HP 14" Laptop 14" Laptop 12th Gen Review

The HP 14" with the Intel i3-1215U is a basic laptop for basic tasks. It's got Windows 11, a 512GB SSD, and a backlit keyboard, all for a very low price. That's the main story here.

It's not built for speed or heavy work. The specs are entry-level across the board, which is fine if you just need something for web browsing, documents, and video calls. Just don't expect it to do much more than that.

The 6-core i3-1215U lands in the 19th percentile for CPU power, so it's on the slower side. It'll handle your daily apps, but multitasking or anything demanding will make it sweat. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics are predictably weak, scoring in the 43rd percentile, so gaming is a no-go. The screen and storage rankings are also low, so don't expect a brilliant display or super-fast load times.

At around $375, the value is straightforward. You're getting a functional Windows machine for a budget price. It's worth it if your needs are minimal and your budget is tight. But if you can stretch your budget by even $100-$150, you'll find options with much better performance and screens that will last you longer.

Compared to a base M1 MacBook Air (often found refurbished around $600), this HP feels sluggish and has a worse screen. Against other budget Windows laptops like an Acer Aspire 3 or Lenovo IdeaPad, you need to check the specific CPU and RAM. Many competitors in this price range have similar limitations, but some might offer a slightly faster AMD Ryzen 3 chip or more RAM. The Asus Zenbook Duo and MSI Vector listed are in a completely different, much more powerful (and expensive) league.

Buy this if you need the absolute cheapest new Windows laptop you can find for simple tasks. It's okay for a student on a severe budget or as a secondary web-browsing machine. For anyone else, especially if you plan to keep it for years, saving up for a more capable machine is a much better investment.