The HP Stream 14" is a budget-friendly option well-suited for basic tasks like web browsing and document editing, offering a balance between affordability and essential functionality. With its smaller screen size and lower weight, it's more portable, but it has less power for demanding applications and a lower resolution screen. In contrast, the MSI Katana 17 is more expensive and suitable for intensive tasks like engineering, 3D modeling, or gaming. It features a larger, clearer display and more capable hardware, but this also makes it heavier and possibly less convenient to carry around. If you often perform heavy computing tasks and need better performance, the MSI is the better choice, albeit at a higher cost and reduced portability. If your needs are more oriented towards light use and portability on a budget, the HP Stream 14" should suffice. 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 17
Good for general use
Very 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
6.5/10
7.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 is good for general use, while the HP Stream 14" is only fair.
The MSI Katana 17 provides superior performance for general use with its powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX graphics card, ample storage, and double the RAM of the HP Stream 14 which uses a basic Intel Celeron processor and integrated graphics. While the MSI offers a larger, higher-quality IPS display and a more substantial battery capacity, its heavier weight and lower battery life affect its portability compared to the lightweight HP Stream 14 with a smaller, lower-resolution screen and efficient power management for longer battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
7.9/10
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 17 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
8.4/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Katana 17 is very 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
7.8/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.9/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Katana 17 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
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Katana 17 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
6.9/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
256.0 nits
The MSI Katana 17 has a better screen than the HP Stream 14" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the HP Stream’s lower resolution and dimmer display can make everyday activities like browsing and watching videos less enjoyable, while the MSI Katana's better resolution and brightness provide a more pleasant experience. In engineering and design, the HP Stream’s limited color gamut may result in inaccurate color representation, which is less of an issue with the MSI Katana but still falls short of ideal, affecting tasks such as photo editing or CAD work. When it comes to gaming and 3D, the MSI Katana's poor refresh rate can lead to less smooth visuals, making it less suitable for fast-paced games even though its resolution and panel type are decent.
Battery
7.5 Hours
3.0 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Katana 17 has 3 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
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
5.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Katana 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.2/10
The MSI Katana 17 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
$1,367
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the MSI Katana 17 costs $1,367.
"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 Katana 17 B13V laptop impressed us in its main area of competency - gaming. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 ensures high-performance levels which can compete with the previous generation's RTX 3070 Ti. In addition to the speedy GPU, the MSI comes with a 144 Hz display as well as an RGB keyboard and provides a very good typing experience. Despite the power at hand, the laptop remains comparatively cool."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the MSI Katana 17
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.
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.