The HP Stream 14" is a budget-friendly option that offers basic performance suitable for everyday tasks like browsing the internet and using office applications, featuring a simpler processor and graphics, with a compact screen size and higher battery life. On the other hand, the Lenovo LOQ 16 is more expensive but comes with a significantly more powerful processor and graphics card tailored for intensive engineering tasks, 3D work, machine learning, and gaming, alongside a larger and higher-quality display. However, this extra power results in a heavier device with a decrease in battery life compared to the HP Stream 14". If portability and cost are your highest priorities, the HP Stream 14" may suit you well; if you need high performance for demanding tasks and appreciate a better and larger screen, the Lenovo LOQ 16 is the better option despite its higher cost. 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 LOQ 16
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
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
7.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The HP Stream 14" has weaker processing capabilities with its Intel Celeron CPU and less advanced graphics, as well as a lower-quality TN display with less favorable resolution and color accuracy, which limits its performance for general use compared to the Lenovo LOQ 16, which boasts a powerful AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX graphics, along with a higher quality IPS display that offers better resolution, refresh rate, and color representation, enhancing the overall user experience. Additionally, the Lenovo has a larger and more capable battery, but it is heavier and less portable than the lighter HP Stream 14.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
7.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good 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
7.9/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo LOQ 16 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" is outfitted with an Intel Celeron CPU and Intel UHD Graphics, which are less suitable for demanding engineering and design software compared to the Lenovo LOQ 16's AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, that offer much higher performance needed in these fields.
Content Creation
6.7/10
7.6/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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
7.5/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
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 LOQ 16 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
16.0in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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 dull display, making it less suitable for tasks where clarity and detail are important, such as general use and engineering. However, the Lenovo LOQ 16's higher resolution and better color accuracy make it a good fit for general use and engineering, where sharp images and precise color representation are crucial. For gaming and 3D, the HP Stream's low refresh rate and the Lenovo's inadequate refresh rate, despite its good colors and resolution, result in poorer performance where fast motion graphics are key.
Battery
7.5 Hours
6.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The Lenovo LOQ 16 has 6 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
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the Lenovo LOQ 16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.4/10
The Lenovo LOQ 16 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
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the Lenovo LOQ 16 costs $1,000.
"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."
"Gaming laptops with an RTX 4060 are available starting from about 1,000 Euros (~$1,060), even in 16-inch format. For the supposedly affordable Lenovo LOQ 16 (1,500 Euros, ~$1,591), the manufacturer particularly saves in the equipment and materials compared to the more expensive Legion series. In addition, the LOQ is slightly heavier and more bulky. What remains is anything but a laptop full of difficult compromises. Instead, this is a more than solid gaming laptop that focusses on the 3D performance.Q is slightly heavier and more bulky."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the Lenovo LOQ 16
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.