HP , Celeron N4500, 4GB, 64GB eMMC, Sky Blue

The HP 14-dq3250nr is a budget 14-inch touchscreen laptop that's fine for basic tasks like browsing and word processing. The Full HD IPS display and lightweight design are nice, but 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage are severe limitations. At around $265, it's only worth buying if you can't stretch your budget any further.

Let's talk about what this thing can actually do. The Intel Celeron N4500 is a 2-core, 1.1GHz processor that handles web browsing, email, and document editing fine, as long as you don't open too many tabs. Our database puts the CPU at the 49th percentile, so it's about average for budget laptops. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics sit at the 36th percentile, which means you can stream 4K video without much trouble, but don't expect to play anything beyond casual browser games.

The real bottlenecks are the RAM and storage. 4GB of DDR4 is the 1st percentile in our database, and Windows 11 in S Mode will chew through that quickly. You'll feel it when you have more than a few tabs open or try to run a video call alongside a document. The 64GB eMMC drive is also painfully slow compared to even a budget SSD, and Windows 11 alone eats a big chunk of that space. You'll be leaning on cloud storage or a microSD card almost immediately. The 41Wh battery is decent for a laptop this size, and HP Fast Charge helps top it up quickly, but the performance ceiling here is low.

Compared to the Apple MacBook Pro MWP72LL/A or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 21KC00A8US, this HP 14 is in a completely different universe. Those are premium machines with fast processors, plenty of RAM, and excellent build quality, and they cost several times more. The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge NP960XMA-KB1US and Microsoft Surface Laptop 165H are also far more capable, with ARM and Intel Core processors that leave the Celeron N4500 in the dust.

The more relevant comparison is against other budget laptops. The ASUS Vivobook TP3407SA-DS74T is a 2-in-1 with similar portability but typically comes with better specs for a bit more money. If you can stretch your budget, the Vivobook gives you more RAM and storage headroom. The HP 14's main advantage is that touchscreen and the low entry price, but you're trading away performance and storage to get there.

At $265, the HP 14-dq3250nr is cheap, but cheap doesn't always mean good value. You're getting a Full HD touchscreen and modern connectivity, which is genuinely impressive at this price. But the 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage are severe compromises that will frustrate you within months. For a bit more money, you can find refurbished or older laptops with 8GB of RAM and a proper SSD, and those will feel dramatically faster. If your budget is absolutely capped at $265 and you only need a machine for light browsing and word processing, this HP 14 works. Otherwise, save up a little longer.

The HP 14-dq3250nr is a budget 14-inch touchscreen laptop aimed at students and anyone who needs a cheap, portable machine for basic tasks. It runs Windows 11 Home in S Mode on an Intel Celeron N4500, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. At around $265, it's one of the most affordable new laptops you can buy, and the Full HD IPS touchscreen is a nice surprise at this price.

People searching for a cheap laptop for school or a basic laptop for browsing and email will find this HP 14 checks the boxes on paper. The 6.5mm micro-edge bezels keep it looking modern, and at 1.47kg it's easy to toss in a backpack. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 are also included, which is more than you'd expect from a machine this cheap.

But the specs tell a story of compromise. The Celeron N4500 is a 2-core chip that sits right around the middle of the pack for laptop CPUs, and the 4GB of RAM lands in the 1st percentile of our database. That's not a typo. The 64GB eMMC drive is in the 4th percentile. This is a laptop built for patience, not performance.

Skip this laptop if you plan to do any real multitasking, photo or video editing, or gaming. The 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage will frustrate you within weeks. If you need a machine for coding, design work, or running multiple apps at once, look for something with at least 8GB of RAM and a proper SSD. The ASUS Vivobook TP3407SA-DS74T is a good step up, or consider a refurbished business laptop like a Lenovo ThinkPad for better performance at a similar price.

Should you buy the HP 14-dq3250nr? Only if your needs are extremely basic and your budget is extremely tight. This laptop is fine for checking email, writing papers, and streaming video, as long as you keep your expectations in check and your tabs to a minimum. The Full HD touchscreen is a genuine highlight, and the lightweight design makes it easy to carry around campus.

But the 4GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage are dealbreakers for most people. Windows 11 in S Mode already limits what you can install, and the tiny storage means you'll be managing space constantly. If you can find a laptop with 8GB of RAM and a real SSD for even $50 to $100 more, buy that instead. This HP 14 is a last resort, not a first choice.