The Kubuntu Focus M2 Gen 6 is a solid mid-range workstation laptop that will appeal to anyone wanting a professional, developer-oriented environment facilitated by the Kubuntu Linux OS. While I had qualms with some of the M2's hardware and some specific software, it was overall a good experience.
Price and Availability
The Kubuntu Focus M2 Gen 6 can only be ordered from the Kubuntu Focus website . You're able to configure your laptop in a few ways, including RAM and storage options, but the body only comes in black. The configuration I had was the "Big Dev" base preset with 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, priced at $2,895. The max preset hits $4,725. Shipping is free to the continental U.S. and Canada.
There are a few accessories and add-ons to choose from too. You can order extra PSUs and a warranty extension to two or three years. Full-disk encryption is free, but you can add a preconfigured YubiKey 5NFC security key for an additional $120.
Built for Reliability, With a Little Bit of Flash
Getting it out of the box and using it for the first time, the Kubuntu Focus M2 Gen 6 felt solid to me; I never got the impression I was working with cheap materials.
The keys on the membrane keyboard have a soft, almost silicone feel with a light sound. I liked that aspect, though the layout felt a little awkward to me, particularly the arrow keys' placement. I kept hitting the 0 (zero) key, intending to hit the Right Arrow. That said, I didn't find myself accidentally swiping the glass trackpad as often as I did when I've tried some other laptops.
The keyboard also features RGB backlighting that can be set to one of 65,536 colors using the Kubuntu Focus keyboard management software. The color settings also affect an accent light on the back of the laptop just below the panel that gives the laptop's otherwise unassuming design a bit of cyberpunk appeal.
Flip it over, and you'll see it also has easily-accessed screws for self-managed upgrades and repair. I appreciate that, being a freedom-loving tinkerer, as many Linux enthusiasts are.
The speakers sound far better than those on my small laptop I can barely hear in most settings. The ones on the Focus M2 Gen 6 are much louder and more crisp. That said, the bass leaves a lot to be desired. The experience of listening to Radiohead's bass-heavy Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors definitely fell flat.
I would say that it's perfect for listening to softer music, but that only remains true so long as the fans stay off. Once they get going, the cooling system gets noticeably overwhelming.
A Great Display for Multitasking
Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek
I really liked the display with its 2560x1600 (16:10) resolution. That made it easy to multitask at work, and I rarely noticed screen tearing so long as the dGPU was enabled, and I didn't see any meaningful glare even with big open windows behind me. Movement on the WQXGA panel felt exceptionally smooth and natural, at least compared to the 60Hz HD panel on my ultraportable.
Scrolling was extremely smooth with the 240Hz refresh rate, creating a premium feel I'm not used to. While it isn't as glamorous as OLED, the panel overall impressed, especially for the professional purposes the Kubuntu Focus lineup is geared toward.
I did notice that when waking from sleep while the dGPU was enabled, the screen would briefly display some kernel journaling text before bringing me to the login screen. I didn't experience it when the dGPU was disabled, and I've never seen it on my iGPU-only Focus Ir14 laptop, so I assumed it was some kind of NVIDIA driver output.
Kubuntu Software Is Great (Until It Isn't)
Of course, the reason to get a Linux laptop is to avoid Windows and its software. The M2 Gen 6 comes with a customized version of Kubuntu Linux that includes a lot of software custom-built for the Kubuntu Focus lineup. It includes a setup wizard that walks you through several common first-steps for Linux users, an installer for an Anaconda GPU AI suite, the JetBrains toolbox for developers, a custom keyboard color chooser, and more.
On top of all that, you get a lot of standard Kubuntu software preinstalled, like the LibreOffice suite and Mozilla Firefox. It also comes with Google Chrome preinstalled, which you don't see in many Linux distros.
I've been using Kubuntu with the Kubuntu Focus Suite for over a year now on my Focus Ir14 Gen 2 laptop. I really like it for its overall reliability. I've rarely run into issues that weren't caused by my own missteps.
Still, this OS is based on the Ubuntu LTS . Non-critical updates can take a long time to arrive, if they arrive at all, which can get annoying. I've occasionally run into issues where software doesn't work because it's held back in a broken state and had to go outside the Ubuntu repositories to get what I needed.
It's a problem I don't experience on my desktop where I'm running a rolling-release distro that gets bleeding-edge updates , at the expense of reliability. Still, I would recommend Kubuntu to anyone new to Linux desktops.
Good Performance, Near Half-Day Battery Life
The Kubuntu Focus M2 met all of my performance needs in terms of graphics capabilities and speed, so long as it was plugged into the wall and the dedicated GPU was enabled. I'll remind you I was relying on just the base configuration, but I also don't have the heavy machine-learning workloads of a professional developer.
The system handled my journalist workload with ease, running two browsers, a notes app, and various smaller apps I have open for testing and productivity. When I switched over to gaming, it handled 3D FPS games with ease, even when having to deal with the Proton compatibility layer .
To test out the battery, I tried using the laptop without plugging in as long as possible. The manufacturer claims the battery will last up to four hours. As far as I could tell, that seemed to be possible only under very minimal use. When I did my work, the battery life dropped to more like three hours total. This was with the dGPU disabled, keyboard LEDs off, and screen brightness at 20 percent.
I also tried gaming on the battery, and while it was definitely worse, it wasn't as bad as I expected. When you unplug the laptop, and the dedicated GPU is still enabled, you'll be prompted to disable it. Ignoring that and getting straight into gaming, I noticed the performance was throttled quite a bit, and in turn the fans stayed quiet. That allowed the laptop to give me about one and a half hours of game time playing a 3D FPS, but at medium-to-low graphics quality. So don't expect any battery life miracles here.
The Inputs Can Clash With the Cooling
Jordan Gloor / How-To Geek
I also tried out the microphone and built-in webcam. The mic array picked up my voice well, but like the speakers, the audio input suffers as soon as the fans start up. I played the 3D first-person game Peak with a friend, and it requires voice chatting. The graphics usage kicked the fans on, and the fans were so overwhelming my friend said it sounded like I was running a vacuum. It would have been unplayable if I hadn't connected a headset.
The webcam I found sufficient for meetings and chatting with friends. It's an impressive 2880x1800 in resolution, and while motion was smooth, sometimes things would look grainy in low light, as you can see in the sample video.
It's on Par With the Competition
I took a look at some of the competition out there, and all things considered, the Kubuntu Focus M2 Gen 6 seemed close to price parity with others in its class.
Another U.S.-based Linux-first PC retailer, System76, offers the 16-inch Serval WS with a similar configuration at $2,999, coming in a little bit pricier than the M2 Gen 6. System76, though, lets you choose between Ubuntu and Pop_OS! as your Linux distribution.
If you were to go the Windows route, you can find a similarly-specced Alienware 16 Area-51 (2025) gaming laptop with Windows 11 Home edition at $2,750 from Dell's website. It's a little cheaper and has some slick novelty lighting, but, of course, you'd be giving up that Linux freedom.
Should You Buy the Kubuntu Focus M2 Gen 6?
I already like and would recommend my Kubuntu Focus Ir14 laptop , and the M2 Gen 6 feels like a bigger and more powerful version of it. Though I personally prefer an ultraportable for work on the go, plus a desktop for gaming and high-intensity workloads, I can see someone who wants both in a professional Linux-first device appreciating the M2 Gen 6. Just don't expect to be blown away by the speakers, and expect the blowing fans to overwhelm the mic.
