When considering the HP Stream 14" versus the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15", think about what's most important for your needs. The HP Stream is usually less expensive and more portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight, which could be advantageous if you travel often or have limited space. However, it has less processing power, which could slow you down if you run demanding applications. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad has a larger screen and generally better performance, making it suitable for more intensive tasks, though it is slightly heavier and might put a bit more strain on your budget. Both laptops have similar battery life and basic display quality, so your decision might hinge on how you weigh cost, portability, and performance for your specific use case. 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
Good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the HP Stream 14".
Key differences
Screen Quality
5.2/10
5.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The HP Stream 14" has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize screen quality for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming, both the HP Stream and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 may disappoint due to their lower resolution and dim displays. For engineering and design work where accurate colors are critical, these laptops could lack the wider color gamuts necessary for professional-grade visuals. And for gaming or 3D applications, the limited refresh rates of these laptops' screens won't deliver the smooth motion performance that is desirable for fast-paced visuals and detailed graphics work.
Battery
7.5 Hours
5.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 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
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
6.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" 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
$360
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
The HP Stream 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" are both only fair for general use.
The HP Stream 14" with its higher RAM and longer battery life excels in multitasking and endurance, making it suitable for users prioritizing these features, although the screen quality and heat management are not as good. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15", on the other hand, offers a slightly better CPU, a larger screen, and superior heat management but compromises on portability and battery life, making it a good choice for those preferring a bigger display and better performance, who don't mind being near a power source more often.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
5.8/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and HP Stream 14" are both poor for gaming and AI.
The HP Stream 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" laptops have integrated GPUs, namely Intel UHD Graphics 600 and Intel UHD Xe G4, respectively, which are not powerful enough for demanding gaming and 3D tasks, and they both come with a screen refresh rate limited to 60Hz which is not ideal for the smooth visuals often desired in gaming. While the HP Stream 14" offers slightly better portability due to its smaller size, both suffer from relatively basic TN panel displays with lower resolutions that do not maximize screen quality.
Engineering and Design
5.7/10
5.8/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" and HP Stream 14" are both poor for engineering and design.
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
6.3/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The HP Stream 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" are both only fair for content creation.
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
6.3/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The HP Stream 14" and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" are both only fair for software development.
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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP Stream 14" and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 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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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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