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HP Stream 13-c102ng Notebook Review

Colorful. Once again, the second generation of HP's new Stream 13 stands out from the masses with its colors. It is a kind of Windows alternative to inexpensive Chromebooks. The very solid overall concept is, however, affected by some minor flaws.

For the original German review, see here.

The second generation of the HP Stream 13-c100np retailing for just 300 Euros (~$338) is once again a colorful notebook, which is supposed to attract price-conscious users. The main difference is the processor upgrade from an Intel Celeron N2840 to an Intel Celeron N3050. Even though the price of the new version appears low, the device is actually 50 Euros (~$56) more expensive than the model we have already reviewed. The other components have not changed, so 2 GB of memory, a matte display with 1366x768 pixels and a small 32 GB eMMC for storage have to suffice. We can see a small change in terms of the storage: The included cloud storage is reduced from 1 TB to just 100 GB. On the other hand, you can now use it for two years instead of just one.

HP Stream 13-c102ng (Stream Series)
Processor
Intel Celeron N3050 2 x 1.6 - 2.2 GHz, Braswell, two cores, TDP 6 W
Graphics adapter
Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Core: 600 MHz, 10.18.15.4248
Memory
2048 MB 
, Single-Channel, DDR3L SDRAM
Display
13.30 inch 16:9, 1366 x 768 pixel, AU Optronics B133XW03, TN, glossy: no
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
Connections
2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: audio combo, Card Reader: MicroSD
Networking
Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 19.5 x 333.2 x 229 ( = 0.77 x 13.12 x 9.02 in)
Battery
37 Wh Lithium-Ion, 3 cells
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD webcam
Additional features
Speakers: stereo speakers, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: no, 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
1.524 kg ( = 53.76 oz / 3.36 pounds), Power Supply: 280 g ( = 9.88 oz / 0.62 pounds)
Price
300 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case & Connectivity

The rich blue, which is called Cobalt Blue by HP, is a pleasant change from the otherwise boring notebooks and as a contrast, the keyboard is white. HP uses only plastic elements, but this is common for a notebook in this price range.

The handling of the notebook is convenient thanks to its weight of around 1.5 kg (~3.3 lb). The tactile feeling of the 2-cm (~0.8 in) high chassis is also okay and we cannot find any build quality issues. The display hinge is taut and leaves a robust impression, but you can dent the display lid slightly. You can quickly see that the 13-inch device is not designed to be maintained when you look at the bottom, not even the battery can be replaced. As with our previous review unit, even the memory is soldered and cannot be expanded.

You get one HDMI port as well as two USB ports, but only one of them supports the 3.0 standard. There is also a microSD-card slot. Similar to the predecessor, all the ports are located in the rear area, so there are no annoying cables when you are working.

right: 2x USB 2.0, power
right: 2x USB 2.0, power
left: Kensington Lock, HDMI, USB 3.0, combo audio, microSD-card slot
left: Kensington Lock, HDMI, USB 3.0, combo audio, microSD-card slot

Input Devices

We cannot find any changes compared to the predecessor in terms of the input devices. The chiclet keyboard can be pushed in slightly in the center and the key travel could be a little firmer. The good grip and the decent pressure point are positive aspects. All keys are sufficiently solid and do not wobble too much in the corners.

The surface of the touchpad (9.5 x 6.5 cm/~3.7 x 2.6 in) is extremely smooth and allows fast movements. However, the pad is not very responsive in the corners. You can use the mouse buttons with a short travel in the lower part of the touchpad. The clattering noises when you apply just a little bit of pressure to the pad are unpleasant.

Overall, the keyboard and the touchpad leave a very solid impression for this price range.

Also suited for occasional office tasks.
Also suited for occasional office tasks.

Display

The display was already a problem in the last version and unfortunately we cannot  see a positive development. The panel with 1366x768 pixels manages a very low average brightness of only 179 cd/m². Particularly annoying: The brightness is reduced even further to 158 cd/m² on battery power. HP still uses a matte panel, so there are no reflections on the 13-inch device. However, the weak backlight cannot compensate for light sources. A much brighter panel is available in the 50 Euros (~$56) more expensive Acer Aspire E13, for example. It manages much brighter 254.4 cd/m².

