Depending on your needs, the choice between the HP Stream 14" and the MSI Stealth 17" can be quite clear. If you prioritize budget and basic tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and streaming, the HP Stream 14" with its lower price point will suffice. However, if you need high performance for gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, or demanding engineering software, and you're willing to invest more, the MSI Stealth 17" is far superior. You'll sacrifice portability with the MSI due to its size and typically shorter battery life, compared to the more mobile and longer-lasting battery of the HP Stream. 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 Stealth 17
Very good for general use
Excellent for engineering and design
Excellent for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
6.5/10
8.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
220.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
7.5 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very 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 RAM which makes it adequate for basic tasks, and while it is lighter and has a longer battery life which enhances its portability, its TN screen with lower resolution and color coverage provides a less sharp and vibrant display compared to the MSI Stealth 17. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 17 boasts a high-performance Intel i9 processor and superior RAM, alongside a high-quality IPS screen with greater resolution and color accuracy, offering a much better overall experience for general use including demanding tasks, even though it's less portable due to its larger size and weight and has a shorter battery life.
Gaming and AI
5.7/10
9.1/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for gaming and AI, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" has a basic Intel UHD Graphics 600 chip and a standard 60Hz screen which aren't suited for the demands of gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the MSI Stealth 17 boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and a much faster 240Hz screen, both crucial for smooth and detailed gaming and 3D rendering.
Engineering and Design
5.7/10
9.4/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
3.5/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the HP Stream 14" is poor.
The HP Stream 14" falls short for engineering tasks due to its basic Intel Celeron processor, limited RAM, and Intel UHD Graphics, which are not designed for intensive applications, as well as having a lower-resolution screen which hinders detailed work. Conversely, the MSI Stealth 17 excels with its high-end Intel i9 processor, ample RAM, powerful Nvidia RTX GPU, and high-resolution screen, enabling heavy workloads including 3D modeling and computational simulations.
Content Creation
6.7/10
8.8/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 17 is very 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
8.5/10
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
64.0 GB
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The MSI Stealth 17 is very 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
8.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1366 x 768
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
220.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
384.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 17 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 has a lower resolution and dimmer display, which can make everyday tasks less visually appealing and challenging for detailed engineering work, where clarity is key. The MSI Stealth 17, with its higher resolution and brighter panel, provides a clear and vibrant display suitable for both general use and color-sensitive engineering applications, ensuring accurate color representation thanks to wide color gamuts. However, for Gaming and 3D, the MSI might fall short due to a lower refresh rate, making fast-paced visuals less smooth compared to displays designed with a high refresh rate for such purposes.
Battery
7.5 Hours
5.5 Hours
The HP Stream 14" has 7.5 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 17 has 5.5 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.5 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The HP Stream 14" has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5/10
7.8/10
The MSI Stealth 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
$3,899
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The HP Stream 14" has a price of $299 and the MSI Stealth 17 costs $3,899.
"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 Stealth 17 Studio is a laptop with a quiet RTX 4080 for almost every occasion. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio is equally capable of high-level media processing and playing current games. It remains pleasantly quiet, even if a few percentage points of power have had to be sacrificed in the process. But, it is not quite perfect: To some extent, the Stealth 17 is well thought out. It packs tons of graphics power and high-end components in a slim case. The laptop's cooling system can be set such that, noise-wise, it doesn't even reach low volume. However, small flaws cloud otherwise exceptionally positive impressions."
Get a great deal on the HP Stream 14" or the MSI Stealth 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.
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