HP Stream 14 2020 Review: perfect for the casual user

Pros

• good battery life
• adequate keyboard
• Looks decent

Cons

• extremely slow

  Reading: HP Stream 14 2020 Review: perfect for the casual user

• small storage drive
• Runs bulky Windows 10

For years now, HP has seen massive achiever with its Stream laptops—kids, college students, remote desktop users, coffee patronize junkies have all taken a opportunity on this low-cost little machine that can take a outwit. It runs Word, Firefox, and Spotify, and sometimes that ’ s all you need .
It ’ s not a severe hand for $ 200, although its stripped down hardware and software do put a incision on its life. Its entry-level hardware is bound to run into problems. The humble AMD A4 processor was truly meant for a lighter OS than Windows, and it shows : if you open more than a match tab in a web browser, you ’ ll run into sputter and slowdown. Push the computer excessively far and it crashes .
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There ’ south besides a limit to how far the flow can go. Its biggest storage drive option is 64 gigabytes, which can quickly fill up with Windows updates alone, and there ’ s no way to add a bigger campaign for the bulky software. however, with some careful file management, you can make the most of its onionskin driveway by saving your personal files to the cloud and taking advantage of the Stream ‘s SD/MicroSD port by downloading as many programs as possible to an external microSD circuit board ( like this one from Sandisk for under twenty dollars ) .
citation : Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser You ‘d never guess from looking at the HP Stream that it only costs a couple hundred bucks .

About the HP Stream 14

This is a laptop made for first-time owners, those who don ’ t need much office, and those who want things simple. No frills, no bells or whistles, just a comfortable keyboard, a adequate trackpad, and a solid construction. As a result, its specification are about adenine barebones as you can get, with entry-level processors, the bare minimum RAM to run Windows, and a storage drive that ’ s in truth only meant to run programs with the help of cloud based services. here ’ s the model we tested :

• Processor: AMD A4-9120e 4-core @ 1.5 GHz
• Memory: 4 GB @ 1866 MHz DDR4 RAM
• Storage: 64 GB eMMC drive
• Display: 14-inch 1366p x 768p LED display
• Ports: 2x USB 3 ports ; 1x USB 2 port ; 1x HDMI port ; 1x SD/MicroSD port ; 1x Headphone jack
• Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon R3
• Wireless: Realtek Wi-Fi 5 ; Bluetooth 5
• Battery: 41 Wh Lithium ion
• Charger: 45W exponent arranger
• Weight: alpha ( list other configs available )
• Dimensions: 13.26 x 8.85 ten 0.73 in
• Warranty: 1 year Manufacturer ’ s guarantee

What We Like

It’s one of the best-selling laptops of its category

Those who ’ ve hunted for bargain laptops before know how hood it is to find something that ’ s worth their time. Knowing that the HP Stream has been around ( and beloved ) for years is very comfort, indeed .
Of course, its popularity doesn ’ t inevitably guarantee that it ’ second great— otherwise reviewers would be out of work. In this subject, I do think HP Stream deserves its success. It ’ s able to handle a couple of network browser check, basic word processing, and media stream, making it a great companion for those that rely on cloud-based services .
Where the HP Stream distinguishes itself from its competitors is that it ’ s a brassy laptop run Windows 10 S. Most laptops under $ 300 run ChromeOS, which can alienate those already used to Windows applications and shortcuts. The tradeoff for running Windows 10 S is that the HP Stream feels even laggier than its Chromebook counterparts, like the HP Chromebook 11 or Samsung Chromebook 3, who sport a whippersnapper OS that can make the humblest of laptops feel alert .
Most laptops under $ 300 run ChromeOS, which can alienate those already used to Windows applications and shortcuts .
Why would you want to run Windows, then, if it ’ ll be slower than a alike Chromebook ? Windows offers a few features that prove utilitarian for an HP Stream. First of all, those who already own a background can use the HP Stream to remotely access their desktop and entree its office from afar .
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second, Windows 10 S offers more exemption in the apps that users can run—whether it be the type of web browser or access to a multitude of lightweight videogames. inaugural clock time laptop owners can get used to the Windows way of operate, and when they move on to their next laptop, they ’ ll have a better idea of what they need versus what they want in a model .
credit : Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Its battery life is an impressive six hours, putting it right up there with the stay of its Chromebook competitors

Its battery life will get you through the day

In our battery tests, the HP Stream held on for about seven hours before it went done for. It ’ ll catch you through a work or school day, no trouble. Its modest power pulmonary tuberculosis is the affection of its spectacular battery life, so there ’ s short that can be done to make the battery final significantly less time ( because a program that intense wouldn ’ thymine be able to run on the personal computer in the inaugural place ) .

