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What we think
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Updated January 12, 2024·
The HP Stream 14" is more budget-friendly and lightweight, making it suitable for basic tasks and portability. However, it is less powerful, with modest performance suitable for everyday activities like web browsing and document editing, and offering an average display quality. The MSI Katana 15, while more expensive, provides significantly higher performance, better suited for intensive tasks such as gaming, 3D applications, or engineering software. It also features a larger, higher-quality display and overall better build quality. If your usage involves more demanding processions and you're okay with a heavier machine, the MSI is a strong option. Conversely, if you prioritize savings and basic functionality, the HP is sufficient. 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 Katana 15
- 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
- Good speakers
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5
7.5
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
258.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The MSI Katana 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
7.6
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The MSI Katana 15 is good for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" with its basic Intel UHD Graphics and a lower 60Hz screen refresh rate isn't suitable for gaming or 3D applications that require a powerful GPU and higher refresh rates; conversely, the MSI Katana 15 is equipped with the much more capable Nvidia RTX 4060 and a 144Hz refresh rate display, making it a good fit for such demanding tasks. Additionally, the Katana's better CPU and higher-quality screen also contribute to its suitability for gaming and 3D work compared to the Stream's inferior CPU and screen quality.
Engineering and Design
5.7
7.7
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Katana 15 is good for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14's Intel Celeron N4120 processor and Intel UHD Graphics 600 are less capable, especially for demanding engineering software, compared to the MSI Katana 15's Intel i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which provide much higher performance for complex tasks.
Content Creation
6.7
7.4
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 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
7.0
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 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
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
258.0 nits
The MSI Katana 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's poor screen quality across use cases stems from a combination of a lower resolution and limited brightness, which affects clarity and visibility. For engineering and design, its lack of wide color gamut support results in less accurate color representation. The MSI Katana's screen provides adequate resolution and brightness for general and engineering tasks, but its shortcomings in refresh rate limit its effectiveness for immersive gaming and 3D applications.
Battery
7.5 Hours
4.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 15 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
4.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 15 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
7.2
The MSI Katana 15 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
$949
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the MSI Katana 15 costs $949.
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How the HP Stream 14" and the MSI Katana 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HP Stream 14" | MSI Katana 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$299 | $949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2022 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.8'' x 8.9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.98'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.5 lbs | 4.96 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.76" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.86" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4120 | Intel i5-12450H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 4 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 41 Wh | 53.5 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 | 258 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 6.9/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 2 | |
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 Katana 15
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The MSI Katana 15 B12 combines a Gen12 CPU with an RTX 4050, which is actually not a bad idea for a budget gamer. The CPU is anything but bad and the GPU in the Katana 15 proves to be significantly more efficient than last year's models. However, our main point of criticism for budget gamers is the price: while you can get budget laptops with RTX 3060 from around US$800, you pay a whole US$1,499.99 here! The efficiency advantages of the RTX 4050 do not justify this price premium."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the MSI Katana 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.
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