The HP 17" Laptop will offer you more power for tasks like video editing, running complex software for engineering or gaming due to better processors and graphics capabilities, and likely more memory and storage. However, it's less portable given its size and might have a shorter battery life due to the higher power components. On the other hand, the HP Stream 14" is more affordable and offers greater portability with a more compact size, making it suitable for everyday tasks like browsing the web, office applications, and streaming media, but it may struggle with more demanding applications due to less powerful hardware. Consider how you intend to use the laptop and whether portability or performance is your priority. 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 HP 17" Laptop
Good for general use
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Advantages of the HP Stream 14"
Very good portability
Good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.3/10
6.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
287.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
5.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
7.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The HP 17" Laptop is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The HP 17" Laptop is better suited for general use with its more powerful AMD Ryzen processor, larger high-resolution IPS screen, and more robust RAM support, which contributes to better performance and screen quality. However, the HP Stream 14" offers greater portability with its smaller size and lighter weight as well as extended battery life, despite its less powerful Intel Celeron processor and smaller, lower-resolution TN screen, which may affect performance and screen quality.
Engineering and Design
6.8/10
5.7/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP 17" Laptop is only fair 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
7.2/10
6.7/10
6.9/10
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 HP 17" Laptop 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
7.1/10
6.5/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.0/10
The HP 17" Laptop 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
6.6/10
5.2/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
287.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The HP 17" Laptop has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The HP 17" laptop's larger screen size, combined with acceptable resolution and brightness, makes it adequate for everyday tasks, though it may not deliver the sharpness and clarity desired by gamers or professionals in engineering. For engineering and design, this laptop's fair screen quality suggests it can display a range of colors, but might not cover the professional color gamuts fully, which could limit the precision in color-critical work. Regarding 3D tasks, the HP 17" may fall short due to its likely standard refresh rate, placing it at a disadvantage for gaming or any work requiring smooth motion, whereas the HP Stream 14" falls below expectations across all use cases due to limited screen size and subpar display characteristics.
Battery
5.5 Hours
7.5 Hours
The HP 17" Laptop has 5.5 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
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.8in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the HP 17" Laptop has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$850
$299
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The HP 17" Laptop has a price of $850 and the HP Stream 14" costs $299.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP 17" Laptop to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP 17" Laptop offers better gaming and 3D experiences due to its higher-end AMD Ryzen CPU with Vega 8 graphics and an IPS display for better screen quality, whereas the HP Stream 14", with its modest Intel Celeron processor and basic Intel UHD Graphics paired with a TN display, lags behind in both performance and visual fidelity.
Build Quality
6.0/10
5.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers HP 17" Laptop to have only fair 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.
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How the HP 17" Laptop and the HP Stream 14" compare to other laptops
"As far as starter laptops go, the HP Laptop 17 is a sound investment. Sure, it might not be the lightest of options, but what you get for the price is a well-rounded machine that fits multiple niches. Whether it be office duties that require you to multi-task between multiple programs, or study tasks in which you’ll spend hours browsing online, this laptop does it all. Plus, when it's time to unwind, you can watch your favorite shows or movies on a super-wide display. What's best of all is that you can do all this for about half a day on a single charge."
"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 HP 17" Laptop or the HP Stream 14"
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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