View Full Version : Recommended Minimum System Requirements?
Hi , I hope it's the right forum to ask this question:)
what are the Recommended Minimum System Requirements for Buying a (used) laptop , just for installing virtual machine +kali linux for penetration testing .
seraching in google the only thing I found is this :
A minimum of 16 GB disk space
but do I need ?
1/ 32bit or 64bit?
2/ does the Processor need to support Intel® Virtualization Technology (Intel® VT)?
3/ what about the RAM – Minimum?
4/ graphic card?
5/ does it matter if it's Intel Core i7 or i3 is good enough?
6/ what about the built-in internal wifi adapter ?
If you are buying a laptop, there is no point why you should not have 64-bit processor. 32-bit is outdated one.
Intel i3, i5, i7 all support Intel® VT but i didn't find any recommended use of it and it is disabled by default so it hardly matters. If you buy a laptop with amd processor then amd also have this virtualization option so you will be getting this anyway.
I prefer dual boot over Virtual Machines. Virtual Machines take lot of RAM. You have to grant it atleast 2GB RAM for smooth functioning. Today's laptops are generally preferred with 8GB RAM.
Dedicated Graphic Cards like NVIDIA and AMD offer GPU processing for penetration testing tools so it'll be helpful.
i3 or i7 matter for gaming. For kali it is compatible to both.
I prefer built-in wifi adapter which is capable of packet injection and monitor mode.
thanks I have just added a question about the wifi adapter:)
1. about the virtualization option, I have read somewhere that this feature is needed for the virual machine to work properly here is a link :
https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1003944
2/ if I buy a used computer (not a new one) dedicated only for kali , do I still need to install a virtual machine?
just for the reason that it adds additional layer of anonymity?
3/ what should I look for in a dedicated Graphic Card?
The property of virtual machine that it runs in its own sandbox adds extra level of security. But linux is very much secure itself. Virtual machine sandbox property is good for those who use linux in Windows and sandbox prevents contamination from VM to windows.
excellent answer :cool:, thank you very much and excuse me for any errors ,English is not my mother tongue;
last question do you recommend on a a specific internal wifi adapter?
I don't know much about vendors of built-in wifi adapter except the adapter i have is Intel Dual-Band Wireless AC-3165. Intel Dual-Band Wireless family may be supported. Expert community here recommends these external wifi adapters so have a look at this https://forums.kali.org/showthread.php?19387-802-11-Recommended-Wireless-Cards. If you can spend to buy an exterenal one then buy one, they are better for penetration testing. Another internal wifi adapter i recommend is rallink. You have to find it yourself whether your built-in adapter pass the injection test.