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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·
If budget is a primary concern and your needs are basic, such as web browsing or word processing, the HP Stream might be suitable due to its lower cost. However, for more demanding tasks like 3D modeling, machine learning, or gaming, the higher price of the MSI GF65 Thin is justified by its superior performance and graphics capabilities. The MSI will also offer a shorter battery life and be less portable due to its more powerful components, so if mobility and battery are priorities, the HP could be more appealing despite its limitations in performance. 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 MSI GF65 Thin
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
5.7
6.8
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
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 GF65 Thin 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
6.7
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The MSI GF65 Thin is only fair for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" has a basic Intel Celeron processor and integrated graphics, which, despite its excellent portability, lacks the necessary power and screen quality for demanding engineering applications. In contrast, the MSI GF65 Thin is equipped with a mid-range Intel i5 processor and a high-performance Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, providing ample computation and visual capabilities for design work, though at the cost of slightly reduced portability and higher operating noise.
Screen Quality
5.2
6.8
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
The HP Stream 14" has a better screen than the MSI GF65 Thin for software development, while the MSI GF65 Thin has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The HP Stream 14" likely has a lower resolution and dim display which makes it less suitable for any use where clarity and visibility are key, while the MSI GF65 Thin might offer a better resolution and brighter display, providing a fair experience under typical working conditions. However, the MSI GF65 Thin's fair screen quality for engineering and design suggests it has decent color reproduction but may lack the wide color gamuts professionals need for precise color work. For gaming and 3D, the HP Stream's poor screen quality is further hampered by a likely low refresh rate, while the MSI's fair rating in other areas doesn't compensate enough for a gaming experience that demands high refresh rates for smooth motion.
Battery
7.5 Hours
4.5 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI GF65 Thin has 4.5 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the MSI GF65 Thin has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
6.7
The MSI GF65 Thin 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 GF65 Thin costs $1,100.
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Key similarities
General Use
6.5
6.5
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
262.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The HP Stream 14" and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair for general use.
The HP Stream 14" offers good portability and a fair keyboard, but its less powerful CPU, limited RAM, and lower-quality TN screen make it suitable for basic tasks, not intensive ones. The MSI GF65 Thin provides a much more powerful processor, better GPU, and an IPS screen for improved visuals, but these features make it heavier and it has a shorter battery life, making it more suitable for gaming or engineering tasks than everyday portability.
Content Creation
6.7
6.8
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI GF65 Thin and HP Stream 14" are both only fair for content creation.
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
6.3
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The HP Stream 14" and MSI GF65 Thin are both only fair for software development.
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.
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How the HP Stream 14" and the MSI GF65 Thin compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Stream 14" | MSI GF65 Thin |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $1,100 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | January 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.85'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 4.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.76" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.86" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4120 | Intel i5-10500H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 320 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7.5 Hours | 4.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 51 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1366 x 768 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 220 nits | 262 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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."
MSI GF65 Thin
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | March 2021
"The MSI GF65 Thin offers a GeForce RTX 3060 on a budget. The MSI GF65 is a relatively inexpensive RTX 3060 laptop and, perhaps not coincidentally, it also comes with a slower-than-average RTX 3060 GPU. Other laptops we've tested thus far with the same GPU are about 10 to 15 percent faster. CPU performance is also slightly slower than average unless if users decide to enable Cooler Boost mode. Colors, black-white response times, Thunderbolt, and DisplayPort are either average or completely omitted. Gamers who want to maximize performance-per-dollar without sacrificing RAM or SSD upgradeability will find the lightweight MSI GF65 attractive."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the MSI GF65 Thin
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.
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