Summary
Amazon’sgot this HP 14-inch laptop for $400 right now, supposedly marked down from $1300, and I can’t figure out if it’s a genuine deal or just… “creative pricing”. The seller claims it’s worth over a grand, but when you look at what’s actually inside - an Intel N150 processor and basic components - the math gets pretty fuzzy.
The laptop does come with 16GB of RAM though, which is way more than most cheap laptops include. Plus Windows 11 Pro and what they’re calling a “lifetime” Office license. The whole package runs $400 in sky blue, which isn’t terrible pricing if you ignore the inflated original price claims. Ah well, we should take a look at what it’s offering anyway.
What’s Actually Inside This Mystery Laptop?
We’ve already established that the $1300 figure just doesn’t make sense for this hardware. The Intel N150 is one of those ultra-basic processors Intel makes for entry-level computers. It’s not bad for simple tasks, but it’s definitely not thousand-dollar laptop material.
This N150 chip has four cores that can hit 3.6GHz when needed, with 6MB of cache. Intel designed it for basic computing - web browsing, documents, streaming videos. It’s about 30% faster than their older Celeron processors, which isn’t saying much since those were pretty slow to begin with.
The 16GB of DDR4 RAM is probably the best part of this whole setup. Most laptops under $500 come with 4GB or 8GB, so having 16GB means you can actually keep multiple programs running without everything slowing to a crawl. Downside is it’s soldered in, so you’re stuck with whatever you buy.
Storage is split between 128GB built into the laptop and a 256GB microSD card, giving you 384GB total. Neither type is as fast as the SSDs most people expect these days. The screen runs 1366x768 resolution, which feels pretty outdated, and the brightness hits 250 nits with anti-glare coating.
How’s The Performance?
Basic office stuff works fine. Typing documents, browsing the web, watching YouTube - the laptop handles these without major complaints. Having 16GB of RAM really helps when you’ve got multiple browser tabs open for research or work.
Anything more demanding, though, is going to show the processor’s limits real quick. Photo editing is possible with simple programs, but don’t expect smooth performance with large files. Video editing is basically out unless you’re working with very short clips. Gaming is limited to really old titles or basic browser games.
Build And Daily Use
The laptop weighs about 3.2 pounds and runs 0.7 inches thick, so it’s portable enough for carrying around. The sky-blue plastic looks okay but definitely feels like budget construction.
Battery life gets you maybe 6–7 hours depending on what you’re doing. The 45W charger can hit 50% in about 45 minutes, which isn’t bad for this category. Ports cover the basics - USB-C for data, two regular USB ports, HDMI, SD card slot, headphone jack. Wi-Fi 6 supportisnice to have, especially if you’ve got a newer router at home.
The webcam is 720p with dual microphones, so video calls work but don’t look amazing. Speakers are typical laptop quality - fine for system sounds and casual listening but you’ll want headphones for anything serious.
Who This Actually Works For
At this point, you’re probably wondering why we even decided to cover this laptop. Well, that’s because I think it still hassomevalue. Students doing basic schoolwork could make this work. Writing papers, online research, streaming shows between classes - the laptop handles these tasks without falling apart. The 16GB of RAM is actually quite helpful for keeping research tabs open while writing.
Small businesses needing cheap computers for email and basic office tasks might find it useful. The Windows compatibility means it’ll run whatever business software you need, assuming it’s not too demanding.
Anyone wanting a backup laptop for travelor even just basic home usecould consider this. At $400, you’re not risking a huge investment if something happens to it while still getting full Windows functionality.
At $400, it goes up with other cheap Windows laptops and Chromebooks. You get more RAM than most alternatives at this price, but the processor and storage are slower than newer AMD options that cost similar amounts.
My Thoughts On The Whole Thing
Spending another $100-200 gets you laptops with faster processors, sharper screens, and proper SSD storage that would perform much better for most people. But if you’re on a tight budget and need a laptop from a trusted brand that isn’t going to give up on you, then this might be the way to go about it.
In case you want to give this laptop a shot, head on over to Amazon and see it for yourself.
