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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a larger screen and more power for tasks like photo editing or multitasking, the Acer Aspire 5 17 would be a suitable choice, offering a better processor, more storage, and a larger screen, but it's heavier and less portable. On the other hand, the Gateway 14.1" is more budget-friendly, lighter, and easier to carry, with portability suited for basic tasks such as web browsing and document editing, but it has less storage and a less powerful processor, which may not be suitable for intensive applications. Both have similar screen quality and are not designed for intensive gaming. 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 5 17
- Good for general use
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 14.1"
- Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
7.3
5.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
266.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
7.3/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is good for general use, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is equipped with a more robust CPU and double the RAM of the Gateway 14.1", leading to significantly better performance for general use, alongside a larger, higher quality screen and more substantial storage, although it is heavier and less portable. Meanwhile, despite the Gateway 14.1" being lighter for increased portability, its weaker CPU, lower RAM, and smaller storage limit its effectiveness for general use tasks, and it also offers a poorer keyboard experience.
Gaming and AI
6.2
5.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a more capable GPU with the Iris Xe, which is better for gaming and 3D applications than the Gateway 14.1", which has a less powerful Intel UHD Graphics 600. Additionally, the Acer's larger screen provides a more immersive experience suitable for these tasks, despite both laptops having similar screen refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
6.7
5.5
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair for engineering and design, while the Gateway 14.1" is poor.
The Acer Aspire 5 17, with its more powerful i5 processor, higher RAM, and better-integrated GPU, offers higher performance for engineering and design tasks compared to the Gateway 14.1", which is equipped with a lower-end Celeron processor, less RAM, and a less capable GPU.
Content Creation
7.2
5.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
7.2
5.8
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Aspire 5 17 is good 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
17.3in
SIZE
14.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
208.0 nits
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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 Aspire 5 and the Gateway display adequate resolution and brightness, but the panel type may not be the highest quality, affecting overall screen appeal. When it comes to engineering and design, neither laptop offers the wide color gamuts necessary for the most accurate color representation, which professionals require for their work. For gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of these screens are a limitation, leading to less fluid motion and potentially less immersive experiences compared to laptops with higher refresh rates.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 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
Good
Very Good
17.3in
SIZE
14.1in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
3.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 14.1" has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5
5.1
The Acer Aspire 5 17 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
$700
$99
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Gateway 14.1" costs $99.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Gateway 14.1" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 5 17 | Gateway 14.1" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$700 | $99 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 15.8'' x 10.1'' x 0.71'' | 13.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.61 lbs | 3.35 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 15.83" | 13.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.1" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1335U | 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 | 512 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 50.3 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17.3" | 14.1" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 266 nits | 208 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.3/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 5 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | March 2021
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
Gateway 14.1"
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Dig into reviews and images
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 5 17 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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