HP HP - 14" Laptop - Intel Processor N150 2025 - 4GB Review

If you're hunting for a super cheap Windows laptop for basic tasks, this HP Student Laptop is probably on your radar. It's a 14-inch machine with an Intel N150 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, and it comes in at around $250. That price puts it squarely in the 'budget of the budget' category. For students or anyone who just needs a device for web browsing, documents, and video calls, this could be an option. It runs Windows 11 Home and even includes a year of Microsoft 365, which is a nice perk at this price point. But you're definitely making some big trade-offs for that low cost.

Let's be real about performance. The Intel N150 is a very basic 2-core processor, and it lands in the 8th percentile for CPU power. That means it's slower than almost everything else out there. For simple tasks like having a few browser tabs open and typing a Word doc, it'll manage. But try to do more than one thing at once, and you'll feel it start to chug. The 4GB of RAM is a major bottleneck and is literally in the 0th percentile. That's barely enough for Windows 11 to run smoothly by itself, let alone with other apps. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics are fine for streaming video, but gaming is a non-starter, scoring a 7.5 out of 100. This is not a machine for photo editing, gaming, or anything demanding.

At $253, this is one of the cheapest new Windows laptops you'll find. The value is entirely in the price and the included software. You're getting a functional Windows PC with Office for less than many tablets. However, that low cost comes with significant compromises in speed, storage, and screen quality. If your budget is absolutely fixed at $250, this gets you in the door. But if you can stretch your budget even by $100-$150, you'll find much better alternatives.

This HP sits in a different universe than competitors like the Apple MacBook Pro or MSI gaming laptops. A more direct comparison would be with other budget Windows machines, like Chromebooks or used business laptops. Compared to a $300 Chromebook, this HP runs full Windows, which is a plus for some software, but the Chromebook will likely feel faster and have better battery life for web tasks. Compared to a used business laptop like a Lenovo ThinkPad from a few years ago, you might find a machine with a better screen, more RAM, and a more powerful CPU for the same price, though it won't be new. The ASUS Zenbook Duo is in a completely higher tier with its dual-screen design and is not a budget option.

Should you buy this? Only if your needs are incredibly basic and your budget is rock-solid at $250. This laptop is strictly for light web browsing, document editing, and video calls. If that's all you need and you can't spend a penny more, it'll work. But for almost everyone else, I'd say save up a little longer. The 4GB of RAM and weak processor will become frustrating quickly. If you're a student who needs to run research tabs alongside a paper, or if you want this to last more than a year, I'd strongly recommend looking at refurbished models or saving for a slightly more capable machine. This is a 'get by' laptop, not a 'get things done' laptop.