HP Stream 14" Pale Rose Gold 2025

The HP Stream 14-dq6015dx is an ultra-budget Windows laptop that handles the basics for around $150. It's lightweight and has good port selection, but the 4GB of RAM, slow storage, and low-res screen make it a tough sell for anyone who needs to multitask. Only buy it if your needs are extremely light and your budget is extremely tight.

Let's be real: the Intel N150 with 4GB of RAM is not a powerhouse. In our database, this CPU sits in the 7th percentile, which means it's slower than 93% of laptops we've tested. For basic tasks like writing in Word or watching YouTube, it's adequate. But open more than five Chrome tabs and you'll feel the system start to wheeze. The 128GB of eMMC storage is also painfully slow compared to a proper SSD, landing in the 7th percentile. Boot times are okay thanks to Windows 11 S Mode, but app launches and file transfers will test your patience.

The integrated Intel Graphics are fine for pushing pixels on the 1366x768 display, but don't even think about gaming. Our gaming score for this machine is an 11.6 out of 100, which is about as low as it gets. This is strictly a productivity and media consumption device. The 4GB of RAM is the real bottleneck here, sitting in the 2nd percentile. Windows 11 itself uses a good chunk of that, leaving very little headroom for applications. If you're a tab hoarder or like to keep Slack and Spotify open alongside your work, this laptop will punish you for it.

Stacked against something like the ASUS Vivobook X1404VAP, the HP Stream 14 looks pretty rough. The Vivobook offers better build quality and typically comes with more RAM and a proper SSD, making it a much more usable daily driver. The Lenovo Yoga 7 is in a completely different league with its convertible design and higher-res display, but it also costs significantly more. If you're considering the Stream 14, you're probably not cross-shopping a MacBook Pro, but it's worth noting that even Apple's base model will run circles around this HP in every metric except price.

A more direct competitor is the NIMO N152, another ultra-budget machine. The NIMO often comes with similar specs but sometimes includes a slightly better screen or more storage. Honestly, in this price bracket, the differences are marginal. You're picking between minor variations of "slow but cheap." The HP's advantage is its brand recognition and the fact that you can walk into a Best Buy and walk out with one today. For a lot of people, that convenience and the ability to return it easily is worth more than a spec sheet comparison.

Value is where the HP Stream 14 makes its strongest case. At around $150 from Best Buy, it's one of the cheapest new Windows laptops you can buy. The price range across vendors is wild, from $150 all the way up to some absurd $80,265 listing that we're pretty sure is a typo. Stick to the $150-$200 range and you're getting a functional machine for the cost of a nice dinner out. But "functional" is the key word. For the same money, you could grab a used ThinkPad with a better screen and more RAM, or a Chromebook that'll feel snappier for web-based tasks. If you absolutely need Windows at the lowest possible price, this is it. Just know you're trading performance for that low entry fee.

The HP Stream 14-dq6015dx is a budget laptop that knows exactly what it is, and that's kind of refreshing. It's built for the basics: web browsing, email, streaming Netflix, and maybe some light document editing. If you're looking for a cheap Windows machine to toss in a bag and use at a coffee shop, the $150-ish price tag at Best Buy makes it tempting. The pale rose gold finish looks nicer than you'd expect at this price, and at 1.47kg, it's easy to carry around.

But you need to understand what you're signing up for. The 4GB of RAM and Intel N150 processor are firmly in entry-level territory. This isn't a machine for multitasking or heavy applications. Windows 11 in S Mode helps keep things running somewhat smoothly by locking you into Microsoft Store apps, but it also limits your software choices. For a student who just needs a web-based workflow or someone who wants a secondary machine for travel, it can work. For anyone else, the limitations will get frustrating fast.

We've seen a lot of budget laptops come through our database, and the Stream 14 lands in a weird spot. It's compact and has decent port selection for the price, but the screen and performance are among the weakest we've tracked. If your expectations are set to "Chromebook competitor that runs Windows," you'll probably be fine. If you're hoping to edit photos or run anything beyond a few browser tabs, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Skip the HP Stream 14 if you plan to do any photo or video editing, run demanding software, or keep more than a handful of browser tabs open at once. The 4GB of RAM and slow processor will leave you staring at loading screens. It's also a bad fit if you need a bright, sharp display for outdoor work, the 250-nit, 1366x768 screen is dim and lacks detail. Instead, look at a used business laptop like a Lenovo ThinkPad or a Chromebook like the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet if you can live without full Windows. Spending an extra $100-$200 gets you a dramatically better experience.

Should you buy the HP Stream 14-dq6015dx? If you need the absolute cheapest new Windows laptop for very light tasks and you understand its limits, sure. It's a fine machine for a grandparent who just wants to video call and check email, or a student who lives entirely in Google Docs and doesn't mind working in S Mode. The build quality is decent for the price, and it's easy to carry around.

But for most people, we'd say save up a little more or look at the used market. The 4GB of RAM and slow storage will become a daily annoyance if you try to do any real work. This isn't a machine that'll grow with your needs. It's a stopgap, a secondary device, or a very basic primary machine for someone with very basic needs. If that's you, go for it. If not, you'll be happier spending a bit more on something with 8GB of RAM and a 1080p screen.