The HP Stream 14" is a budget-friendly option that is significantly less expensive and offers basic functionality, making it suitable for general tasks like web browsing and document editing. It has a lower-quality display and less powerful graphics, which isn't ideal for tasks requiring high performance or good visuals. The laptop is known for its lightweight and longer battery life, which adds to its portability.
On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has a higher price, but with that comes a more powerful processor, better graphics, and a higher resolution display, suitable for more demanding tasks like photo editing or multitasking with multiple applications. Its keyboard is backlit, which is convenient for working in low-light conditions, and it features a fingerprint reader for additional security. However, it is slightly heavier and may have a shorter battery life, which can impact its portability. 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 Slim 5i
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.5/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is rated better for general use due to its superior processor, higher screen resolution, and improved battery life compared to the HP Stream 14", besides having a better keyboard and heat management. Conversely, the HP Stream 14" falls short mainly because of its lower-tier processor, inferior screen quality, and less impressive battery performance, although it does come with a higher portability score, indicating it may be easier to carry around.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
6.3/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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 IdeaPad Slim 5i is only fair for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" has a less powerful GPU and lower-screen quality, making it poorly suited for gaming and 3D tasks. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i features a stronger integrated GPU with Intel Iris Xe graphics and a higher quality IPS display, resulting in fair capability for such demanding applications.
Engineering and Design
5.7/10
7.0/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" falls short for engineering and design tasks due to its basic CPU (Intel Celeron N4120), less capable GPU (Intel UHD Graphics 600), and lower screen resolution with a TN panel, contributing to poorer screen quality. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i is well-suited for these tasks with a more powerful CPU (Intel i5-1335U), superior GPU (Iris Xe Graphics), higher resolution with an IPS panel that provides better viewing angles and color accuracy, although it is slightly heavier and less portable.
Content Creation
6.7/10
7.4/10
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 IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
8.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
315.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, a laptop like the HP Stream 14" may fall short due to its lower resolution and lacklustre brightness, which can lead to a less crisp and dimmer display compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i, which offers a decent resolution and brightness for everyday tasks. When considering engineering and design, the IdeaPad Slim 5i provides acceptable coverage of professional color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color representation than the HP Stream, which doesn't cater well to color-critical work. Meanwhile, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops aren't ideal, but the Lenovo's fair resolution and panel type don't compensate for a lower refresh rate, which is crucial for a smooth visual experience in fast-paced scenarios.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.6/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 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
$828
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i costs $828.
"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 device is made for average work loads and if your work has a lot to do with online browsing, using apps that are not power-hungry and streaming videos. The looks are really good and the device in itself is not a heavy one. And with Intel 11th-gen Core processor, you might sail through most of your work without complaints."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i
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.