The HP Stream 14" is a budget-friendly option best suited for basic tasks like browsing the web, working with documents, and streaming video. If you prioritize saving money and need a laptop for simple, everyday use, it is a reasonable choice. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, on the other hand, offers much better performance for tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning, due to its more powerful hardware. However, you'll be paying more for these capabilities. It also might not have as long a battery life as the HP Stream because high-performance components typically consume more power. Lastly, the Lenovo will be heavier and less portable than the slimmer HP Stream. If your work or entertainment demands more processing power and you're willing to invest more, the Lenovo is the better option. If portability, longer battery life, and saving money are your top priorities, the HP Stream might be more appropriate. 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 Gaming 3
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The HP Stream 14 is fair for general use due to its basic Intel Celeron CPU and limited screen quality, as reflected by its TN panel and lower resolution display, but is lighter and offers excellent portability. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 boasts a superior AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX graphics, an IPS panel with higher resolution for better screen quality, though it is heavier and has somewhat lower portability.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
6.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" doesn't suit engineering and design because it has a lower-end CPU and GPU, and less suitable screen quality, which inhibits performance in demanding tasks. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is equipped with a high-performance CPU, superior dedicated GPU, and a higher quality screen, making it a better choice for such intensive workloads.
Content Creation
6.7/10
7.4/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
7.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When selecting a laptop for general use, the HP Stream's screen may fall short in clarity and visibility due to less vibrant colors and lower brightness, whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 provides a crisper and brighter display, enhancing everyday activities. For engineering and design tasks where precise color representation is vital, the HP Stream fails to cover the broad color spectrums essential for this work, while the Lenovo offers a decent range, yet might still not satisfy professionals needing the highest color accuracy. Gamers and those working with 3D applications would find the HP Stream inadequate due to a lower refresh rate, limiting the smoothness of motion, and although the Lenovo has better resolution and panel technology, its refresh rate, while superior to the HP's, does not reach the high levels desired by enthusiasts or professionals in this field.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.2/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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
$549
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
"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 Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
100,695
Recommendations made
21,818
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.