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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If you need a laptop primarily for less demanding tasks like browsing the internet, using office applications, and streaming videos, the HP Stream 14" could be a good, budget-friendly option with adequate performance for everyday use. However, if your work involves more intensive tasks such as graphic design, video editing, or if you want a device that offers a sharper display and longer battery life, the Acer Swift Edge 16" may be worth the higher cost. Keep in mind, though, that with the Acer Swift Edge 16", you'll be getting a larger and potentially less portable device. Consider how you balance the importance of performance and advanced features against that of cost and portability when making your decision. 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 Edge 16
- Good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
Advantages of the HP Stream 14"
- The HP Stream 14" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift Edge 16.
Key differences
General Use
7.9
6.5
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
383.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a more powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and larger, higher-quality OLED screen suited for a range of tasks, making it good for general use, while the portability and battery life also stand out. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" has a more basic Intel Celeron CPU and lower-quality TN screen, leading to only fair performance for general tasks, albeit with slightly longer battery life and very good portability.
Gaming and AI
6.7
5.7
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.1
5.7
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Acer Swift Edge 16, designed for engineering and design tasks, features a robust AMD Ryzen 7 processor, high-performance Radeon GPU, substantial memory and storage, and an OLED screen with high resolution that enhances visual clarity and color accuracy, which are critical for these fields. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" is equipped with a basic Intel Celeron processor and Intel UHD Graphics, has less storage capacity, and a lower-quality TN display with a lower resolution, which limits its capability to handle resource-intensive engineering software and makes it less suitable for tasks that require visual precision.
Content Creation
8.1
6.7
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very 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
7.9
6.5
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 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
8.8
5.2
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 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 Edge 16 likely boasts a high-resolution display with vibrant colors and good brightness, making it well-suited for everyday tasks and detailed engineering work that requires color accuracy. However, its lower refresh rate may not provide the smooth visuals gamers need for fast-paced action. The HP Stream 14", conversely, may have a lower resolution and dimmer screen, causing it to fall short across a variety of tasks, from simple web browsing to design and gaming, as it can't deliver the sharpness, brightness, or color fidelity needed for any of these disciplines.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and HP Stream 14" both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2
5.5
The Acer Swift Edge 16 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
$820
$299
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the HP Stream 14" costs $299.
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Key similarities
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 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.
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How the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the HP Stream 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 | HP Stream 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$820 | $299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.73 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.68" | 8.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | Intel Celeron N4120 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 320 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 383 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 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 | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 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 Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift Edge 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | October 2023
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
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 Edge 16 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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