Customers are enthusiastic about the laptop's overall performance for everyday tasks, its portability, and its battery life. Many appreciate its lightweight design, attractive color, and convenient size. However, some customers have expressed concerns about the processor speed, screen quality, storage capacity, RAM, and connectivity.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 5,632 reviews
Cons mentioned:
Processor speed, Ram
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Ideal for Linux - Tough to use with Windows
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
TLDR: This budget laptop is a great deal for the price with one caveat -- install Linux (if you know what you're doing when it comes to that sort of thing). If you run it with the default Windows installation, you may be disappointed.
Long Version: I approached this purchase on the lookout for the cheapest non-Chromebook I could find with halfway decent specs. My goal was specifically to find a wallet-friendly machine on which to run Linux as I learn programing/development and progress through a computer science degree. I already own a powerful iMac and an excellent Lenovo Yoga 9i, so I can complete all of my demanding or productive work on those -- I wanted something new to explore and play with. Dual-booting is annoying, and running an OS on a virtual machine just doesn't have the same gut feeling, so I opted to find a suitable (and affordable) laptop to use as a project machine.
I found this at a great price in a Best Buy retail store (far cheaper than at other retailers, including online), and though the specs are minimal, I felt it was an acceptable compromise for the purpose and price I had in mind.
They only had two models available (in the box) with no display out, so I took a risk on the aesthetics and feel of the machine, but it worked out for the best. The laptop is solid, compact, light, and the textured finish has a nice feel to it.
Much to my surprise, the keyboard is a delight to use -- the keys really feel great, perfect for coding. The touchpad is fine, though a bit choppy at times, but perhaps you won't notice or care.
I haven't had a chance to test the built-in webcam or microphone, but I wouldn't expect anything spectacular at this price point. The speakers are fairly unremarkable, as most in this price range are.
The CPU and preinstalled RAM obviously meet the bare-minimum requirements of modern computing, but it can noticeably lag at times, especially if running the OEM Windows install. Installing Ubuntu instead has helped tremendously with this - navigating the OS, I have no lag whatsoever (not the case out-of-the-box). Either way, you're better off focusing on a single task than trying to multitask too much.
This brings us to the caveat: Out of curiosity I booted up the computer for the first time to the stock Windows 11 OS to evaluate out-of-the-box performance. It was rough. The first (and only) task I executed was opening up the Edge browser to the default home screen, and it was painful. Extremely choppy, unresponsive, and the machine was obviously struggling to load such a generic page on a known fast network. If you have any serious work that you need to carry out in Windows, I would suggest spending a bit more to gain more stability and functionality from a different machine. If, on the other hand, you're a patient and forgiving person, and either just have casual use in mind or intend to install a lighter and more hardware-friendly OS, then this computer should be fine.
As I said, I installed the latest Ubuntu release, and I couldn't be happier. The new OS is WAY lighter, faster, and snappier running on this machine than Windows was. When considering that this machine has just 4GB of hardware RAM and an economy-class processor, I'm both impressed and more than satisfied with my purchase. It really is a night-and-day comparison.
I used to own one of the old 13" black Macbooks from around 2007, and both the look and physical feel of this machine give me vintage vibes from that special time. I love it. After a simple swap of the stock OS, the computer feels like it could have sold for two or three times the $170 I paid for it.
Conclusion: If you're looking for an affordable laptop without any fancy features, this might be it, but you will probably be frustrated at some point by its entry-level specs if you plan to run it stock out of the box. It excels at lightweight and focused use -- don't get greedy and your $170 will be well spent.
Bonus round: The attached photo was taken with a video paused in one Firefox tab and this review pending submission in another, with nothing else going on. You can see in the screenshot that the CPU is doing fine, but the physical RAM is approaching capacity. This is what I mean about multitasking -- tread lightly and you'll be fine.
This review is from HP - 14" Laptop - Intel Celeron - 4GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Jet Black
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life
Cons mentioned:
Ram, Storage capacity
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
You Get What You Pay For!
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Mostly, this computer is pretty good at getting the job done. I use this computer for school mostly and it's perfect at it. The battery life is pretty good, I can last around the whole day with full brightness and running Edge. Only problem I have with the computer is that 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage isn't enough in the age we're in, but if you're just getting basic things done like school or work even, it's pretty good at it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Processor speed, Storage capacity
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Good Value for the Money Spent
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I bought this laptop for $164 (include tax, free shipping) for YouTube, Netflix, Zoom meeting, internet browsing and emails. It serves well for my intended purpose.
If you are a remote worker, this laptop would be a good back up for important Zoom meeting and Excel collaboration if your company issued laptop suddenly crashed.
This laptop is not powerful / enough storage for serious gaming. I downloaded Call of Dragons and the screen activities lags big time. I tried to download Raids Shadow Legends and the screen shows not enough storage space. Since I game with iPad and gaming was not the reason for buying this laptop (want a portable bigger screen to watch YouTube and Netflix), this was not a problem for me.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life
Cons mentioned:
Screen quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Pretty good
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This laptop is perfect for someone who isn’t needing to multitask with heavy websites or open heavy apps. It is not a gaming laptop for sure. It is a laptop to do homework on, browse the web, watch videos, online shop, browse social media, check emails etc. if you know it’s limits, you won’t be disappointed. I bought it to travel with and have something cheap to throw into my bags. The storage capacity is just fine for my needs since I’ll just be needing it for word documents, and majority of my save data will be via cloud/thumb drive. If gave me 30gb out of 64gb it came with due to bloatware. The battery life is perfect and the weight is light. The only con is the display. Viewing angles aren’t the best. This is a non touch screen type btw.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance, Portability, Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Tee’s computer
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Love love love!
