HP 2021, Celeron N4020, 4GB, 64GB eMMC, Black

The HP 14-dq0020nr is a one-tab wonder that'll frustrate you the second you ask it to do real work. It's cheap for a reason, and that reason is a Celeron CPU and 4GB of RAM.

The Celeron N4020 sits at the 1st percentile for CPU performance in our database, which is a polite way of saying it's one of the slowest processors we've tested in a modern laptop. The 4GB of RAM is also dead last in our rankings, so multitasking is basically a myth here. The one surprise is that it's actually decent for streaming video, as long as you don't have a dozen browser tabs open. The 64GB eMMC storage is also a weak spot, ranking in the bottom 4% of all laptops, so you'll be leaning hard on cloud storage or an external drive.

Stacked against something like the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon or Apple MacBook Pro, this HP isn't even in the same conversation, those are premium machines with real CPUs and fast storage. A more realistic comparison is against other sub-$300 laptops, and even there, the HP 14-dq0020nr struggles because of its 4GB RAM and eMMC storage. The ASUS Vivobook line often offers better specs for a similar price, and refurbished ThinkPads are a smarter buy if you can find one.

At around $240 USD, it's cheap, but you're getting what you pay for. The value proposition only works if your needs are extremely basic: email, one streaming tab, maybe a document. If you can stretch your budget even a little, you'll get dramatically more laptop for your money.

The HP 14-dq0020nr is a budget laptop that feels like a budget laptop, and that's the one thing you need to know. It's thin, light, and cheap, but the Intel Celeron N4020, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage are a recipe for frustration the moment you try to do more than one thing at a time. This is a machine for very light tasks only, and even then, you'll need patience.

If you're looking for a laptop that can handle schoolwork, photo editing, or even moderate multitasking, this isn't it. Go get a refurbished ThinkPad or a Chromebook with at least 8GB of RAM instead. You'll thank yourself every single day.

Don't buy this unless you have no other choice and your needs are extremely light. It's a streaming and email machine, nothing more. If you need to run real software, edit photos, or keep more than a few tabs open, save your money and look elsewhere.