The HP Stream 14" offers a significantly lower price than the MSI Cyborg 15, making it appealing for basic tasks and general use. However, it has a lower-end processor and graphics, and its display quality is modest. On the other hand, the MSI Cyborg 15, while more expensive, provides a high-performance processor suitable for intensive tasks including 3D, machine learning, and gaming with its advanced graphics card. It also has a higher quality display with a faster refresh rate, which is better for gaming and video. The Cyborg 15 is less portable due to its larger size and weight. If performance and display quality are essential and budget is less of a constraint, the MSI Cyborg 15 is the better option. However, for everyday tasks with a tight budget, the HP Stream 14" is more suitable. 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 MSI Cyborg 15
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
7.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
7.2/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.5/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI Cyborg 15 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
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
7.5/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Cyborg 15 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
7.2/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Cyborg 15 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
6.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
234.0 nits
The MSI Cyborg 15 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 falls short in display clarity and vibrancy due to a basic panel type with lower resolution and brightness which might not be appealing for general tasks and is even less suitable for the precise color work required in engineering and design. The MSI Cyborg 15, while offering a relatively better display, may also have limitations in color accuracy affecting its ability to handle engineering tasks that depend on accurate color representation. For gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may not deliver the smooth visuals you'd expect since they seem to lack high refresh rates, with the MSI providing a marginally better experience owing to its fairer screen quality.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Cyborg 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
6.7/10
The MSI Cyborg 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
$1,100
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the MSI Cyborg 15 costs $1,100.
"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 focus of the MSI Cyborg 15 lies on a compromise of performance, mobility, and power consumption. Due to the reduced performance settings, the CPU and GPU perform below their capabilities. Nonetheless, their computing power is still sufficient for FHD gaming at high to maximum settings even then. The power consumption, which is low for a gaming laptop, can be translated into a good battery life. Realistic values of 7 to 8 h are still possible, despite the relatively small battery capacity of 53.5 Wh. Unfortunately the USB-C port doesn't offer any support for Power Delivery, which would be a sensible feature in the case of the Cyborg."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the MSI Cyborg 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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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