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Updated January 16, 2024·
If affordability is your top priority and you mainly engage in basic tasks like web browsing, document editing, and streaming, the HP Stream 14" is a cost-effective option. However, if you require high performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering software, the Lenovo Legion 9i, while more expensive, offers superior processing power, graphics capabilities, and a build better suited to demanding applications. Keep in mind that the Lenovo will be heavier and possibly have shorter battery life compared to the HP, making it less ideal if portability and battery life are crucial for you. 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 Legion 9i
- Very good for general use
- Best in class for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Best in class overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5
8.4
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The HP Stream 14" offers a basic Intel Celeron CPU and 16GB RAM, which is sufficient for light activities, but it has a lower resolution TN panel and a modest battery life, impacting its overall user experience for general use. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 9i boasts a high-end Intel i9 processor with 32GB RAM, a superior screen with high resolution and color coverage, and a significantly larger battery, providing powerful performance and a premium visual experience, albeit heavier and with possibly lower battery life under intensive use.
Gaming and AI
5.7
9.2
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is excellent 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
9.6
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 9i is best in class for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" falls short for engineering and design tasks because it has a basic Intel Celeron processor, limited Intel UHD Graphics, and a lower quality TN screen, whereas the Lenovo Legion 9i excels with a powerful Intel i9 processor, high-end Nvidia RTX GPU, and superior Mini LED display, which are essential for demanding software used in these fields. Additionally, the HP's screen quality and lower RAM amount make it less suitable for complex tasks, in contrast to the Lenovo's ample RAM and top-tier screen that cater well to engineering and design professionals, albeit with a tradeoff in portability due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
6.7
8.7
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
8.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo Legion 9i is very 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
9.7
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
3200 x 2000
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
682.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 9i 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" has a lower resolution and brightness, making it less vibrant for everyday tasks and straining for long hours of work in engineering and design, plus its slow refresh rate hampers the gaming and 3D experience. The Lenovo Legion 9i offers a high-resolution, bright screen ensuring crisp and vivid visuals for general use, plus its wide color gamuts deliver accurate colors essential for professional design work, but the moderate refresh rate might not be ideal for the fast motion seen in gaming and 3D applications. Differences in screen technology directly impact your visual experience and effectiveness across various applications, so choose based on whether your priority is crisp general use and design work or smooth, responsive gaming.
Battery
7.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 9i has 3 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 9i has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
8.5
The Lenovo Legion 9i has very 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
$3,420
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo Legion 9i costs $3,420.
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How the HP Stream 14" and the Lenovo Legion 9i compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Stream 14" | Lenovo Legion 9i |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $3,420 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | October 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.9'' x 1.01'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 5.64 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.76" | 14.08" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.86" | 10.93" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4120 | Intel i9-13980HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 320 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 3200 x 2000 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 682 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 9.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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 Legion 9i
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Matthew Buzzi | December 2023
"The Lenovo Legion 9i is meant as a top-end flagship showcase for enthusiasts, and on that, it delivers. You'll find flashier designs in this price tier—Razer’s all-metal build in a similarly sized laptop like the Blade 16, or monstrous 18-inch machines—but this is a well-thought-out laptop. The chassis is trim for a 16-inch powerhouse, the lid is unique, and bespoke liquid cooling takes performance to the next level."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo Legion 9i
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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