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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
The Dell XPS 15, being more expensive, generally offers high performance suitable for intensive tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, and gaming; it also likely has a superior build quality and better display. On the other hand, the HP Stream 14" is more affordable and provides adequate performance for general use, with a focus on portability and longer battery life. If you work with demanding applications or prioritize a premium experience, the Dell XPS 15 may be the better choice. However, if you're looking for something cost-effective for everyday tasks and value portability, the HP Stream 14" could be more suitable. Keep in mind that with the XPS 15, although you'll get more power, it might be heavier and have shorter battery life compared to the Stream 14". 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 Dell XPS 15
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Advantages of the HP Stream 14"
- Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
6.5
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
606.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
7.7/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Dell XPS 15 is favored for general use due to its powerful Intel i7 processor, superior RAM and storage capabilities, and a high-quality IPS screen with better resolution, offering vibrant colors and sharpness, coupled with excellent build quality and heat management.
Gaming and AI
6.8
5.7
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
9.1/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Dell XPS 15 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
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell XPS 15 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The Dell XPS 15 is equipped with a high-performance Intel i7 processor and a dedicated Intel Arc GPU, making it powerful for engineering and design tasks, while its IPS screen offers high color accuracy and contrast, crucial for detailed visual work.
Content Creation
8.3
6.7
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Dell XPS 15 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
8.1
6.5
9.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
9.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The Dell XPS 15 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
7.4
5.2
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
606.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Dell XPS 15 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Dell XPS 15’s higher resolution and superior panel type offer clear and vibrant visuals suitable for everyday tasks and details in design work, while its brightness enhances viewability in various lighting conditions. Despite these qualities, its standard refresh rate limits performance in fast-paced 3D applications, making it less ideal for gaming. Conversely, the HP Stream 14” falls short in all categories due to its lower resolution and insufficient color range, which dampen the overall experience both for daily activities and specialized engineering or creative tasks, and its refresh rate, similar to the Dell XPS 15, is not conducive to gaming.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Dell XPS 15 has 10 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
8.5
5.5
The Dell XPS 15 has very 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
$1,000
$299
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Dell XPS 15 has a price of $1,000 and the HP Stream 14" costs $299.
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Key similarities
Portability
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.2 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP Stream 14" to have very good portability, while the Dell XPS 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Dell XPS 15 and the HP Stream 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Dell XPS 15 | HP Stream 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,000 | $299 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | January 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 13.6'' x 9.1'' x 0.71'' | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.21 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 13.57" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.06" | 8.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-13700H | Intel Celeron N4120 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 320 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 86 Wh | 41 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | TN | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 606 nits | 220 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 8.5/10 | 5.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.8/10 | 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 | 9.1/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 9/10 | 6/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 10/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 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 | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 3 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Dell XPS 15
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | May 2023
"The 2023 Dell XPS 15 is more or less exactly what you'd expect from the company flagship. Its fresh components deliver measurably superior power and longevity, while the machine's premium build and design remain intact. It may not be overly exciting, but XPS loyalists and upgraders should be more than happy."
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 Dell XPS 15 or the HP Stream 14"
About Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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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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