The HP 14-fq0090nr is an entry-level laptop built for students and cost-conscious buyers. This budget laptop comes in a standard space grey color that will keep a discrete profile yet deliver a nice professional look. But looks are not the only thing it offers, it has all the features you need to get through your studies or daily activities.
Amongst its most outstanding features, we've got an AMD Athlon Gold 3150U CPU, 4 GB of RAM (upgradable), 128 GB SSD storage, and a decent 14-inch HD display. But, is this the laptop for you? That's what we're here to figure out as we tackle everything you need to know about the HP 14-fq0090nr.
Who's this laptop for (in a nutshell)?
Budget-centered buyers who want to get the most for their money. Students and everyday laptop users looking for a fast-performing yet affordable computer to work on relatively simple tasks such as editing documents, browsing the internet, or watching movies.
Who's this laptop NOT for?
Anyone looking to do demanding tasks such as gaming or video editing will want to look elsewhere due to its fairly weak hardware and lack of discrete graphics card.
HP 14-fq0090nr Laptop Review
Design
HP built the 14-fq0090nr with a plastic brushed metal design that looks rather elegant considering its place in the market.
It weighs only 3.24 pounds and measures 0.71 inches in thickness, making it very sleek and thin which is great for students on the go or anyone really who wants something compact yet modern looking.
Display
The screen is a decent 14-inch HD display with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. Currently, there are numerous Full HD laptops even within this price range such as the recently reviewed Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-36UT or the extremely popular Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K.
However, if you don't mind the lower resolution, it's still quite suitable for browsing the web, watching movies, and going through your docs.
The display is also in line with current aesthetic trends thanks to its micro-edge bezel which means more screen real-estate occupying a smaller overall footprint.
Sure enough, the display isn't going to win any awards as we shouldn't forget that this is an entry-level laptop with an entry-level display but it gets the job done which is what we ultimately care about.
Keyboard and trackpad
The 14-fq0090nr features a chiclet-style keyboard which is very common these days and feels smooth and comfortable to type on. In fact, typing for long periods of time has been quite enjoyable with this laptop thanks to the well-designed keys.
It should also be pointed out that it's not a backlit keyboard, something we're not thrilled about especially since other entry-level laptops do feature backlit keyboards, such as the recently reviewed Acer Aspire 5 A515-55-35SE.
In addition, it also sports a multi-touch trackpad that supports Windows 10 gestures. Sure, the trackpad could still be a little smoother and more refined but for an entry-level laptop, it gets the job done well enough.
Performance
You can't talk about performance and not look at the key specs that HP is packing under the hood. On that front, this laptop has an AMD Athlon Gold 3150U processor.
This particular chip falls under the entry-level range of its brand. To help understand what it means by entry-level, we will have to talk about how CPU brands work in general.
Again, as a general rule, brands are placed in order from most premium to most entry-level. Athlon Gold sits right below the AMD Ryzen 3 3250U, which is a mid-tier chip. In other words, this processor is not that strong when compared to other brand names.
If you're looking for a laptop that can handle more intensive applications such as advanced software development or video editing, then an Intel i5 would be a better choice in comparison. This processor is closer to an Intel Celeron CPU.
What about the RAM?
HP's entry-level laptop is equipped with 4 GB of RAM. It uses DDR4 memory, which means it has faster transfer speeds than its predecessor: DDR3 memory.
Entry-level laptops usually have 4 GB of RAM, so we're not going to get into the details. Just know that it's a suitable amount for basic users. Users who are planning to use this laptop for non-CPU-intensive tasks such as web browsing will find that it offers adequate performance.
What about the storage drive?
This laptop comes with 128 GB SSD storage. An SSD is much better than a hard drive when it comes to speed since an SSD has no moving parts and can transfer files at blistering speeds.
The 128 GB internal SSD storage space should be enough for basic users since they're not planning to store too many files on it, except for their pictures and videos.
What performance can I expect from this set of specs?
The combination of the processor, SSD unit, and RAM make this laptop fit for daily tasks. This is a great choice for students who need something simple to get them through their studies or internet browsing. It's not recommended for video editing or more intensive applications such as gaming since it simply doesn't have the horsepower for that.
Battery Life
Like other entry-level laptops, this one also features a 3-cell 41 Wh Li-ion battery. HP claims that this model can offer up to 9 hours of battery life, however, in reality, it's going to be less than 7 hours of constant usage. For basic users who are planning to use this machine for web browsing and word processing, then the battery life is suitable for their needs.
Connectivity options and webcam
This laptop comes with a standalone USB Type-C port, along with two Type-A ports, an SD card reader, and an HDMI connection. It also features a combo headphone/microphone jack.
For wireless connectivity, we've got 802.11ac WiFi (also known as WiFi 5) and Bluetooth 4.2, which should suffice for basic wireless connectivity needs.
The camera quality is pretty decent for an entry-level laptop with a 720p HD resolution. As for video conferencing, you can rely on this camera. However, as with most webcams, it will not perform well under low light.
Conclusion
So there it is...the HP 14-fq0090nr offers quite an attractive value proposition offering good build quality; decent all-round performance backed by a generous SSD storage space, complemented by enough processing power that it's perfect for students and casual users who are looking for a nice, affordable laptop with which they can comfortably work, play, stream, or do anything else they need to do.