There was a lot of care put into its construction

For $ 200, you get a lot of value here. The Stream ’ s credit card case is sturdy and arduous to bend, lending to it a sealed heft that gives me confidence in its lastingness. Its screen, while low-resolution, is reasonably bright for the price at about 225 nits, perfect for a bright coffee shop class or lecture hallway.
On the inside, the Stream 14 besides packs a adequate trackpad and a surprisingly comfortable keyboard. It ’ s not the Dell XPS ’ south or even the HP Envy ’ s keyboard, but its white chiclets have a pleasant blackmail to them. They ’ re a equal tire after retentive sessions of typing, but they won ’ triiodothyronine dense you down for emails or shorter assignments .
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recognition : Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser For the monetary value, the HP Stream ‘s keyboard offers an admiringly comfortable typing know .

What We Don’t Like

You won’t have enough storage space for basic operations

We tested the 64 gigabyte translation of the HP Stream 14, and we don ’ thymine recommend the 32 gigabyte version. 24 gigabytes on your drive will be taken up by Windows 10 alone, and that free space will entirely get smaller as you update Windows. wholly filling your drive won ’ metric ton allow you to keep up with security patches, will slow down your computer ’ south performance, and could even risk damaging your computer .
Of course, getting the 64 gigabyte translation will mitigate this issue at least a little. In order to avoid overloading the flow with personal files, you can ( and should ) insert a microSD poster into the available slot on the laptop—these days, you can get a 128GB microSD card for less than twenty dollars .
accredit : Samsung A MicroSD card is a bang-up way to cheaply upgrade the amount of storage on your phone, you game comfort, or your laptop .
ultimately, you can store your files on a cloud serve. Best Buy sells the HP Stream 14 with one free class for 1 terabyte of Microsoft OneDrive storage, although there are early options available, such as Dropbox and Google Drive .
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credit : Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser unfortunately, the Stream ‘s modest storage repel can present a long term issue. however, its MicroSD calling card time slot can well double or even triple the sum of on-board repositing .

It is extremely slow

Although this is no surprise, it has to be mentioned : the HP Stream 14 is a identical sluggish calculator. It gained the lowest scores in all our benchmark screen, from a 13 in Basemark ( the $ 300 Lenovo Ideapad Flex 3 Chromebook scored 38 points ) to a 0 in Cinebench ( it was placid chugging after an hour and a half ). You will have to have the patience of a enshrine to use this laptop .
separate of the trouble is the hardware, surely, but the biggest problem is actually windows 10. Simply put, Windows 10 was not meant to run on such modest hardware, which would be good suited to the likes of the lightweight ChromeOS or Linux. The Stream will run a check or two in Google Chrome, and that ’ s about all it can do before stuttering and straining kick in .
however, if you actually want to run Windows and already own a more powerful desktop, you can bypass this issue by remotely connecting the HP Stream to your home personal computer. basically, the Stream controls your home personal computer, and you ’ ll have access to the office of desktop-grade components without the fuss of carrying them round .
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You can’t upgrade the storage or memory

Sooner rather than by and by, you ’ ll have to upgrade your laptop if you get the HP Stream 14. There ’ south no room to swap out the memory, the memory, or the processors on this machine, meaning that you ’ re going to have to swap your calculator out for a newly one a soon as the repositing drive fills up .
It ’ south getting harder these days to find modular laptops across any price point, but we silent consider it an substantive design feature in order to get the greatest longevity potential out of your gear—why spend $ 200 every two years when you can spend $ 300 now, spend $ 30 for a raw drive in two years, and then have that calculator last you for five years sum ? It ’ second better for the environment and your wallet, therefore if you ’ re able to, get a personal computer that you can tinker with .

Should you buy it?

credit : Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser While the Stream does n’t try to wow us, it does succeed at giving users what they need to sit down and do their function .
Yes, the HP Stream is the best Windows 10 laptop to get for under $ 250, but that ‘s not saying much .
If you ’ ra looking for a sub- $ 250 laptop that runs Windows 10, you won ’ metric ton do better than the HP Stream 14. It works for basic vane browse and streaming. Its lighter footprint and price tag make it a great catch for those tied to the overcast and those who love running outback desktops, but its longevity is ultimately hampered by its soldered-in storehouse and memory. For most people, this will be at best a makeshift between now and their following laptop buy in a year or two, so we recommend saving up a bit to at least $ 300 if you ‘re able to .
For the same price, Chromebooks offer better performance and slightly more options than the HP Stream 14, if you ’ ra candid to ChromeOS. HP ‘s own Chromebook 11 is a popular choice amongst ChromeOS converts for its dependability and relatively dapper operation for the $ 200 price tag .
however, there ’ s a distribute to be said for familiarity, so equally long as your expectations are appropriate, you may be equitable very well with the Stream ’ s performance. In return, you ’ ll get a laptop with a solid construct lastingness for the price, a trustworthy keyboard, and a dependable mousepad, all qualities that are rare to find in such a cheap short companion. If you ca n’t spare more money for a $ 300- $ 400 laptop, then the HP Stream 14 is one of your best bets .

Meet the tester

Adrien Ramirez

Staff Writer

@itsaramkat
Adrien is a staff writer for Reviewed, chiefly focused on reviewing laptops and other consumer technical school. During his free time, he ‘s normally wandering around Hyrule .

See all of Adrien Ramirez’s reviews

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