The outdoor usability ...
The outdoor usability ...
... is affected by the display brightness.
... is affected by the display brightness.
bad visibility, despite the matte panel
bad visibility, despite the matte panel
174
cd/m²
179
cd/m²
191
cd/m²
167
cd/m²
190
cd/m²
193
cd/m²
165
cd/m²
171
cd/m²
182
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
AU Optronics B133XW03 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 193 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 179.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 158 cd/m²
Contrast: 576:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.84 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 10.32 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
60% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.32% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.68% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.48
HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3150, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Toshiba CB30-B-104
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840
Display
-13%
9%
12%
Display P3 Coverage
40.68
35.05
-14%
44.03
8%
45.56
12%
sRGB Coverage
59.8
52.8
-12%
65.8
10%
68
14%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.32
36.21
-14%
45.52
8%
47.12
11%
Response Times
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
45 ?(21, 24)
Response Time Black / White *
25 ?(7, 18)
PWM Frequency
201 ?(30)
Screen
3%
-52%
-4%
40%
Brightness middle
190
210
11%
279
47%
289
52%
378
99%
Brightness
179
205
15%
254
42%
266
49%
374
109%
Brightness Distribution
85
92
8%
86
1%
87
2%
94
11%
Black Level *
0.33
0.43
-30%
1.71
-418%
0.68
-106%
0.5
-52%
Contrast
576
488
-15%
163
-72%
425
-26%
756
31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.84
11.95
-21%
10.73
-9%
10.9
-11%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
10.32
1.42
86%
11.98
-16%
12.65
-23%
Gamma
2.48 89%
2.31 95%
2.19 100%
2.11 104%
CCT
11884 55%
6504 100%
13164 49%
14520 45%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
38
34
-11%
42
11%
42
11%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
60
53
-12%
67.9
13%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-5% / -1%
-22% / -35%
4% / -0%
40% / 40%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
25 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 18 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 53 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
45 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 24 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 201 Hz ≤ 30 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 201 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 30 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 201 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18120 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Subpixel array
Subpixel array
maximum opening angles
maximum opening angles

We check the color and grayscale deviations with the software CalMAN. We can already see a blue cast and it is supported by the grayscale. The DeltaE deviations of around 10 for the grayscale and the colors are not impressive, but normal for a TN panel.

The outdoor usability is limited to cloudy days or places in the shade. The display will quickly appear too dark outdoors.

The TN panel offers limited viewing angles; the colors and the brightness in particular distort with vertical shifts. Another issue is the small opening angle of the display at just 125 degrees.

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
AdobeRGB coverage
AdobeRGB coverage
sRGB coverage
sRGB coverage

Performance

LatencyMon
LatencyMon

The visual appearance and the rather simple specification sheet remind us of a Chromebook from Google. HP's Stream 13 is therefore a rival based on Windows, but you only get the essentials for 300 Euros (~$338). This includes a frugal Braswell Intel Celeron CPU, 2 GB of memory and 32 GB of storage. Unfortunately, there are no other configurations available. The only choice is limited to the color: HP has dispensed with the pink model for the current line-up and offers a purple alternative instead.

Processor

The CPU is an Intel Celeron N3050 based on the Bramwell architecture. The two cores of the CPU run at 1.6 GHz, but the processor can reach clocks of up to 2160 MHz via automatic Boost. The performance is sufficient for daily tasks, but you will quickly reach the limit when you browse complex websites or during multitasking.

According to the manufacturer, the 64-bit CPU consumes only up to 6 W (TDP).

First, we have a closer look at the performance in the Cinebench R15 benchmark. The multi-core result of just 59 points indicates a rather weak performance. At least, the performance is not further reduced on battery power. The previously mentioned Acer Aspire E13 manages a much better score of 157 points thanks to its more powerful quad-core processor.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
33 Points
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
41 Points +24%
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
42 Points +27%
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3150, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
32 Points -3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
30 Points -9%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
34 Points +3%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
34 Points +3%
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
62 Points
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
76 Points +23%
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
157 Points +153%
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3150, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
118 Points +90%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
56 Points -10%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
65 Points +5%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
62 Points 0%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.79 Points
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.89 Points +13%
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
1.88 Points +138%
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3150, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
1.46 Points +85%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.72 Points -9%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.8 Points +1%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.79 Points 0%
CPU Single 64Bit (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.4 Points
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.45 Points +13%
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
0.5 Points +25%
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3150, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.41 Points +3%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.37 Points -7%
Acer Extensa 2519-C7DC
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
0.41 Points +3%
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
0.41 Points +3%
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2103
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
1272
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1025
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
8.95 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
0.79 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
0.4 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
11.99 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
62 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
33 Points
Help

System Performance

Even though the Stream 13 does not feature very powerful hardware, the system always ran smoothly. There were only some hiccups during some animations and when we used multiple applications simultaneously. PCMark 8 gives us an objective result when we compare it with the predecessor. The previous Stream version is around 20% worse in the Home benchmark, while our review unit is slightly behind the previous generation in the Work test.

HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3150, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
PCMark 7
Score
2434
1635
-33%
PCMark 8
3%
-7%
1%
-7%
Home Score Accelerated v2
1568
1485
-5%
1273
-19%
1640
5%
1511
-4%
Work Score Accelerated v2
1331
1470
10%
1396
5%
1283
-4%
1205
-9%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
3% / 3%
-7% / -7%
-16% / -11%
-7% / -7%
PCMark 7 Score
2434 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
1568 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
1331 points
Help

Storage Devices

Similar to the previous version, HP uses eMMC storage with a capacity of 32 GB. Thanks to the Windows operating system, the preloaded software and the recovery partition, you can only use around 17 GB. The read rates are quite reasonable, which is typical for eMMC storage, but fall slightly behind the previous Stream 13. The write performance in particular is low. An expansion of the storage is only possible via microSD-card.

HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N3540, WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-16%
-50%
4%
-58%
Read Seq
152.8
171.2
12%
99.5
-35%
164.5
8%
92
-40%
Write Seq
76.9
69.9
-9%
98
27%
67.8
-12%
80.3
4%
Read 4k
18.28
19.57
7%
0.415
-98%
18.05
-1%
0.308
-98%
Write 4k
16.78
4.639
-72%
1.161
-93%
20.49
22%
0.576
-97%
32 GB eMMC Flash
Sequential Read: 152.8 MB/s
Sequential Write: 76.9 MB/s
512K Read: 167 MB/s
512K Write: 22.79 MB/s
4K Read: 18.28 MB/s
4K Write: 16.78 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 31.59 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 16.08 MB/s

GPU Performance

The graphics output is handled by the Intel HD Graphics (Braswell). It is clocked between 320 and 600 MHz and can handle 4K/H.265 videos smoothly. However, you will have to forget about gaming, only old classics can be played smoothly. 3DMark 11 confirms this with a low score of just 310 points. Still, this result is 36% better than the predecessor that scored only 236 points.

More comparisons and information about the graphics card are available in our article about mobile graphics cards.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
310 Points
HP Stream 13-c002ng
236 Points -24%
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
274 Points -12%
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL
462 Points +49%
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR
414 Points +34%

Legend

 
HP Stream 13-c102ng Intel Celeron N3050, Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HP Stream 13-c002ng Intel Celeron N2840, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D Intel Pentium N3540, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0
 
Acer Aspire ES1-331-C5KL Intel Celeron N3150, Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
 
Lenovo IdeaPad 300S-11IBR Intel Celeron N3050, Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), Seagate Momentus Thin ST500LT012-1DG142
 
Asus Transformer Book Flip TP200SA-FV0108TS Intel Celeron N3050, Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), 32 GB eMMC Flash
3DMark 11 Performance
310 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
15693 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
1404 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The HP Stream 13 is not designed to play games. If you still want to play, you should focus on older classics or games from the Windows Store. “TrackMania Nations Forever” from 2008 is actually playable at the lowest settings. A list of games and their requirements is available here.

Trackmania Nations Forever
640x480 Minimum Quality AA:0x AF:Bilinear (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
97.6 fps
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
90.2 fps -8%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
106 fps +9%
1024x768 High Quality AA:0x AF:4x (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
22.9 fps
HP Stream 13-c002ng
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), N2840, 32 GB eMMC Flash
23.6 fps +3%
Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 11 AO1-131-C58K
HD Graphics (Braswell), N3050, 32 GB eMMC Flash
25.5 fps +11%
low med. high ultra
Trackmania Nations Forever (2008) 97.6 22.9

Emissions & Energy

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test
missing maintenance hatches
missing maintenance hatches

We noticed a very good temperature development in our last review of the Stream 13, despite the fanless construction. This version is also very comfortable while idling and we can only determine one hotspot at up to 51.6 °C (~125 °F) in one scenario. Fortunately, the keyboard area does not get very warm. However, this load scenario is very unlikely in practice and could only happen for a short while when you play games.

