Choosing between the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the HP Stream 14" depends on your needs and budget. If you have a higher budget and need a powerful device for tasks like video editing, 3D design, or software development, the MacBook Pro with its better performance, higher-quality display, and longer battery life would be beneficial. However, if you need something more affordable, primarily for basic tasks such as browsing, document editing, and streaming, and can overlook the lower display quality and performance, the HP Stream 14" could be sufficient. The MacBook Pro is less portable due to its larger size and weight, so if portability is a priority, the lighter HP Stream might be preferred. Keep in mind the MacBook's higher resolution, better build quality, and MacOS, which can be favorable for professionals in creative fields, whereas the HP Stream runs Windows, which might be preferable for general compatibility and personal preference. 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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019)
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Very good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Very good battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Stream 14"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.8/10
6.5/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
477.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is equipped with a high-performance CPU, more RAM, a higher-quality IPS screen with better resolution, and a longer battery life, making it ideal for demanding general use tasks; it also has a solid build and excellent heat management, although it's less portable and costlier than some alternatives.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
5.7/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
3072 x 1920
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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU better suited for 3D tasks, but many popular games do not run on its MacOS operating system. The HP Stream 14" uses a less capable Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU and has a lower-quality TN screen, making it less suitable for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.5/10
5.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
4.2/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the HP Stream 14" differ significantly; the MacBook Pro has a powerful Intel i7 processor, a dedicated AMD graphics unit, and a high-quality IPS screen with superior resolution, all essential for demanding engineering and design work.
Content Creation
8.0/10
6.7/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.9/10
6.5/10
4.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) 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
7.8/10
5.2/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3072 x 1920
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
477.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch offers high resolution and brightness, which, combined with its superior panel technology, makes for a crisp and vibrant display for general use; its wide color gamut ensures that colors are accurately represented for engineering and design tasks. The HP Stream 14-inch has a screen that lacks in resolution and brightness, leading to a less sharp and dimmer display that doesn't serve general use well, nor does it provide the color precision needed for engineering and design. Its lower refresh rate, coupled with mediocre resolution and panel quality, makes the HP Stream 14-inch less suitable for the smooth visuals required in 3D environments and applications.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has best in class 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
$540
$299
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has a price of $540 and the HP Stream 14" costs $299.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Stream 14" to have very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) and the HP Stream 14" compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"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 Apple MacBook Pro 16 (Late 2019) or the HP Stream 14"
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
102,795
Recommendations made
22,273
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.