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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
When considering the HP Stream 14 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14, the HP Stream is somewhat less expensive and may be suitable if cost is your primary concern. However, the IdeaPad 3 offers a better display quality with a higher resolution screen and potentially better color reproduction due to its IPS panel, compared to the HP’s TN panel with a lower resolution, which may be worth the higher price if visual experience is important. The IdeaPad 3 also has an AMD Ryzen processor that generally offers better performance than the Intel Celeron in the HP, making it more suited for demanding tasks. If you value performance and display over cost savings, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 might be a better choice. 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 IdeaPad 3 14".
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good battery life
Key differences
Software Development
6.5
7.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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
6.4
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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" likely has a lower resolution and dimmer display that makes it less suitable for any tasks requiring clear visuals, which explains its poor quality across the board for general use, engineering, and gaming. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" may offer a better balance between resolution and brightness, making its screen fair for daily tasks and design work, but it still falls short for gaming and 3D applications where it lacks high refresh rates and advanced color gamut coverage. For both laptops, the limitations on screen quality affect the precision and enjoyment in detail-oriented or visually intensive tasks, whereas the Lenovo provides a slightly better visual experience for everyday and professional applications, it's not ideal for high-end graphical work or gaming.
Battery
7.5 Hours
10.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" 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.
Build Quality
5.5
6.5
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 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.
Cost
$299
$490
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
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Key similarities
General Use
6.5
6.9
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and HP Stream 14" are both only fair for general use.
The HP Stream 14" is equipped with a less powerful Intel Celeron processor, more RAM, and a lower-quality TN screen, which coupled with lesser battery life, constrains its overall performance for general use; however, it benefits from slightly better portability due to its lower weight.
Gaming and AI
5.7
6.0
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" has a lower-end GPU (Intel UHD Graphics 600) best suited for non-intensive tasks, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers a more capable GPU (AMD Ryzen Vega 7) that supports better gaming and 3D performance. Additionally, the Lenovo has a higher quality IPS screen with better resolution, contributing to a more immersive gaming and 3D experience compared to the HP's TN panel with a lower resolution.
Engineering and Design
5.7
6.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" to be only fair for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" falls short in engineering and design tasks primarily due to its less capable Intel Celeron processor, lower-quality TN screen, and lower resolution, which together result in poorer overall performance and visual detail compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" which has a more powerful AMD Ryzen processor, a higher-quality IPS display with better resolution, and stronger graphics capabilities. While both laptops are comparable in portability and have decent keyboards, the superior CPU, RAM configuration, GPU, and screen quality of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 make it more suitable for demanding engineering software and detailed design work.
Content Creation
6.7
7.1
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" to be 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" and HP Stream 14" both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the HP Stream 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Stream 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $490 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 12.8'' x 8.5'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 3.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.76" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.86" | 8.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4120 | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 320 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 313 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marvin Gollor | February 2023
"The low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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.
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Why trust us
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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About the laptop team
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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
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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