Don’t waste your money on the HP Chromebook 14 with Celeron N4120, 4GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC. At $170, it’s still overpriced for what you get. Performance is sluggish, build quality is cheap, and the display is a blurry mess. You’re better off saving up for the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 or Acer Chromebook 514, which offer far better screens, build, and speed. Unless you only need a disposable web browser, skip this and get something that won’t make you regret every click. This is strictly for tech masochists—everyone else should run away.

This laptop is a plastic toy masquerading as a real computer. The chassis flexes, the lid feels flimsy, and the hinge is wobbly. It’s nowhere near the durability of the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook or the Acer Chromebook 514, both of which use sturdier materials and better construction. HP’s marketing calls it “thin design,” but it’s just cheap plastic that will crack if you toss it in a backpack. If you want something that lasts, spend a little more for a metal chassis. Don’t trust this thing to survive daily use.

HP brags about a “HD display,” but it’s a low-res 1366x768 panel that looks like it came from 2015. Colors are washed out, brightness is barely usable outdoors, and text is fuzzy. Forget any creative work or binge-watching—your eyes will hate you. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 offers a crisp 2K touchscreen for just a bit more, and the Acer Chromebook 514’s 1080p IPS panel is leagues ahead. If you care about your vision, skip this. HP’s “4K graphics” claim is pure marketing nonsense—this screen can’t do justice to any content.

The Intel Celeron N4120 is ancient and slow. With only 4GB RAM, multitasking is a joke—expect lag with more than a few tabs. Real-world benchmarks put this miles behind the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook and Acer Chromebook 514, both of which use newer processors and double the RAM. HP’s “all-day performance” claim is a lie; this thing chokes on basic tasks. If you want a laptop that doesn’t freeze during Zoom calls or Google Docs, look elsewhere. For $200 more, you can get a Windows laptop that actually works.

HP claims “4K graphics,” but the Intel UHD 600 can barely handle YouTube at 1080p. Forget gaming—anything beyond basic browser games will stutter and crash. Creative apps? Don’t even try. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3’s Snapdragon chip and Acer Chromebook 514’s integrated graphics both outperform this relic. If you want to stream 4K Netflix, this isn’t the machine. HP’s marketing is pure fantasy—this GPU is only good for static web pages and pixelated video. Skip this and get a real laptop if you care about graphics.

HP advertises “up to 14 hours,” but real-world use is closer to 8-10 hours with mixed browsing and video. That’s not terrible, but it’s nothing special—especially when the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 and Acer Chromebook 514 both hit similar or better numbers with brighter screens and faster chips. Fast charging is nice, but you’ll need it because the battery drains quickly if you push the system. Don’t buy this for marathon sessions; it’s average at best. If you want true all-day battery, look for newer Chromebooks with more efficient processors.

The keyboard is mushy, cramped, and uncomfortable for long typing sessions. Expect missed keystrokes and wrist pain after an hour. The trackpad is small and unreliable, often registering phantom clicks. If you write emails or documents, you’ll hate every minute. The Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook and Acer Chromebook 514 both offer far superior keyboards and trackpads—actual productivity machines. HP’s “Ash Gray Keyboard” is just a color, not a feature. If you value your hands, skip this and buy something designed for real work. This keyboard will give you carpal tunnel.

Connectivity is barebones: two USB-C, one USB-A, headphone jack, and microSD slot. That’s it. No HDMI, no Ethernet, and you’ll need dongles for almost everything. The Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook and Acer Chromebook 514 both offer more ports and better placement. If you want to connect to a monitor or wired network, prepare to spend extra on adapters. HP’s “thin design” means sacrificing usability. For students and professionals, this is a deal-breaker. Don’t buy a laptop that forces you into dongle hell—get something with real ports.

The speakers are tinny garbage—loud but hollow, with zero bass. Music sounds flat, movies lack punch, and video calls are barely audible. You’ll need headphones for anything beyond basic alerts. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 and Acer Chromebook 514 both offer fuller, clearer sound. HP’s “custom-tuned stereo speakers” are marketing fluff. If you care about audio quality, skip this and buy a laptop with real speakers. For $170, you shouldn’t have to suffer through terrible sound. Don’t fall for the hype—this audio setup is a joke.

Skip the HP Chromebook 14 unless you want frustration and regret. For $170, it’s a disposable web browser with a blurry screen, slow performance, and cheap build. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 ($250), Acer Chromebook 514 ($300), and Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook ($350) all offer better screens, faster chips, and real keyboards. Don’t waste your money on this junk—save up for something that won’t make you miserable. If you need a Chromebook, buy one that’s actually usable. Otherwise, keep your old laptop and wait for a real deal.