The HP Stream 14" is a budget-friendly option, which makes it a good fit for basic tasks and general use. However, it has modest performance capabilities given its lower-end processor and graphics. In contrast, the Lenovo Flex 5 14 is more expensive but offers far superior performance with its robust processor and graphics, making it suitable for more demanding tasks including 3D work, machine learning, and casual gaming. Additionally, the Lenovo is a 2-in-1 convertible, providing the flexibility to use it as a tablet, and features a higher-quality display. When considering battery life and portability, they are similar, but the Lenovo slightly edges out with better battery performance. 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 Stream 14"
The HP Stream 14" has no clear advantages over the Lenovo Flex 5 14.
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 14
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good battery life
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
277.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The HP Stream 14 has a lower-quality display and processor compared to the Lenovo Flex 5, which affects general use performance, screen enjoyment, and the ability to handle multitasking effectively. Additionally, the Flex 5 also has a better battery life and a convertible design for added versatility, enhancing its suitability for general use.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
6.2/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 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
5.7/10
7.0/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14's Intel Celeron processor and integrated graphics offer limited performance for engineering and design software, whereas the Lenovo Flex 5 features a more robust AMD Ryzen CPU with Vega 8 graphics, better supporting such intensive tasks. The Flex 5 also boasts a higher resolution and quality IPS display compared to the Stream 14's lower-resolution TN panel, enhancing visual clarity and color accuracy for design work.
Content Creation
6.7/10
7.6/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 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
6.5/10
7.4/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 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
5.2/10
6.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
277.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The HP Stream 14" has a lower resolution and lacks the brightness and vibrancy needed for enjoyable general use and detail-oriented tasks like engineering or design. The Lenovo Flex 5 14 offers a better balance with increased brightness and resolution, making it suitable for general activities and professional work, though it still falls short for color-sensitive tasks with its limited color gamut coverage. Both laptops struggle in the gaming and 3D space due to the absence of high refresh rates and only moderate resolution, leading to less fluid visuals crucial in these areas.
Battery
7.5 Hours
11.5 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 14 has 11.5 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
5.5/10
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 14 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
$299
$960
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo Flex 5 14 costs $960.
"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."
"The highlight of the latest IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is clearly its AMD CPU. The octa-core Ryzen 7 5700U is insanely fast even when compared to the best Tiger Lake Ultrabooks in the market or even Core H CPUs in many gaming laptops. It's a lot of raw processing power for what is supposed to be a budget 14-inch convertible. If your daily workloads can benefit from extra multi-thread CPU performance, then look no further than the inexpensive AMD-powered Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14. For regular on-the-road browsing or video streaming, however, a slimmer and lighter 10th gen Core Yoga, Spectre, or XPS would be a more balanced option."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo Flex 5 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.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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