Nice n sleek design, excellent quality, light weight and packs a punch, very easy to use. I would recommend it
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Portability
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Perfect for what i need it for!
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
For what i need it for its a good laptop. Very easy to setup and connect to my cricut for the projects i need to do. I bought a bluetooth mouse to connect with and it was very simple to connect. It does overheat so i would say by a laptop fan, which I did, to sit the laptop on so its not overheating. So far mine has held a charge but when i connect to my cricut for longer use, i have it plugged in charging.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Weight
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great for one student online
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I love this computer! I’m a student finishing my undergraduate in kinesiology and I have to save a lot of notes since I’m online and it is a plus that I got windows for this semester that way I’m not spending more money. I like that it is very lightweight and does not heat up. The battery life is a greater blessing because the lectures are online and my computer has been lasting throughout the time . I’m very grateful and satisfied with this purchase next I need to buy a cover for the computer
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
The best laptop ever!
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is the best laptop I have ever had! It works great for exactly what I wanted. I can do multiple charts, I do my budget, list and writing. I can have multiple tabs open and it also has a function to do 2 or more screens! I got the white one it is sleek and not too big
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Simple Gem in Snowflake White! ❄️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I recently bought the HP 14" Laptop in Snowflake White, and it's like the Cinderella of affordable tech.
* Affordable: A real budget-friendly buddy.
* Size matters: The 14" screen is the perfect size not too big, not too small.
* Basic but not boring: Its Not a powerhouse; Don't expect it to turn pumpkins into carriages, but it manages daily tasks well. It flaunts simplicity with the classy HP flair. Clean, simple, basic but boujee.
This laptop gets the job done without breaking the glass slipper budget.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
I liked it!
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I brought it for classes and work, it ran perfectly. I finished my classes last week and decided to use the laptop for games when I realized it doesn’t really have much storage. That’s my fault I wasn’t paying attention to the gb listed when I ordered, I just really needed a laptop that had convenient pricing. It was perfect. I added an external hard drive to help out with storage. The battery drains pretty quickly or what feels pretty quick to me. I did recommended to my grandmother and a few friends :)
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I like this computer because it is pretty and HP. It is not the fastest processor but I like to use it for school. Sleek design and easy to carry around.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Processor speed
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Reliable laptop
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This is a solid laptop for its price. My only complaint is that it is not as fast as I would like it to be but it gets the job done. I recommend it for people who may need it for school such as I do.
This review is from HP - 14" Laptop - Intel Celeron - 4GB Memory - 64GB eMMC - Jet Black
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Not my first and wont be my last. Love the brand
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Posted . Owned for 3 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
TOP quality rock bottom price. Impressed with this low price laptop under $200. I can do ALOT on it surprisingly. Love sd slot for uploading my card and getting pictures onto laprop quickly. Plenty of ports for usb ect. Quick charge that lasts. White color stays clean surprisingly.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Powershell/Trusted Installer
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Good product. Caught malware virus. Bios utilities not allowing factory reset. HP recommends startup disk only available through Hp. Security not guaranteed in regards to the recovery on the hard drive. Malware attacked even with security scans. Two unknown drivers linked into device manager. Also operating somehow with an attached android battery. MS config.exe unable to load; error messages. Windows power shell, azure and command prompt disabled due to graphics card disabled. Trusted installer error messages. Something internal linked after clicking a malware link. Task manager not working, black frozen screen. Trusted installer error messages linked as “admin”. Restricts a factory reset and will not erase hard drive due to possible virus linked to secure boot or legacy.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
You get what you pay for!
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This was a new purchase, for right under $200.00;however, the system is running like it's refurbished or something is wrong with it. It started acting weird within a week of me using it. When typing, the characters appear delayed on the screen and often times the screen eill blackout. I have only used it to check email and use Word. I had planned to use it for my Cricut projects but I don't think it can handle it. This is probably best for a child. Not saying the price had anything to do with the quality, the design is nice and clear screen display, but if you want it to be reliable and you need to get work done, please research before purchasing this laptop.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Overall performance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I really like it
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Posted . Owned for 3 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
This laptop is really good—fast performance, clear display, and reliable battery life. Great for both work and everyday use.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Processor speed
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
A little slow but
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Ok it goes a little slow but absolutely love it since its easily fixable! Its better than a small Chromebook that I used to have. This one can open files that my Chromebook couldn’t open! Happy with my purchase!
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Processor speed
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Good laptop!
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
i would recommend this laptop! it's not revolutionary by any means, but it does the job. playing some games on it can be laggy, even games that don't take up a lot of space--so, keep that in mind. however, it's definitely very good for schoolwork and watching youtube, netflix, etc!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Overall performance
Cons mentioned:
Storage capacity
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
alright
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
not good for a lot of files and games but good for homework and simple things
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Processor speed
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Great for school
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
It has its moments where it’s slow. But as a college student with homework assignments it works great (sometimes it has delays and black outs but it only last a 30 seconds to a minute very rare) and surprisingly this laptop can handle stardew valley. I will attempt to see if adding a SD card helps. But for now great laptop.