Now we look at the components in a  stress test scenario. The processor will drop below its nominal clock after a few minutes and then level off at a steady 1.2 GHz.

 26.1 °C
79 F
26.5 °C
80 F
24.2 °C
76 F
 
 25 °C
77 F
26.2 °C
79 F
23.7 °C
75 F
 
 22.2 °C
72 F
22.1 °C
72 F
22.2 °C
72 F
 
Maximum: 26.5 °C = 80 F
Average: 24.2 °C = 76 F
24.4 °C
76 F
32 °C
90 F
27.9 °C
82 F
24.5 °C
76 F
29.6 °C
85 F
27.1 °C
81 F
23 °C
73 F
23.5 °C
74 F
23.5 °C
74 F
Maximum: 32 °C = 90 F
Average: 26.2 °C = 79 F
Power Supply (max.)  27.2 °C = 81 F | Room Temperature 21.1 °C = 70 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 29.8 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Netbook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.5 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.1 °C / 92 F, ranging from 21.6 to 53.2 °C for the class Netbook.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 51.6 °C / 125 F, compared to the average of 36.6 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.2 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 29.8 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 26 °C / 78.8 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 29.3 °C / 84.7 F (+3.3 °C / 5.9 F).

Speakers

Voices and sounds are quite clear. The volume is also okay and sufficient to overcome some noises., On the other hand, the Stream 13 does not generate a rich sound.

Power Consumption

The test model is equipped exclusively with frugal and not very powerful components, which is also reflected by the power consumption: The HP Stream 13 only consumes 13.2 watts even under maximum load. It does not make much difference whether the device is in standby (0.3 W) or completely shut down (0.2 W).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 4.6 / 6.8 / 6.5 Watt
Load midlight 12.7 / 13.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

According to the specifications, the manufacturer uses the same 37-Wh lithium-ion battery as before. HWInfo, however, shows a 35-Wh module.

We determine the runtime during web browsing to simulate a realistic scenario. The review unit will hibernate after 6 hours, which is a good result. For comparison: The previously reviewed HP Stream 13 lasted one hour longer.

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing (sort by value)
HP Stream 13-c102ng
370 min
HP Stream 13-c002ng
446 min +21%
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D
415 min +12%

Legend

 
HP Stream 13-c102ng Intel Celeron N3050, Intel HD Graphics (Braswell), 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HP Stream 13-c002ng Intel Celeron N2840, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Aspire E13 ES1-311-P87D Intel Pentium N3540, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), WDC Slim WD10SPCX-21KHST0

Pros

+ silent device
+ matte display
+ decent input devices
+ battery runtime

Cons

- low display brightness
- throttling under load
- only 12 months warranty

Verdict

HP Stream 13, test model courtesy of HP Germany.
HP Stream 13, test model courtesy of HP Germany.

Playful, youthful and alternative is the right description for the design of the new HP Stream 13. It is not the first time that we have had the chance to review a device from this series. Since the last version, the manufacturer has mainly replaced the processor and forgotten about the old problems. Once again, we can find a very solid build quality and input devices, but would have expected more in terms of the display. The choice of a matte panel is the only positive aspect about the otherwise bad screen.

In general, the new processor provides more performance and is sufficient for web browsing and office applications. The battery runtime is also more than satisfactory.

All in all, the HP Stream 13 is an inexpensive Chromebook alternative.

If you are looking for a Chromebook, but rely on Windows applications like Microsoft Office, the Stream 13 could be a real alternative.

You should still have a look at the competition, because they often provide more performance and a better display for a small additional charge.

HP Stream 13-c102ng - 02/04/2016 v4.1(old)
Nino Ricchizzi

Chassis
74 / 98 → 76%
Keyboard
75%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
58 / 80 → 73%
Weight
69 / 35-78 → 79%
Battery
89%
Display
79%
Games Performance
42 / 68 → 62%
Application Performance
46 / 87 → 53%
Temperature
90 / 91 → 99%
Noise
100%
Audio
56 / 91 → 62%
Camera
40 / 85 → 47%
Average
69%
78%
Netbook - Weighted Average

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Nino Ricchizzi, 2016-02-12 (Update: 2018-05-15)