The HP Stream 14" is a budget-friendly option suited for basic tasks like web browsing, word processing, and streaming video due to its lower-end processor and graphics. It's lightweight and highly portable, but the performance for more intensive applications will be limited and the screen quality is basic. On the other hand, the MSI Pulse GL66 packs a more powerful processor and high-end graphics card, making it a better choice for demanding tasks such as gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning. It's heavier and likely has a shorter battery life, making it less portable but much more capable for performance-intensive tasks. If cost is a major concern and your needs are basic, the HP Stream 14" can save you money. However, if you need higher performance and can handle a heftier machine and price, the MSI Pulse GL66 will be far superior. 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 Pulse GL66
Good for general use
Good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Good for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Very 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
245.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The HP Stream 14" has a less powerful Intel Celeron processor and lower resolution TN screen, which makes it adequate for basic tasks and offers good battery life, but it's not designed for heavy workloads or high-quality media consumption. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66 features a more robust Intel i7 processor and a high-quality IPS display, enhancing performance and visual experience, suited for more demanding general usage, but it's heavier and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
7.2/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
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 Pulse GL66 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
7.4/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Pulse GL66 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" falls short for engineering and design due to its modest Intel Celeron CPU and Intel UHD Graphics, paired with a lower resolution TN screen, while the MSI Pulse GL66 is equipped with a powerful Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, along with a higher resolution IPS display, making it well-suited for demanding tasks and better visual quality.
Content Creation
6.7/10
7.2/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Pulse GL66 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.
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
245.0 nits
The MSI Pulse GL66 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
When selecting a laptop, the HP Stream 14" may disappoint with its display's lower resolution and limited brightness, impacting the sharpness and visibility of content for everyday tasks. For engineering and design work, its screen may not accurately represent a wide spectrum of colors, which is essential for detail-oriented tasks. In contrast, the MSI Pulse GL66, with its decent resolution and brightness, offers an acceptable experience for general and engineering purposes, but the lack of a high refresh rate can hinder the smoothness required for fluid 3D applications and gaming.
Battery
7.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Pulse GL66 has 4 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
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Pulse GL66 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.4/10
The MSI Pulse GL66 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
$1,399
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the MSI Pulse GL66 costs $1,399.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Pulse GL66 to be 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HP Stream 14" and the MSI Pulse GL66 compare to other laptops
"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 MSI Pulse GL66 has a lot of potential for improvement. Although the RTX 3060 is only able to use 105 watts, we still liked the gaming performance, particularly since this also makes the Pulse comfortably efficient but not slow by any means. Neither the dark display with its lame response times, nor USB 2.0 or the lack of Thunderbolt will please real gamers. The use of a sticker factory seal, which is at least questionable, also won't inspire any enthusiasm. It is obvious that the laptop is really designed for price-conscious gamers."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the MSI Pulse GL66
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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