If you are on a tight budget and mainly need a laptop for basic tasks like browsing, word processing, and streaming, the HP Stream 14" may be suitable despite its lower price. However, for a bit more investment, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" typically offers better performance, more storage, and a larger screen, making it more versatile for a wider range of activities, including more demanding applications. The larger screen of the Lenovo can also provide a better experience for viewing content and multitasking, yet this may make it a bit less portable than the smaller HP Stream. 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"
Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
Good for general use
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers a more powerful AMD Ryzen processor, more RAM for multitasking, a larger and higher-quality IPS display suitable for a better visual experience, and a longer battery life, making it good for general use. In contrast, the HP Stream 14" has a smaller TN screen with lower resolution, less processing power from its Intel Celeron CPU, and a shorter battery life, but it remains fairly portable and has a lower weight, making it a fair choice for general use depending on your portability needs.
Engineering and Design
5.7/10
6.6/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
6.7/10
7.4/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
7.3/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
12.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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" likely has a lower resolution and dimmer display, making it less suitable for tasks where clarity and detail are key, such as browsing or document editing. For engineering and design work, its limited color gamut means less accurate color representation, essential for precise visual tasks. In the case of gaming and 3D applications, the lack of a high refresh rate combined with modest resolution and possibly a subpar panel type results in less fluid and engaging visuals.
Battery
7.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has 10 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.
Cost
$299
$741
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" costs $741.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" is limited for gaming and 3D due to its basic Intel UHD Graphics 600 and lower resolution screen, affecting both GPU-driven tasks and visual fidelity. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" offers better gaming and 3D performance with its more capable AMD Ryzen 7 5700U Vega 8 graphics and higher resolution display, enhancing graphics processing and screen quality.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
6.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" 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.
Give feedback
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How the HP Stream 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" compare to other laptops
"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 Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15" is affordable and pretty efficient. At the end of the day, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 (15″, 2023) is one of the better affordable laptops money can buy right now. It has a decent performance, albeit coming from a CPU that is based on old architecture. Playing low-intensity games is possible but at low to medium settings. We are really happy with the cooling setup, but the main event here is the battery life. We got 9 hours of either Web browsing or video playback, which is a great result. Especially if you compare this device with the ASUS E410."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15"
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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