The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers high-end performance suitable for demanding tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering work, with a sharp Mini LED display and significantly longer battery life, whereas the HP Stream 14" is more for general use with basic performance adequate for web browsing, document editing, or streaming media. The MacBook Pro is much more expensive and weighs more, which affects portability, but it also provides a robust operating system geared towards creative professionals. On the other hand, the HP Stream is lightweight, more affordable, and runs Windows, which might be necessary for certain software compatibility. If high performance and professional work are priorities and budget is not a constraint, the MacBook Pro is an excellent choice; however, if you prefer something more economical and portable for everyday tasks, the HP Stream will be sufficient. 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 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the HP Stream 14"
Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
9.0/10
6.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
497.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
17.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in general use due to its powerful CPU, large amount of RAM, high-quality Mini LED screen, long battery life, and better portability despite a larger screen, while the HP Stream 14" delivers fair performance with its less capable Intel Celeron CPU, half the RAM, lower-quality TN display, shorter battery life, but is slightly more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
5.7/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
120Hz
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 (2021) is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in 3D tasks with its superior GPU, high-refresh-rate Mini LED display, making it suitable for intensive graphics work, but some popular games may not run due to macOS compatibility issues. Conversely, the HP Stream 14's limited GPU and lower refresh rate screen result in a poor gaming and 3D performance, reflecting its budget-oriented hardware.
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
5.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is highly suitable for engineering and design due to its powerful CPU, abundant RAM, advanced GPU, and high-resolution Mini LED screen, which enable intensive computational tasks and precise visual work. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" falls short for these uses with its basic processor, minimal RAM, entry-level integrated graphics, and lower quality TN display, which compromise performance and detail necessary for engineering and design applications.
Content Creation
8.8/10
6.7/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
8.9/10
6.5/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is very 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
9.4/10
5.2/10
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 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 boasts a high-resolution display with exceptional brightness and a panel type that offers vibrant colors, making it ideal for general use and detailed engineering work that requires accuracy in color representation. However, its typical 60Hz refresh rate is less suited for 3D applications that benefit from faster refresh rates for smoother visuals. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" has lower resolution and brightness, leading to a less sharp and dimmer display for general usage, and its inadequate color range and slow refresh rate make it a poor choice for both professional design and 3D work.
Battery
17.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
Good
Very Good
16.2in
SIZE
14.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
10.0/10
5.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
$1,949
$299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the HP Stream 14" costs $299.
"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 (2021) 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.
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Laptops Expert
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