Linux option and the longer battery life.
Pick Framework 13 if: you want to replace the battery, ports, memory or mainboard yourself.

Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300) vs Framework Laptop 13 Pro

Tom's Hardware tested both. The 13 Pro ran 15 hours 55 minutes against 9 hours 11 minutes for the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Laptop 13, and Tom's calls the Pro the definitive version of the design. [src7, src14] The cost of entry is the difference. WIRED lists the Laptop 13 from $799, while the cheapest ready-built 13 Pro (Core Ultra 5 325, 16GB, 512GB) was $1,599 at Tom's Hardware's review and $1,600 at Engadget's. [src5, src14, src16] Phoronix notes that the Pro's new mainboard and parts fit earlier Framework 13s. [src15]

Pick Framework 13 if: you want the cheapest way into Framework's repairable design.
Pick Framework 13 Pro if: you want the better build and all-day battery life and can pay for 2026's memory prices.

TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 (AMD) vs System76 Lemur Pro (2026)

Both ship with Linux installed by a Linux specialist. The TUXEDO takes up to 128GB in two RAM slots and has two SSD slots; the Lemur Pro has 32GB fixed and one M.2 slot. [src11, src13] The Lemur Pro is lighter: System76 quotes 2.2 lb for the 14-inch, while Notebookcheck weighed the TUXEDO at 3.29 lb. [src9, src13] Notebookcheck has tested the TUXEDO's Gen10 AMD; nobody we read had finished testing the 2026 Lemur Pro. [src5, src9] WIRED lists the TUXEDO from €936; System76 listed the Lemur Pro from $1,999 on 2026-10-07. [src5, src13]

Pick TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 if: you want upgradeable memory, a tested machine and a lower starting price.
Pick Lemur Pro if: you want the lightest machine, Pop!_OS with COSMIC and US-dollar pricing, and you accept that the 2026 model has not been fully reviewed yet.

Decision Logic

If budget < $1,000

→ Nothing tested here is ready to use for under $1,000. WIRED lists the Framework Laptop 13 from $799, but the DIY Edition comes without memory, storage or an operating system; WIRED's advice on a tight budget is to buy a used laptop, such as an older ThinkPad, and put Linux on it. [src5, src7]

If you want a mainstream laptop with a factory Linux option

→ Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (AMD). ZDNET's best Linux laptop overall, with Fedora and Ubuntu preloads from Lenovo and about 12 hours in ZDNET's power-saving test. [src1, src2, src21]

If repairability and upgrades matter most

→ Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen AI 300) (from $799). Ports, memory, SSD, battery and mainboard are all user-replaceable. If you can pay for the redesign, the Framework Laptop 13 Pro adds a much better build and about 16 hours of battery life. [src5, src14, src16]

If you want Linux installed and supported by the maker

→ TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 (AMD) (from €936). It is tested by Notebookcheck and is WIRED's best MacBook replacement. The System76 Lemur Pro is WIRED's pick for most people, but the 2026 model has not been fully reviewed yet. [src5, src9, src13]

If you need a discrete GPU

→ Framework Laptop 16 (2025) with the RTX 5070 module. It worked out of the box on Fedora 44 and Ubuntu 26.04 in Phoronix's testing, and you can swap the GPU module later. [src17, src18]

If battery life matters most

→ Framework Laptop 13 Pro (from ~$1,600). It ran 15 hours 55 minutes in Tom's Hardware's test and 16 hours 5 minutes in Engadget's, both under Windows. [src14, src16]

If you want an ARM laptop

→ Dell XPS 13 9345 (from ~$1,120), only if you will tinker. ZDNET picks it, but Phoronix found Snapdragon X Elite support on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS still lackluster. [src1, src19]

Default recommendation

→ Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 (AMD). It is the most-tested mainstream Linux laptop here: ZDNET's top pick, and Phoronix found it efficient and cool on Ubuntu and Fedora. Our Amazon listing for it had no offer through 2026-10-05; the System76 Lemur Pro was purchasable from System76 on 2026-10-07. [src1, src3, src13]

• Framework redesigns the Laptop 13 as the 13 Pro: a new aluminium chassis, a haptic touchpad, a 74Wh battery and LPCAMM2 memory, with Intel Panther Lake or AMD Ryzen AI 300 boards. Reviewers call it Framework's best-built laptop, and battery life jumped to about 16 hours. [src14, src15, src16]
• Memory prices push laptop prices up: Framework's LPCAMM2 memory nearly doubled in price during Tom's Hardware's testing, and Engadget says the price spike has pushed the 13 Pro into an "unreasonable" tier. WIRED notes a price hike on the new Lemur Pro and the cost of memory upgrades on the TUXEDO. [src5, src14, src16]
• Intel's Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) reaches Linux-first laptops: the Framework Laptop 13 Pro uses it, and Phoronix found the 13 Pro's Linux support in great shape on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44; System76's July 2026 Lemur Pro moves to the Core Ultra 5 325 and Core Ultra X7 358H from the same family. [src12, src13, src14, src15]
• Snapdragon X Elite on Linux is still not ready: Phoronix's July 2026 re-test on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS found graphics regressed and battery monitoring missing, with only a few models, including the Dell XPS 13 9345, getting firmware upstream. [src19]
• The ThinkPad T14s moves to Gen 7: Notebookcheck rates the Gen 7 AMD 90% for its lighter chassis and longer battery life. It has not yet been tested on Linux by the outlets on this card. [src20]

• Prices are from reviews and makers' pages and move often in 2026. Framework, System76 and TUXEDO sell from their own stores; System76 prices in US dollars, and TUXEDO, based in Germany, prices in euros. [src5, src13, src14, src16]
• Most battery numbers here were measured under Windows: Tom's Hardware installed Windows 11 on its Framework review units, Notebookcheck's InfinityBook spec sheet lists Windows 11 Home, Engadget reviewed the 13 Pro as a Windows laptop, and Phoronix does not publish battery figures. Expect different runtimes under Linux. [src7, src9, src14, src15, src16]
• Use a recent distribution. Phoronix recommends Fedora 41 or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS with the HWE stack or newer for the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 and other Ryzen AI 300 laptops, and tested the Framework 13 Pro and Framework 16 on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44. [src3, src15, src17]
• Memory is soldered on the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 and fixed at 32GB on the 2026 Lemur Pro. The Framework Laptop 13 and the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 use socketed DDR5, and the Framework 13 Pro uses replaceable LPCAMM2. [src5, src11, src14, src21]
• Snapdragon X Elite laptops such as the Dell XPS 13 9345 are not yet a safe choice for everyday Linux use. [src19]