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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is typically more expensive, but it offers double the storage, double the RAM, and a newer, slightly better processor than the Gateway 14.1". It also has a higher resolution touchscreen with a more productivity-friendly aspect ratio. The Gateway is less expensive and slightly lighter, but it comes with less storage, less RAM, and an older, less powerful processor. If you prioritize performance and productivity features and can handle a slightly higher price, the Acer is the better choice. However, if your main concern is saving money and you can make do with lower performance and no touchscreen, then the Gateway could be suitable. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14
- Good for content creation
Advantages of the Gateway 14.1"
- The Gateway 14.1" has no clear advantages over the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14.
Key differences
General Use
6.5
5.6
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
250.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
8.1/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 provides a better general use experience with double the RAM for multitasking, a more advanced i3 processor over the Gateway 14.1"'s Celeron for faster performance, and a higher resolution touchscreen display, which altogether justify its fair rating. Conversely, the Gateway's lower screen brightness, lesser RAM, and an older processor contribute to its poor evaluation for general use.
Content Creation
7.0
5.8
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is good for content creation, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
6.9
5.8
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.2/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is only fair for software development, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.2
6.0
14.0in
SIZE
14.1in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
250.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a better screen than the Gateway 14.1" for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, both the Acer and Gateway laptops offer screens with sufficient resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. In engineering and design, while the screens on both laptops provide adequate detail, professionals may find the color accuracy and range lacking for precision work due to limited color gamut coverage. When it comes to 3D and gaming, the lower refresh rates of these screens are less ideal for fast-paced visuals, leading to less smooth motion and potentially less immersive gaming experiences.
Build Quality
6.2
5.1
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has only fair build quality, while the Gateway 14.1" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$418
$99
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has a price of $418 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
5.8
5.4
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and Gateway 14.1" are both poor for gaming and AI.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 offers better gaming and 3D performance primarily due to its Intel UHD Graphics Xe, which outperforms the Gateway 14.1"'s older Intel UHD Graphics 600. Additionally, the Acer's display may offer slightly better viewing with a higher resolution and aspect ratio, contributing to an overall fair versus poor gaming experience.
Engineering and Design
5.9
5.5
3.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3.6/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and Gateway 14.1" are both poor for engineering and design.
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is equipped with a more capable Intel i3 processor and better integrated graphics, along with twice the RAM of the Gateway 14.1", which has a weaker Celeron processor and lesser graphics capability, making the Acer a fair choice for engineering and design, while the Gateway is considered poor for those tasks. Additionally, the Acer's higher-resolution and quality IPS screen provides a better visual experience, which is important in design, compared to the Gateway's lower brightness and color coverage display.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Gateway 14.1" has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.1in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and Gateway 14.1" both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 | Gateway 14.1" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$418 | $99 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 9'' x 0.74'' | 13.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 3.35 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 13.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i3-N305 | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 128 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 40 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14.1" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1200 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 250 nits | 208 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.2/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.3/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and Yannick Khong | November 2023
"The Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 is okay for school use. It feels reasonably well-built, and its compact design makes it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around seven hours of light use, so you only have to plug it in for a short time to get through a typical school day. The overall user experience is so-so; the display looks sharp but dim, and the touchpad is fairly responsive, albeit small."
Gateway 14.1"
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NotebookCheck
Allen Ngo | September 2021
"The Gateway Ultra Slim 14" is surprisingly quiet with long battery life. The inexpensive Gateway excels at maximizing performance per dollar with lots of RAM and storage, super-quiet fan, and a long battery life. It can even house up to two M.2 SSDs which we weren't expecting from such a cheap system. However, the iffy reliability of the keyboard and USB-C port on our test unit means users should double-check for these potential issues immediately after purchasing."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 3 Spin 14 or the Gateway 14.1"
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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