The HP Stream 11 (2021) is an 11-inch budget Windows laptop. It's available with an Intel Celeron N4000 or N4020 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and up to 64GB of storage. It has a 60Hz 768p TN display, a 480p webcam, Wi-Fi 5 wireless connectivity, and a 38Wh battery. Ports include two USB-As, a USB-C, a MicroSD card reader, and a headphone jack. There are four color options: Diamond White, Royal Blue, Pink, and Black.
See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The HP Stream is mediocre for school use. It's very portable thanks to its compact size, and its included power adapter is also small and should easily fit into most bags. Its Intel Celeron CPU can only handle easy tasks like web browsing, video playback, and word formatting, making this laptop unsuitable for those studying in more technical fields like 3D design or engineering. Sadly, the battery life is bad, lasting only a little over seven hours of light productivity. Also, the overall user experience isn't great as the screen looks dim and washed out, the keyboard is tiring to type on, and the touchpad is tiny.
- Easy to carry around due to compact size.
- Decent build quality.
- Screen too small for multitasking.
- Battery doesn't last a full 8-hour workday.
- Keyboard feels cramped and small touchpad makes dragging and dropping hard.
- Webcam image looks grainy and overexposed.
The HP Stream is bad for gaming. It's only available with low-power Intel Celeron CPUs and integrated graphics, so it can't handle games that are even remotely graphically demanding. Also, it has a 60Hz display with a slow response time and no VRR support. Although it doesn't get hot under load, there's a noticeable performance loss on the GPU.
- Doesn't get hot under load and is silent due to fanless design.
- CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough for demanding workloads.
- No user-replaceable parts.
- Slow eMMC storage drive.
The HP Stream is sub-par for media consumption. It has a low-resolution display that looks washed out, and it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare in well-lit settings. It isn't ideal for dark rooms either because it has a low contrast ratio that makes blacks appear grayish. The speakers sound relatively neutral despite the lack of bass, and while they do get very loud, they distort at max volume. It's very portable, though, and its battery life is decent for video playback, enough to get through a couple of TV show episodes.
- Easy to carry around due to compact size.
- Decent battery life for video playback.
- Loud speakers.
- Low-resolution screen looks dim and dull.
- Poor contrast makes blacks appear gray in dim settings.
- Speakers distort at max volume.
- Image looks inaccurate when viewed at an angle.
The HP Stream is bad for use as a workstation. Its Intel Celeron CPU and integrated graphics aren't powerful enough to handle demanding workloads, and the GPU throttles under load. You can only get up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of slow eMMC storage, and unfortunately, you can't upgrade them yourself as most components are soldered onto the motherboard. On the bright side, it has a reasonable number of ports, including a full-size HDMI to connect an external display.
- Doesn't get hot under load and is silent due to fanless design.
- CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough for demanding workloads.
- No user-replaceable parts.
- Slow eMMC storage drive.
The HP Stream is inadequate for business use. Although its compact size makes it very portable, its battery doesn't quite last a full 8-hour workday, so you have to carry the power adapter as well. Its Intel Celeron CPU is only capable of handling light productivity tasks like web browsing and text formatting, and it'll likely stutter if you have too many tabs or applications open at once since it only has 4GB of RAM. On the upside, the build quality is decent even though it's entirely plastic, and it has a reasonable number of ports, including a full-size HDMI should you need to connect an external display for presentations.
- Easy to carry around due to compact size.
- Decent build quality.
- Full-size HDMI port to connect an external display.
- CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough for demanding workloads.
- Screen too small for multitasking.
- Battery doesn't last a full 8-hour workday.
- Keyboard feels cramped and small touchpad makes dragging and dropping hard.
- Webcam image looks grainy and overexposed.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 11.6-inch HP Stream (model 11-ak0090wm) equipped with an Intel Celeron N4020 CPU, Intel UHD Graphics 600, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. There are many HP Stream models, as they are available in 11.6-inch and 14-inch sizes and various CPU configurations. However, some models have different designs and port selections, so to avoid confusion, our review is only applicable with a model number starting with '11-ak'.
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See our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The HP Stream is a mediocre laptop. It feels cheap built and provides a sub-par user experience due to its low-quality display, cramped keyboard, and slow CPU performance.
See our recommendations for the best budget and cheap laptops, the best Windows laptops, and the best laptops under $500.
The HP Stream 11 (2021) is better than the Thomson NEO 10 (2020) overall. The HP has a slightly larger, sharper, and brighter display. It also has a better keyboard, touchpad, and speakers than the Thomson. The HP's CPU and GPU are more powerful, so the system as a whole feels faster and more responsive. Both devices are only capable of handling simple tasks like web browsing and video playback, not demanding workloads like video editing or AAA gaming.
The HP Stream 11 (2021) and the HP Chromebook 14 (2021) are laptops with different operating systems; the Stream 11 runs Windows 10S, while the Chromebook 14 runs Chrome OS. You can install third-party applications on the Stream if you take it out of S mode, whereas the Chromebook 14 is limited to web apps, Android apps from the Google Play Store, and Linux apps. The Chromebook 14 has a larger display but the same 720p resolution as the Stream 11, so the image doesn't look as sharp because the pixel density is lower. The Chromebook 14 has a better keyboard and touchpad, and its battery life is significantly longer. Although the Stream 11 uses a newer version of the Celeron CPU in the Chromebook 14, the latter feels faster and more responsive overall because Chrome OS is a lighter operating system with fewer processes running in the background.
The HP Stream 11 (2021) and the Samsung Chromebook 4 (2019) are both 11.6" laptops, but the HP runs Windows 10S, while the Samsung runs Chrome OS. Performance-wise, the Samsung feels snappier and more responsive than the HP because Chrome OS is a lighter operating system. However, Chrome OS is more limited because you can only use web apps, Android apps, and Linux apps, while the HP can run full x86 programs if you take it out of S mode. Battery life is much better on the Samsung for light productivity, but the HP lasts longer for video playback. The Samsung feels better built, with a higher quality keyboard, touchpad, and webcam.
The HP Stream 11 (2021) and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2020) are compact devices designed for light tasks like web browsing and media playback. However, the Stream 11 runs Windows, while the Chromebook Duet runs Chrome OS. The Duet is more versatile because it's a 2-in-1 convertible with a detachable keyboard. The Duet's screen is smaller, but it's much sharper, brighter, and more colorful, whereas the Stream 11's screen looks dim and dull. The Duet has better battery life for web browsing and video playback, but it doesn't last as long as the Stream 11 for gaming.
Test Results
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