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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
Considering the price difference, the Acer Swift 3 typically offers better performance for more demanding tasks such as photo editing, video production, and running complex software, which might justify the higher cost if those capabilities are important to you. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" is a budget-friendly option suitable for basic tasks like web browsing, document editing, and streaming media, but it may not handle intensive applications as smoothly. The Acer is also likely to have a better build quality and possibly a crisper display. However, for everyday tasks and if budget is a primary concern, the HP Stream 14" can suffice, keeping in mind that the lower price point reflects its modest performance and build quality compared to the Acer Swift 3. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the HP Stream 14"
- The HP Stream 14" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
6.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a better experience for general use with a stronger processor, more storage, and a higher-quality IPS display with touch capabilities, which, along with superior portability due to lighter weight and longer battery life, justifies its standing. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" is limited by a less powerful CPU, lower-quality TN screen, and shorter battery life, though it matches in RAM and has a good keyboard but falls short in build and screen quality, affecting its suitability for daily tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.3
5.7
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Swift 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 provides a fair gaming experience with its more powerful integrated graphics within the i5 processor and an IPS display providing better color reproduction and viewing angles, whereas the HP Stream 14" falls short with its less capable graphics on a Celeron processor and a TN panel which generally has poorer screen quality.
Engineering and Design
7.1
5.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift 3 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6
6.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Acer Swift 3 is good for content creation, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.6
6.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for software development, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.8
5.2
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift 3 offers a higher resolution display with better brightness and a more capable panel type, making it suitable for general use and detail-oriented tasks like engineering and design, where color accuracy and clarity are essential. However, it falls short for gaming and 3D applications, lacking the high refresh rates that these tasks require for smooth visuals. On the other hand, the HP Stream 14” has a lower quality display across the board, with insufficient resolution, brightness, and color range for both everyday tasks and professional applications, as well as inadequate refresh rates for gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 and HP Stream 14" both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift 3 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
5.5
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the HP Stream 14" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$299
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the HP Stream 14" costs $299.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the HP Stream 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | HP Stream 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 8.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel Celeron N4120 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 320 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
HP Stream 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Zachary Cuevas | November 2021
"With half of the main system memory and a fraction of the storage that we recommend in any budget Windows laptop, the HP Stream 14 does not impress. Perhaps it doesn't need to, depending on your reference point. For the price, you're getting a functional laptop with Windows 10, which already places the HP Stream 14 above most Chromebooks on that merit alone. Still, in this price range, you can't do much worse, but you can do better. In fact, for just $100 more, you can grab the much superior budget option, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the HP Stream 14"
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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